Lebanon and Jordan are trying to find a solution with the Syrian side after Damascus’s decision to prevent non-Syrian trucks loaded with goods destined for the Syrian market from entering its territory, according to officials in the Lebanese and Jordanian transport ministries.
Dozens of trucks lined up at the Al-Masnaa border crossing between Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday after being denied entry. This crisis comes as the two countries attempt to open a new chapter in their relations following the fall of Bashar al-Assad in 2024.
The Director General of Land and Maritime Transport stated, “There are discussions” with Syria regarding its decision, adding, “We are waiting for a meeting to be held soon, and we hope there will be solutions in the meeting.” He continued, “The issue is a matter of time and the problem is internal and is not aimed at Lebanon or relations with it, but rather aims to find solutions for problems at other borders.”
“A daily trade exchange process between Lebanon and Syria”
He pointed to the existence of “a daily trade exchange process between Lebanon and Syria… including ports, production centers, and agricultural exchange,” stressing that “all of that is affected… and anything that hinders supply chains and commercial movement.”
Syria constitutes Lebanon’s only land export gateway for transporting its goods to Gulf countries in particular. According to the official, 500 Lebanese trucks cross into Syria daily.
The General Authority for Ports and Customs in Syria issued a decision on Saturday stipulating “not allowing non-Syrian trucks” to enter the territory via land ports, with the unloading of cargo destined for inside Syria to be conducted exclusively at customs points on the crossings.
According to the decision, transit trucks passing through to other countries were exempted. A source in the Syrian General Authority for Ports and Customs said the decision aims to “regulate the movement of shipping through the ports.”
Jordanian trucks unload their cargo in the free zone
In Jordan, which was also affected by the Syrian decision, the official spokesperson for the Jordanian Ministry of Transport stated, “There are currently discussions, and we are awaiting a response from the Syrian side regarding allowing foreign trucks to enter and transit.”
He added that Jordanian trucks are unloading their cargo in the free zone at the Nasib crossing with Syria despite some “confusion,” noting that 250 Jordanian trucks used to enter Syria daily.
The Syrian decision raised concerns in Lebanon’s transport sector, whose union and association representatives expressed fear of the “resulting additional operational burdens and high costs, and negative repercussions on the land transport sector and the movement of trade exchange between the two countries.”
Following a meeting at the Directorate of Transport, they expressed “their rejection of imposing additional burdens on the Lebanese land transport sector resulting from unilateral measures.”
They called on Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Works and Transport “to take appropriate measures to protect this sector, including adopting the principle of reciprocity in regulating the entry of Syrian trucks into Lebanese territory.”
