Iraqi Trade Minister Muhammad Mahdi Salah recently revealed that in the first nine months of the year 2001, Syrian exports to Iraq totaled $1.35 billion, more than double the total for the whole of 2000, reported the official Syrian Tishrin daily.
”The contracts signed between Iraq and Syria have grown from $511 million in 2000 to $1.315 billion up to the month of September 2001," the minister added. Bilateral trade ties have been boosted following the free trade agreement signed in April.
The Syrian Chambers of Commerce Association recently announced it is canceling a planned trade fair for Syrian products, which was scheduled to be held in Baghdad next month. The reason cited was the proximity of dates between the Syrian expo and the Baghdad International Exhibition, according to Al-Sharq Al-Awsat.
Baghdad expects wide Syrian participation at the upcoming international exhibition, which will be held in November. More than 100 Syrian companies will showcase at the Syrian pavilion, which is designed to spread over a 1,600 square meter area. — (Mena Report)
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
