Name: How sanctions cripple Syria’s economy and its people
Uploaded: 2025-11-10T23:34:45.233Z
Duration: 3 min 10 s
Description: As al-Sharaa becomes the first Syrian leader to visit the White House, Syria remains crippled by sanctions. Business owners are warning, unless some are lifted, industries that are still functioning are at risk of shutting down.

As al-Sharaa becomes the first Syrian leader to visit the White House, Syria remains crippled by sanctions. Business owners are warning, unless some are lifted, industries that are still functioning are at risk of shutting down.

Damascus

Syria’s economy has suffered severe setbacks due to years of war and international sanctions, leading to widespread industrial collapse and extreme poverty for many citizens. Factories face major challenges importing raw materials, and business owners report significant losses, with some losing millions in destroyed inventory.

While Western nations have discussed lifting sanctions, little relief has reached the Syrian people. Some factories continue to operate, offering a glimmer of hope, but experts agree that the impact of 14 years of restrictions will require considerable time and effort to overcome.

How sanctions cripple Syria’s economy and its people

Syria's economy has been forced out of shape, but there's cautious hope as the new leader visits the U.S. capital. At this household appliance factory, the difficulties in importing raw materials have reduced production. International sanctions have severely impacted operations. Industrial customs regulations and energy costs need to be reduced. When importing machinery, customs duties should be minimal. This would enable us to develop our own industry. In Kabul's industrial state, production lines lie abandoned and factories in ruins. Under the Assad regime, corruption was rampant, and business owners say just having U.S. dollars was a worse crime than dealing drugs. Ahmed says he lost almost $10 million just in inventory. They stole all, all the warehouses. Some of them destroyed with the goods, and some of them they took the goods and destroyed it after. I have seven warehouses near Damascus, all destroyed. Historically, Syria was a commercial hub of the Middle East. But years of war decimated industries, and international sanctions destroyed what was left. One in four Syrians lives in extreme poverty, meaning they survive on $3 a day. And the promises Western nations have made in the past year to remove sanctions have not brought relief for the people. I think now there is some sort of technicalities, some sort of agreements from the other institutions in the United States. We hope this process will continue and will be finished as soon as possible, so that the Syrian people will enjoy the lifting of the sanctions by deeds, not by what people want. The energy and industrial sectors suffered heavily. Sanctions on top of the damage caused by the war mean even areas not directly targeted also suffer because of the wider economic collapse and global isolation. The restrictions have had a negative impact on everyday life. Most of our raw materials are imported. Due to restrictions on money transfers, we use alternative costly methods. This makes our products more expensive. Some analysts estimate Syria's exports dropped from about $18 billion before the war to $1.8 billion in 2021. Banking and trade restrictions limited its access to global financial systems and are still making imports for an investment in banking transactions difficult. But despite those challenges, one of Damascus' major aluminium factories is running at full capacity, employing more than 200 workers. Shifts run around the clock to produce about 25 tonnes a day. For some, this is a silver lining. If restrictions are removed, there could be an economic renaissance. There seems to be consensus that sanctions imposed on Syria for the actions of the Bashar al-Assad government are no longer justified. But these restrictions have had a devastating impact in the last 14 years and it will require time and effort and patience for all of the industry and everything else surrounding it to come back to life. Sama Mujavid and Zazira in the Adra industrial state on the outskirts of Damascus.

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