Chamber of Commerce Official: None of Iran's Factories Established in Syria Are Operational

The Secretary-General of the Iran-Syria Joint Chamber of Commerce has reported that all Iranian factories established in Syria, including the Saipa company, are inactive, stating that the only Iranian automaker in Syria is not producing. On Saturday, November 26, Saeed Aref pointed out the decline in Iran's exports to Syria, saying that 'none' of the Iranian factories in Syria are operational. Israel targeted two trucks in the Saipa factory area in the Homs region of Syria in mid-October this year, and at that time, media reported that the factory was inactive. Statistics from the Iran Chamber of Commerce show that while approximately $15 million worth of auto parts were exported to Syria in the year 1401 (2022), this figure was zero last year. Aref further stated that while the political relations between the two countries are of 'good quality,' the highest trade value between the two countries has not exceeded $350 million per year in recent years, and even last year, this figure dropped to $124 million. The decline in Iran's exports to Syria comes at a time when Turkey, despite supporting the opposition to Bashar al-Assad's regime, had $2.05 billion in exports to Syria last year and imported $363 million worth of Syrian goods. Meanwhile, the total value of Iran's imports from Syria is only $5 million annually, and Aref noted that this imbalance has made establishing free trade between the two countries appealing only to Iran, which has not been well received by the Syrian side. Tanker tracking companies indicate that Iran delivers 50,000 barrels of oil to Syria daily, but no official report has been released by the Islamic Republic regarding the payment for these shipments, which amount to $1.5 billion annually. The Secretary-General of the Iran-Syria Joint Chamber of Commerce stated that this imbalance in trade also exists with Iraq, which is why an examination of trade between Iran and Iraq over the past five years shows that the volume of trade between the two countries has decreased each year compared to the previous year. Last year, Iran exported $9.24 billion worth of goods (excluding gas and electricity exports) to Iraq, while Turkey's exports to Iraq were $12.8 billion. While Turkey's imports from Iraq last year were $1.5 billion, Iran imported only $580 million worth of goods from Iraq. Aref emphasized that apart from the automotive sector, which is currently inactive, other factories have also been established by Iran in Syria but have not yet become operational. He also mentioned that Iranian companies are still active in 'providing infrastructure for Syrian industries, exporting technical and engineering services, and carrying out major and specialized repairs of infrastructure.'