January 10, 2025

US sanctions keeping Syria from importing wheat, according to Syrian trade minister

Syria is unable to make deals to import fuel, wheat or other key goods owing to strict US sanctions and despite many countries, including Gulf Arab states, wanting to do so, Syria's new Trade Minister said.

In an interview with Reuters at his office in Damascus, Maher Khalil al-Hasan said Syria's new ruling administration had managed to scrape together enough wheat and fuel for a few months but the country faces a “catastrophe” if sanctions are not frozen or lifted soon.

Hasan is a member of the new caretaker government set up by Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham after it launched a lightning offensive that toppled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on December 8 after 13 years of civil war.

The sanctions were imposed during Assad's rule, targeting his government and state institutions such as the central bank.

Russia and Iran, both major backers of the Assad government, previously provided most of Syria's wheat and oil products, but both stopped doing so after the rebels took over the country.

The United States is set to announce an easing of restrictions on providing humanitarian aid and other basic services such as electricity to Syria while maintaining its strict sanctions regime, people briefed on the matter told Reuters on January 6.

- Reuters