weighted score 7.2 · nine dimensions
Country Risk Profile
Syria
Sourcing risk, regulatory exposure and audit intelligence for Syria-origin supply chains.
Forced & child labour
6
Conflict-related forced labour legacy. Child labour widespread in agriculture and informal sectors. ILAB lists Syria. Post-conflict rehabilitation of labour protections not yet begun.
Worker rights & FOA
7
ILO C087 and C098 not ratified. Independent unions non-functional. Labour inspectorate collapsed. Transitional government has not yet addressed labour rights framework.
OHS & audit transparency
7
Occupational safety regulation non-functional. No credible audit infrastructure. Access to many areas remains restricted by security conditions and intercommunal violence.
Food & product safety
7
Food safety infrastructure destroyed. No functional national standards body. Import testing capacity minimal. Agricultural production severely reduced.
Environmental & regulatory
5
Environmental regulation non-functional. War damage includes contamination from munitions, industrial destruction, and infrastructure collapse. No environmental monitoring capacity.
Governance & anti-corruption
9
TI CPI 2025: 15 — among the lowest globally. Transitional government under Ahmad al-Sharaa. Constitutional Declaration March 2025 but institutional capacity near zero.
Tariff & preferential access
7
No EU FTA or GSP arrangement. Partial sanctions relief but no trade facilitation framework. WTO accession process was suspended during civil war.
Non-tariff barriers
8
No functional standards infrastructure. Remaining sanctions create compliance complexity. Dual-use goods restrictions. Banking sector sanctions limit trade finance.
Supply chain traceability
9
Traceability effectively impossible. No digital customs infrastructure. Territorial control fragmented. Origin certification unreliable. Conflict-goods risk.
Labour & Social Risk
Labour & Social Risk
- Child labour
- Widespread child labour in agriculture, street vending, and armed conflict. UNICEF estimates millions of children out of school. Child recruitment by armed groups documented throughout the civil war period.
- Forced labour
- Conflict-related forced labour including forced conscription. Detention-based forced labour documented under Assad regime and persisting in some areas. ISIS legacy of forced labour in formerly held territories.
- Worker rights
- Labour law framework exists but enforcement collapsed during civil war. ILO C087 and C098 not ratified. Independent trade unions non-functional. Transitional government has not yet rebuilt labour inspectorate.
- Refugee returns
- 1.4 million refugees returned since Assad fell. Returnees face property disputes, lack of employment, and risk of exploitation. Labour market absorption capacity near zero.
- ILAB status
- Syria listed for child labour and forced labour. Cotton and garments among listed goods.
EU Regulatory Exposure
EU Regulatory Exposure
- Sanctions status
- EU partially lifted Syria sanctions following Assad's fall (November 2024). Energy, transport, and banking sanctions eased. Arms embargo and some entity-level sanctions remain. Full normalisation contingent on transitional government progress.
- EU engagement
- EU pledged €620M in reconstruction and humanitarian support to the transitional government. Trade facilitation measures under discussion but no formal trade agreement framework.
- EUDR exposure
- Minimal. Syria is not a significant exporter of EUDR-regulated commodities. Some olive oil exports historically but volumes negligible.
- EU Forced Labour Regulation
- Regulation (EU) 2024/3015 applies from December 2027. Conflict-related forced labour indicators and child labour in agriculture could trigger Article 5 investigations.
Logistics & Supply Chain
Logistics & Supply Chain
- Port infrastructure
- Latakia and Tartous ports operational but damaged. Container handling capacity severely reduced. No direct container liner services to major EU ports.
- Road & rail
- Road network extensively damaged by civil war. Key arterial routes between Aleppo, Damascus, and Homs partially rebuilt. Rail network non-functional on most routes.
- Reconstruction timeline
- $216 billion estimated reconstruction cost (World Bank). Infrastructure rehabilitation will take decades. Current logistics capacity supports humanitarian operations, not commercial-scale trade.
- Transit time to EU
- Eastern Mediterranean route via Latakia/Tartous. Transit time to EU Mediterranean ports approximately 5-8 days when services available. Trans-shipment via Beirut, Mersin, or Piraeus more common.