The closure of the border between Syria and Jordan, and the absence of subsidies by the government to support maritime export triggered a drop in Lebanese industrial exports by 2.6 percent in the first half of 2015 compared to the same period in 2014, industrialist and former Tourism Minister Fadi Abboud said Tuesday, citing a statement issued by the Industry Ministry.
“Lebanese industrial exports were negatively impacted by the closure of Nassib border, while the government did not make any efforts to compensate for the losses resulting from the lack of export by land by minimizing the cost of maritime export, which is extremely high in Lebanon,” he told The Daily Star.
Abboud explained that it costs around $1,000 to load a 12-meter container on a ship at the Port of Beirut before even shipping it, adding that all negotiations with the government to reach an agreement for the support of maritime export have failed.
Jordan closed its border with Syria on April 1 following heavy clashes between rebels and Syrian government forces near the Nassib crossing, after rebel fighters encircled the area. This incident heavily affected Lebanese exports to Arab countries.
Nassib was the only functioning crossing between Jordan and Syria and is vital for the transportation of goods from Lebanon and Syria to Jordan and the Gulf states.
The ministry statement said Lebanon’s industrial exports have dropped from $1.581 billion in the first half of 2014 to $1.54 billion in the same half of 2015, and are down 14.8 percent from $1.807 billion in the first half of 2013.
It added that the monthly average of exports in the first half of 2015 reached $256.7 million compared to $263.5 in the same period of 2014 and $301.2 in 2013.
The statement said that electronic equipment, valued at $381.4 million, ranked first on the list of top Lebanese exports in 2015, with Saudi Arabia the primary importer of this item, spending $65.9 million.
Exports of chemical products, value at $269.7 million, came next, with Bangladesh ranked first on the list of importers for this item at some $27.8 million.
“Food products ranked third on the list of top Lebanese exports at a value of $260.5 million, with Saudi Arabia being the biggest importer for these items at $45.8 million,” the statement said.
It added that Arab countries topped the list of destinations to which Lebanese products are exported. “Lebanese exports to Saudi Arabia reached $870 million, which is equivalent to 56.5 percent of total exports, while European countries ranked second (15.3 percent) followed by Africa non-Arab countries (12.8 percent) and Asia non-Arab countries (9.6 percent),” it said.
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s imports of electronic equipment in the first half of 2015 reached $134.1 million compared to $140 million for the same period of 2014, a 4.3-percent drop.
“Italy ranked first on the list of Lebanon’s top import destinations for electric equipment at a value of $31.5 million, followed by Germany for $26.6 million and China for $24.6 million,” the statement said.
