The Damascus Chamber of Industry and its Countryside convened textile manufacturers on 21 April 2026 to discuss ways to revive what officials described as one of Syria's largest industrial employers, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).
Chamber president Mohammad Ayman al-Mawlawi told SANA that the textile industry is "the largest employer of labor in Syria" and the country's second-largest contributor to national exports. He said Syrian textile products hold a pricing and quality edge over some foreign competitors, and that current market conditions offer an opening to re-enter European markets and other international buyers.
Mazen Derwan, head of the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Industry, said the sector needs a coordinated push to build a more flexible and efficient manufacturing base. Derwan told SANA the federation seeks to give industrialists a direct channel to policymakers and to help lock in stability "after previous obstacles were removed."
Industrialists' demands
Participating manufacturers called for what they described as bold decisions on customs policy and raw material supply, according to SANA. Their requests included:
- Setting customs duties on production inputs that they called fair and equitable, so Syrian exporters can compete on price.
- Introducing practical mechanisms to recover duties paid on inputs once finished goods are shipped abroad.
- Additional support for the sector's energy needs, which the industrialists said remain a binding constraint.
SANA reported that the manufacturers raised raw-material sourcing alongside the customs and energy issues, but the chamber did not name specific European markets or foreign partners targeted in its outreach.
Context
No new government measures or financial commitments were announced at the meeting. The chamber did not publish production or export figures for the Syrian textile sector at the session, and SANA did not report a follow-up timeline.
The Damascus Chamber of Industry, founded in 1935, says it helps shape economic policy with government agencies, runs workforce training, organises industrial exhibitions, and promotes Syrian export competitiveness, according to SANA.
Sources: SANA.