Middle East Economic Survey

VOL. LIV

No 40

3-Oct-2011

syria

Syria Bans Some Imports To Preserve Foreign Exchange

The Syrian Government on 22 September decided to ban imports of some 51 products, with a custom duty of over 5%, in a bid to preserve the countrys foreign exchange reserves. After six months of political unrest and street violence that has left more than 2,700 dead, and a raft of US and EU sanctions, the economy has begun to show signs of weakness and decline. According to latest...