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DUBAI, October 29. /TASS/. The Syrian port of Tartus received the first commercial vessel from China since the overthrow of former Arab Republic President Bashar al-Assad and the lifting of some Western sanctions, the General Authority of Sea and Dry Ports of Syria reported. The Queen Vivian ship delivered about 16,000 tons of steel and other equipment to Syria, purchased from an unnamed Shanghai company. "This is the first direct shipment of goods from China to this port," the Syrian state news agency SANA reported. The Syrian economy has been severely weakened by the civil war that began in 2011. According to the World Bank, the republic's GDP reached $67.5 billion. Syria ranked 68th in the world by GDP, on par with countries such as Paraguay and Slovenia. By 2023, as a result of the protracted conflict and extensive sanctions, the Syrian economy had contracted by 85%, to $9 billion. Following the fall of Assad in December 2024 by a coalition of Islamist groups led by the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham movement (recognized as terrorist and banned in Russia), the new Syrian administration, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, announced its intention to liberalize the economy and improve relations with the international community. After that, the US, UK, and EU lifted most of the sanctions imposed on Syria. Resumption of direct trade with China, the world's second-largest economy, could stimulate Syria's economic recovery. Although trade between the two countries fell by 16.2% in 2023, reaching $357.57 million, analysts expect this figure to rise significantly after sanctions are lifted. Tartus is the second-largest seaport in Syria, located on the Mediterranean coast. In May, the new Syrian government signed an $800 million agreement to manage the port with the Emirati logistics operator DP World, owned by the government of Dubai. Under President Bashar al-Assad, the port was operated by the Russian company STG Engineering. In recent months, the port has begun receiving cargo from Russia, Brazil, South Korea, and the European Union.
