Customs Authority Details the Cuts
Mazen Aloush, public relations director at Syria's General Authority of Border Crossings and Customs, said on 19 May 2026 that the new Harmonized Customs Tariff law includes broad reductions on duties for raw materials used in manufacturing. The package is framed as an industrial-policy measure to lower production costs and lift the competitiveness of Syrian-made goods, while shifting protection toward locally produced finished products.
Cement and Steel Inputs
The duty on clinker, the core feedstock for cement, falls from 13 US dollars (USD) to 7 USD per ton. Reductions also apply to billet iron used by Syrian rolling mills. Aloush denied any rise in cement fees, saying the changes are aimed at supporting domestic construction-material producers and increasing local supply for the building and reconstruction sector.
Pharmaceutical Levies Eased
Customs on most pharmaceutical raw materials fall to about 27 USD per ton. Duties on finished imported medicines drop from 3,000 USD to 500 USD per ton, a sharp easing of the cost of bringing branded drugs through Syrian ports and a signal that authorities want imported and locally manufactured drugs to compete on a more level cost base.
Food Industry Reductions
Levies on staple food inputs ease across the basket. Milk falls from 150 USD to 100 USD per ton, dried pulses from 100 USD to 27 USD, and cardamom from 1,000 USD to 500 USD. Animal fats drop from 500 USD to 150 USD, crude oils from 100 USD to 53 USD, raw sugar from 13 USD to 7 USD, and cocoa paste from 100 USD to 53 USD per ton.
Cars and Luxury Items Pay More
Tariff increases are limited to selected luxury imports and to goods that already have viable Syrian substitutes. Cars face higher duties, alongside processed foods including mortadella, candy, and biscuits, categories the authority says local producers can serve, with the protection intended to push domestic manufacturers to compete inside the Syrian market.