The "Import and Export Committee" prohibits the supply of agricultural and animal products

The National Committee for Import and Export has issued a new decision banning the import of a wide range of agricultural and animal products, in a move it said aims to protect local production and enhance its competitiveness.

The General Authority for Ports and Customs published the decision through its official IDs on Monday , April 27, explaining that the ban includes basic varieties of vegetables and fruits, in addition to edible eggs and poultry in all its forms.

Preventing the import of eggs and broilers... Without specifying a time period

The decision stipulated the suspension of the import of edible eggs and fresh and frozen chicken and their parts, without specifying a time period for this ban, indicating that the ban may continue for a long time depending on the needs of the local market. 

Lower prices of broilers after peak consumption

A report prepared by "Syrian News" on the reality of the markets during the past few days showed that  the prices of broilers  have recorded  a  significant decline in various Syrian regions, as in Damascus, the price of a kilo has dropped to about 25,000 Syrian pounds (equivalent to 250 new pounds), while in some other provinces it has reached only 17,000 Syrian pounds, while in the regions of northern and eastern Syria, the wholesale price of a kilo has reached about 23,000 Syrian pounds.

The report concluded that the decline in prices was the result of a decrease in demand after the end of the month of Ramadan, which usually witnesses the highest levels of annual consumption and the continued entry of imported live chickens until the end of April, which contributed to balancing the market and increasing supply, in addition to improving local production with the availability of larger quantities and facilitating the movement of transportation between regions.

Banning the import of potatoes in early May and tomatoes in June

With regard to vegetables, the decision set the ban period from the beginning of May to the end of October 2026, which includes potatoes, onions, garlic, zucchini, cucumbers, and quilts, and the ban on the import of tomatoes, eggplants, green peppers, red and yellow watermelons will start from the beginning of June until the end of October.

As for fruits, the ban applies to apricots, peaches, cherries and peaches from the beginning of June until the end of August. From the beginning of August, the ban extends to red peppers, figs, grapes, apples and pears until the end of October, and the  import of pomegranates is prohibited from September 1 until the end of December 2026.

Vegetables fall between 40% and 64% as summer season enters

According to the "Syrian News" report, the prices of basic vegetables witnessed significant declines ranging between 40% and 64%, and included main varieties such as tomatoes, potatoes, onions, cucumbers, and zucchini, and this decline is due to the government decisions that prevented the export of some vegetable varieties to ensure their availability in the local market, which led to an increase in internal supply in addition to the entry of the summer agricultural season, which raises production and increases supply, which prompted traders to reduce prices to avoid the stagnation of goods.

 This decline was directly reflected in market movement, with some regions seeing a marked abundance of staple items after weeks of successive increases.

Strict enforcement measures at ports

The decision tasked the General Customs Administration to take all necessary measures to ensure the implementation of the ban, including refusing to register any customs declaration that includes prohibited items, and taking legal action against violators. The decision entered into force immediately upon its issuance.

Previous Decisions... Continuous policy to protect the local product

This decision was not the first of its kind, as the National Import and Export Committee had previously issued a decision in December 2025 to stop the import of a wide range of agricultural products. At that time, it included potatoes, lemons, citrus, pomegranates, persimmons, apples, dried figs, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, tomatoes, peanuts, eggplant, capsicum, olives, olive oil, in addition to eggs, live and fresh chicken, chilled and its parts.

According to what was published by the General Authority for Land and Maritime Ports on December 2, 2025, the decision came based on the "prepared agricultural calendar" and following up on the reality of local markets, with the aim of protecting the national product from foreign competition during the production seasons.

Mid-2025 Decisions... A clear trend towards self-sufficiency

On July 28, 2025, the Authority issued a similar decision to ban the import of a number of agricultural products and poultry, as part of an announced policy to support local production and promote self-sufficiency. The decision included tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, zucchini, eggplant, capsicum, apples, grapes, peaches, peaches, cherries, pears, red and yellow watermelons, figs, dried figs, garlic, in addition to eggs and live and fresh chicken.