From demanding zero tariffs on production inputs to announcing a strategic partnership with the new government in decision-making, the Machinery, Vehicles, and Metal Forming Committee at the Damascus and Countryside Chamber of Industry outlined the features of the upcoming phase. This took place during a meeting chaired by Mr. Ghassan Al-Kasm, Vice President of the Chamber, in the presence of Mr. Abdullah Al-Zayed, Secretary of the Chamber, alongside the committee’s chairman and members.At the beginning of the meeting, Mr. Ghassan Al-Kasm emphasized the necessity of joining forces and working with a sense of responsibility for the public interest. Al-Kasm called for a completely transparent analysis of the difficulties facing this vital sector, focusing on proposing realistic, logical, and immediately executable solutions to rescue the local industry.The meeting witnessed discussions that resulted in identifying the main obstacles and drafting a package of urgent demands and proposals. The committee made an appeal to activate a role of effective partnership with the new government to ensure the formulation of sound, collaborative economic and industrial decisions that serve the reality of production.The committee demanded the formation of strict, specialized committees at border crossings to conduct precise inspections on the quality of imported goods. This is to ensure their full compliance with Syrian standard specifications and prevent flooding the market with low-quality materials.To raise the competitiveness of Syrian products against imports, the committee requested reducing customs duties on production inputs and components, demanding them to be set at zero percent, describing it as an indispensable lifeline to restore the brilliance of the national industry.Regarding Decree No. /1119/, which prohibits licensed industrial facilities for two-wheeled motorcycle manufacturing from manufacturing or assembling motorcycles with engine capacities exceeding 50 cm³, the committee stressed that the immediate application of the decree would cause heavy losses to local industrial facilities.The committee explained that several facilities had signed contracts and issued supply orders for large quantities of raw materials and production inputs from China with high financial values since the beginning of this year. However, most of these shipments have not yet arrived on Syrian territory due to circumstances beyond their control. The most prominent of these are security developments in the region and the resulting disruptions in maritime shipping, including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which prevents any possibility of retrieving these orders or recovering their costs.At the conclusion of the meeting, the Damascus and Countryside Chamber of Industry confirmed its determination to communicate with the relevant authorities to discuss ways to alleviate the burdens and losses that industrial facilities might incur, ensuring the proper implementation of government decisions while considering the reality of the industrial sector
18/6/2026
