Shafaq News- Damascus

Syrian exports face significant challenges in the Iraqi market despite strong potential in several production sectors, Abdul Razzaq Habaza, secretary-general of the Syrian Consumer Protection Association, told Shafaq News on Wednesday.

The biggest obstacles, Habaza said, include the higher cost of Syrian products compared with competing imports and the exclusion of Syrian goods from Iraq's central bank-backed import financing platform, which offers preferential exchange rates for eligible imports.

"The agricultural, food processing, and manufacturing sectors, including pharmaceuticals, biscuits, jams, and packaging materials, all have real opportunities to expand in Iraq," Habaza noted, adding that achieving that goal requires accounting for the import costs borne by Iraqi traders and introducing measures that facilitate trade between the two countries.

Habaza called for greater support for joint Syrian-Iraqi investment projects and proposed establishing a joint free trade zone similar to the Syrian-Jordanian free zone to boost trade, investment, and economic integration. “Syria's private sector remains the main driver of exports but needs a more supportive and stable business environment.”

He also stressed that competing in the Iraqi market requires strict compliance with quality standards, particularly for agricultural and food products, criticizing “weak compliance” with technical and food safety standards for some Syrian exports to Iraq. “Lower-quality products have damaged the reputation of Syrian goods in the Iraqi market.”

The secretary general urged authorities to strengthen quality control systems to ensure exports meet the standards of destination markets, calling for customs facilitation on both sides of the border, describing customs procedures as another major challenge for exporters.

“Repeated sampling and testing of every export shipment often result in consignments being rejected and returned to Syria, increasing exporters' losses and reducing the competitiveness of Syrian products.”

Commenting on proposals to relocate Syrian industrial investments to Iraq, Habaza said encouraging manufacturers to establish factories outside Syria, including in joint free zones, is not the best solution. Instead, he argued that the priority should be supporting factories and exporters inside Syria, saying stronger domestic production and exports would generate broader economic benefits by increasing foreign currency inflows, creating jobs, and stimulating economic activity across multiple sectors. 

Read more: Turkish competition pressures Syrian exports in Iraq