Cars crossing the border between Lebanon and Syria at the Masnaa checkpoint on Nov. 2, 2023. (Credit: Ahmad al-Rubaye/AFP)
The Syrian Ministry of Transport has announced a 50 percent reduction in transit fees for trucks transporting goods between Lebanon and Iraq, according to a statement from the Syrian government. These fees, which can amount to several thousand dollars per truck, are notably high. The information was also confirmed by Lebanese Public Works and Transport Minister Ali Hamieh, as reported by various media outlets.
Transit between Lebanon and Gulf countries, which involves crossing the Nassib border post, is not affected by this decision. "This is still good news for our agricultural exports," said Antoine Hoyek, president of the Lebanese Farmers' Association, to L’Orient-Le Jour.
According to the Syrian statement, shared by Hoyek, Sami Sleimane, director of road transport at the Syrian Ministry of Transport, hopes this decision will boost truck transit through Syria. “The decision was made after several meetings of technical committees within the Syrian and Lebanese Transport Ministries, as well as economic and technical meetings with Syrian entities and departments of the Ministry of Economy, Agriculture, and the General Directorate of Customs,” Sleimane added in the statement.
He specified that the impact of this measure will be assessed three months after its implementation, at which point the fees may be maintained, reduced, or increased accordingly. A 2 percent tax will be imposed on "Syrian trucks transiting from Lebanon to Iraq or Jordan and vice versa." The statement did not clarify how the 2 percent would be calculated.