Import committee extends apple ban and sets lemon import ban from Oct. 1
Published · Updated
What happened
The National Import and Export Committee extended the ban on apple imports until the end of November and approved a lemon import ban effective from 2026-10-01 until 2027-03-31. SANA reported that customs was instructed to apply the measure.
Why it matters
This is a binding trade-control decision with immediate operational effect for importers, customs posts, and produce wholesalers. It changes legal entry conditions for two food categories during the next harvest and marketing cycle and can shift prices, sourcing, and border clearance activity within days.
Syria's National Import and Export Committee decided on September 24 to extend the ban on apple imports through the end of November and to prohibit lemon imports from October 1, 2026 through March 31, 2027. The reported measure includes instructions to customs authorities to enforce the restrictions at entry points. The move changes near-term food import flows and puts border enforcement and domestic produce market management into the same implementation window.
Watch for
Syrian Customs Directorate circulars issued on or after 2026-09-26 specifying HS codes and border-post enforcement for apples and lemons General Authority for Land and Sea Ports instructions to crossings on or after 2026-09-26 on rejecting consignments of the covered produce Damascus wholesale market price bulletins between 2026-09-26 and 2026-09-29 showing changes in apple and lemon prices after the committee decision No recorded customs clearance of lemon import consignments at Syrian entry points from 2026-10-01 through 2026-10-03
Sources
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