Commitment on Export Controls
A member of the US House of Representatives, Joe Wilson, said on 15 July 2026 that a senior official at the US Department of Commerce had pledged to move quickly to update and ease export restrictions imposed on Syria. The pledge was attributed to the Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security, Jeffrey Kessler.
Wilson disclosed the commitment in a post on the platform X, describing it as a formal undertaking to revise the rules without delay.
Opening for American Business
Wilson said the commitment was part of an effort to give Syria a fresh opportunity by revising and loosening export rules. Easing those controls would let American companies resume exports to and investment in the Syrian market.
He added that amending the export regulations would open the door to new investment flows into the country, which has been largely cut off from US trade for years. The step, as he framed it, would let firms treat Syria as a market to sell into and build in rather than one closed off by regulation.
Terror-List Removal Underway
The pledge is tied to the start of procedures to remove Syria from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism. President Donald Trump informed Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa of that decision during a meeting on 8 July 2026 held at the venue of the NATO summit in Ankara.
Removal from the list would lift a designation that has for years carried some of the heaviest US trade and financial restrictions attached to any country.
A 45-Day Review
The delisting is not yet final. The US Congress is to conduct a review lasting 45 days before the decision to remove Syria from the terrorism list is completed and made permanent.
Stakes for Trade
Export controls have long restricted the flow of American goods, technology and financing into Syria. A formal easing would lower one of the barriers facing importers and investors as the country seeks to rebuild its economy.