The head of the Association of Clearance and Freight Companies in Jordan, Daifallah Abu Aqoula, said Syria’s decision to implement a “back-to-back” cargo system instead of the previous “door-to-door” model continues to disrupt the transport sector, causing truck delays and increasing operational costs.
Speaking to Jordan’s al-Mamlaka TV on Monday, February 23, Abu Aqoula said the additional cost per truck now ranges between 500 and 800 US dollars, excluding losses caused by delays and vehicle breakdowns.
He explained that cement shipments were previously transported at a rate of 150 trucks per day, unloading and returning on the same day. This meant around 300 trucks were used within 48 hours. Under the new system, nearly 1,000 trucks are required to meet the same quantities and contractual obligations, creating significant disruption in the sector.
Abu Aqoula added that requests had been submitted for exemptions for construction materials, particularly cement, ceramics, and building supplies, in addition to high value and perishable goods and heavy equipment. However, no tangible response has been received from the Syrian side.
On February 7, Syria’s General Authority for Land and Sea Ports decided to prohibit non-Syrian trucks from entering Syrian territory through land crossings. Instead, goods must be transferred between Syrian and non-Syrian trucks inside the customs yard at each crossing, including the al-Taboun crossing, in accordance with approved procedures.
The decision exempted transit trucks, provided that customs authorities escort them between the two crossings in line with applicable regulations. The move was described as an effort to regulate freight traffic through land border crossings and seaports.
No signs of reversal
Abu Aqoula said the situation remains unchanged, with no indications of a rollback or exemptions, despite meetings and official correspondence with Syria’s ministries of transport, foreign affairs, industry, and trade.
According to him, the infrastructure at the Nasib border crossing, on the Syrian Jordanian border, is not equipped to handle the back-to-back system. There is a lack of adequate equipment and labor to deal with sensitive goods such as batteries, tires, food products, and heavy machinery that require high capacity lifting equipment, increasing the risk of damage and breakdowns.
He also said Syrian trucks are old and not properly equipped. Freight rates have risen significantly. Previously, transport from Aqaba in Jordan to Damascus cost around 2,000 US dollars. Currently, transport from Nasib to Damascus costs approximately 1,000 dollars under the new pricing, meaning an additional increase of between 500 and 700 dollars, excluding breakdown related losses.
Jordan, he noted, had two key advantages for goods transit, time and cost. The new system has undermined both.
Abu Aqoula warned of a sharp decline in transit trade through Jordanian territory to Syria if the situation continues, particularly as some traders are considering using the ports of Latakia and Tartous instead.
Controversy over the decision
The decision has sparked debate among Syrian business circles due to its expected impact on the prices of imported goods, with critics describing it as poorly studied.
Social media platforms have seen a wave of reactions from freight companies, import and export offices, traders, and industrialists, some opposing the decision and others supporting it.
The move has also drawn criticism from Jordan and Lebanon, which have called on the Syrian government to hold discussions aimed at either canceling the decision or reaching new agreements.
Jordan’s Ministry of Transport spokesperson, Mohammad al-Dweiri, previously said that discussions are ongoing with Syria, adding that Jordan is awaiting Syria’s response regarding allowing foreign trucks to enter and transit.
Speaking to France 24 on February 10, al-Dweiri said Jordanian trucks are unloading their cargo in the free zone at the Nasib crossing with Syria despite some disruption, noting that 250 Jordanian trucks had previously entered Syria daily.
Abu Aqoula described the ban on non-Syrian trucks entering Syrian territory through land crossings as “sudden,” saying it requires applying reciprocal cargo transfer mechanisms at the shared border to trucks heading directly to Syria, whether Jordanian or otherwise.
Damascus Chamber of Commerce warns
The Damascus Chamber of Commerce warned of risks resulting from repeated loading and unloading operations following the ban on non Syrian trucks carrying goods for the Syrian market.
Such operations could lead to damage or loss of goods, in addition to associated insurance and legal burdens, the chamber said.
They also result in higher operational costs due to cargo transfers, which are directly reflected in local market prices and place additional pressure on both traders and consumers. The chamber added that the decision could negatively affect supply chains, particularly in industrial projects, production lines, and heavy machinery that require organized and specialized transport procedures.
In a statement issued on February 21, the chamber stressed the need to adopt an institutional partnership approach, affirming the right of economic sector representatives to express their views and contribute to drafting economic decisions that directly affect trade and transport before they are issued, ensuring their feasibility and limiting negative repercussions.
Jordanian freight forwarding and customs clearance firms protest Syria’s ban on foreign trucks entering the country Enab Baladi.
Hence then, the article about jordanian freight forwarding and customs clearance firms protest syria s ban on foreign trucks entering the country was published today ( ) and is available on ُEnabbaladi ( Syria ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Jordanian freight forwarding and customs clearance firms protest Syria’s ban on foreign trucks entering the country )
Also on site :
- Certis and FieldAI Form Strategic Partnership to Deploy Autonomous Robotics in Real-World Security Operations
- Peter Mandelson arrest latest: Peer released on bail as Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre’s family issues statement
- Discord cuts ties with Peter Thiel-backed verification software after its code was found tied to U.S. surveillance efforts