1st cargo vessel reaches Syria’s Tartous port after sanctions lifted

DAMASCUS / ISTANBUL

The first cargo shipment arrived in Syria’s coastal province of Tartous after the lifting of international economic sanctions on the country, local authorities said on Thursday.

In a statement, the Tartous governorate said a vessel loaded with 19,000 tons of Romanian barley docked at the port.

“The vessel is the first of its kind to reach Syrian ports without transiting through Türkiye or Lebanon,” the statement said.

According to the state-run Al-Ikhbariya TV, the shipment originated from South America and Europe.

On Monday, the US Treasury lifted sanctions on Syria, based on an executive order signed by President Donald Trump, clearing the way for American companies to resume business with Damascus.

Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in late 2024, Syria’s new administration has been implementing economic and political reforms while making intensive efforts to launch and strengthen cooperation with multiple countries.

Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia in December, ending the Ba'ath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963. A new transitional administration led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa was formed in January.