Syria will be hurt further by Trump’s 41% tariff rate — the highest on earth
US President Donald Trump meets with Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on this work paper, published on May 14, 2025.
Saudi Press Agency | Through Reuters
In May, US President Donald Trump, who spoke with a rapt crowd in Ritz-Carlton Riyadh, stunned the audience by announcement that many of whom had been in force for decades.
“Now it’s time to shine … Good luck Syria, Tr Trump said.
After three months, the Trump administration of Syria Highest tariff ratio Any country in the world: 41%.
Syria has very few trade with the US due to long -term sanctions, but there is some trade between the two. In 2023, Syria exported $ 11.3 million to the United States. Observatory for economic complexity, And imported US $ 1,29 million American goods and technically gave the US a trade deficit with the poor Middle East country.
Trump is to address the trade imbalances of trade, based on a widely criticized calculation applied to each country by using trade deficit figures in April. Especially he did not comment on the Syrian case.
However, regional analysts need all the help the country can receive as they confront the ghost of rebuilding their devastated situation after 13 years of war, not further punishment, not further punishment.
“After years of destructive civil war, the country needs important foreign direct investments to start the long and difficult restructuring and development process,” Giorgio Cafiero, CEO of Gulf State Analytics, Gulf State Analytics CEO. He said.
“Many USA, British and EU sanctions have been abolished recently, although it is a pleasant development for the economic ambitions of Damascus, Washington’s upright tariffs application is now threatening to limit meaningful trade potential with the United States.”
A collapsed situation
Since 1979, Syria has been appointed by the US government as a state sponsor of terrorism. In 2004, US sanctions were implemented in the country and again in 2011, the then President Bashar Assad regime launched a brutal pressure on anti -government uprisings.
Roughly, in 14 years, the country was devastated by civil war, sectarian violence and brutal terrorist attacks, the Islamic State took over some of the country in 2014, and later led the Western to eliminate the extremist group.
The drone view shows the City of Damascus after the Syrian ruling fighters overthrew Syria’s Bashar Assad, Syria, December 13, 2024.
Yosri Aljamal | Reuters
Syria was under countless international sanctions, but those imposed by the United States were advocated by other countries and groups for transactions with the country because they applied to third parties.
Lastly, Trump’s Picture of sanctions In June, it hosted delegations from many countries, including Syria, the US and the rich Gulf states. At the same time, it was besieged by sectarian violence explosions in different parts of the country and in the volleyball of Israeli bombings.
More than two -thirds of Syria’s electricity network non -functionalAccording to aid organizations, big cities such as Aleppo and Damascus face more than 20 hours of deduction per day. There is no power in the region full of rural and conflict.
Ha Hellyer, a senior of the Royal United Services Institute in London, is a senior above, “This is a senior man from the Royal United Services Institute in London. “He said.
“I think any step that deviates from it is very dangerous.”
Qatar has recently announced a project that the development fund would buy gas and provide more than 5 million people to Syria through Azerbaijan and Türkiye.
Fahad Al-Salaiti, General Manager of the Qatar Development Fund, explained how Damascus should lean on assistance from Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Nations-especially the tariffs will harm the possibility of developing useful trade ties with the United States, and that the US government is in close contact with the US government.
Al-Salaiti, CNBC’ye told, “We are working very close to our partners in the United States in the United States. So since the first day … We work very close with the Treasury department … We take them with them to create a good economic system.”
‘Tasma’ in Syria’s new government?
Economic observers, since the bilateral trade between the two countries is very negligible, 41% tariff itself will have a real impact on Syria’s ruins economy.
“However, the symbolism behind this decision carries much more weight than the trade figures suggested.” He said.
“Syria’s highest tariffs for the highest tariffs-after facilitating the sanction-even after the Trump administration, a clear and calculated message sends a message: Washington is willing to relax the post-Syrian change after the regime, but only under the conditions defined by the White House.”
One interpretation is that Caiero proposed is that tariffs can be a way to force Damascus to normalize relations with Israel, who attacked and occupied a part of Syria.
“In this sense,” he said, “Economic policy looks like a kind of ‘tasma’ designed to be adjusted to the political behavior of the Al-Sharaa government and the wider developments on the ground.”
Security analysts warn that instability in some parts of the country does not receive economic, human and diplomatic support, that it can clearly return to war and a much larger human crisis.
The US ambassador Syrian Tom Barrack expressed his full support to the Syrian and Al Sharaa government of Washington and recently announced the US and Qatari -supported investment initiatives to the country.
It is not clear whether the administration supports the application of tariffs to the country; The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the White House did not respond to CNBC comments requests.
Ultimately, tariffs may have limited economic consequences, but “psychological and diplomatic effects should not be underestimated,” he warned. “My reading is that Washington reflects the intention of keeping the leverage over the future of Syria.”
