Syria restarts oil exports after 14 years with 600,000-barrel shipment

Syria resumed its oil exporting activities after 14 years on Monday, September 1 from the port of Tartus as a part of deal with a trading firm.

According to the Syrian Ministry of Energy, the country has exported 600,000 barrels of crude oil, the first known official export after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad’s rule.

In 2010, Syria’s exports of crude oil were around 380,000 barrels of oil per day. In 2011, the brutal protests against Bashar al-Assad’s government battered the Middle Eastern country with 14-year of fierce war, leading to devastation of infrastructure, economy, and oil production.

The Ministry issued a statement, “"Today (Monday), 600,000 barrels of heavy oil were exported from the Tartus oil terminal aboard the tanker Nessus Christiana for BeServ Energy."

“The recent export came within the framework of government directives and the plans of the General Directorate of Petroleum at the Ministry of Energy to enhance Syria's presence in foreign oil markets, in a step that is the first in years", the statement said.

According to the statement, this accomplishment is important for taking Syria one step closer to reviving the war-battered oil sector and opening the avenues of cooperation with international companies.

After the toppling of Assad’s regime in December, 2026, Islamist-led government took the reign of the country and pledged to revive the declining economy.

Later, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order in June 2025 to lift American sanctions on Syria, aiming to explore Syrian gas and oil opportunities.

Syria signed a $800 million memorandum of Understanding with DP World to develop and manage a terminal at Tartus after cancelling a contract with a Russian firm.