Lebanon and Jordan are holding discussions with Syria in an effort to urge it to retract its decision to prevent foreign trucks carrying goods for the Syrian market from entering its territory. In protest against the decision, dozens of trucks lined up in front of the Masnaa border crossing between Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday.

Published on: 02/10/2026 - 22:15 Last updated: 02/10/2026 - 22:41

Lebanon and Jordan are seeking to reach a solution with Syria, after Damascus's decision to prevent the entry of non-Syrian trucks carrying goods for the Syrian market into its territory, according to what two officials in the Lebanese and Jordanian Ministries of Transport said.

After they were not allowed to cross, dozens of trucks lined up in front of the Masnaa border crossing between Lebanon and Syria, on Tuesday. This crisis comes at a time when the two countries are trying to open a new page in their relations after the fall of Bashar al-Assad at the end of 2024.

The Director General of Land and Maritime Transport in Lebanon, Ahmed Tamer, confirmed that there were “discussions” with Syria regarding its decision. He added: "We are waiting for a meeting to be held soon," and I hope that it will lead to reaching solutions. The official believed that "the issue is a matter of time, and the problem is internal and does not mean Lebanon or relations with it. Rather, what is meant is finding solutions to problems within other borders."

Tamer pointed out that there is daily trade exchange between Lebanon and Syria, “which includes ports, production centers, and agricultural exchange,” stressing that “all of this is affected... and anything that hinders supply chains and commercial movement.” While Syria constitutes the only land export gateway for Lebanon to transport its goods to the Gulf countries in particular. Every day, 500 Lebanese trucks cross into Syria, according to the official.

On Saturday, the General Authority of Ports and Customs in Syria issued a decision “not allowing non-Syrian trucks to enter” the territories through land ports, provided that the process of unloading the load of goods destined for the Syrian interior takes place exclusively at customs points at the crossings. According to the decision, transit trucks transiting to other countries were excluded.

A source in the Syrian General Authority of Ports and Customs stated that the decision aims to "regulate the movement of freight through the ports."

A call for "reciprocity"

In turn, the official spokesman for the Jordanian Ministry of Transport, Muhammad Al-Duwairi, spoke about “current discussions” and added that his country is awaiting Syria’s response “regarding allowing foreign trucks to enter and cross.” He pointed out that Jordanian trucks unload their loads in the free zone at the Nassib crossing with Syria, despite some "confusion," noting that 250 Jordanian trucks were entering Syria daily.

The Syrian decision raised concerns in the transportation sector in Lebanon, and representatives of its unions and federations expressed their fear of “the resulting additional operational burdens, high costs, and negative repercussions on” the transportation sector and the movement of trade exchange between the two countries.

They refused to “burden the Lebanese land transport sector with additional burdens resulting from unilateral measures,” following their meeting at the Transport Directorate, according to the official National News Agency.

The unionists also called on the Ministry of Public Works to take “appropriate measures to protect this sector, including adopting the principle of reciprocity” in regulating the entry of Syrian trucks into Lebanese territory.

France 24/AFP

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