Syria lifts ban on Lebanese banana and potato exports

The president of the Coalition of Farmers in the Bekaa, Ibrahim Tarshishi, revealed that Syrian authorities have opened their borders yesterday to trucks transporting banana and potato into Syria after a closure of the border which lasted for few days.  Tarshishi considered that this decision is a breakthrough for Lebanese exports into Syria.  He added that, according to the Statistics of the Union of Chambers of Commerce in Lebanon, there was a marked 60% decrease in Lebanese exports to Syria this year and compared to last year, explaining that Syria was exporting some 10,000 tons of agricultural goods to Lebanon and importing 25,000 tons from Lebanon.  The balance of trade has now changed in favor of Syria as Lebanon is hardly exporting some 7,000 tons to Syria.
Source: Al-Diyar, Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Safir 3 December 2014