Syria permits used cars in free zones under strict controls and dismantling rules

Ports authority approves used-car imports to free zones

The Syrian General Authority for Ports and Customs on May 12, 2026 authorized investors in free zones to import used cars from neighboring countries for display in private showrooms and to resume car "cutting and dismantling" activities under new regulations. Investors must submit an official written pledge not to place the cars into domestic consumption, not to request registration or sale inside Syria, and to comply with all applicable laws. The decision confines dismantling operations to free zones, requires joint oversight by the General Customs Administration and the General Establishment for Free Zones, and bans complete cars or frames that could be reassembled and sold on the local market to curb the problem of so‑called "cut-up" cars.

Background and regulatory context

The move follows a June 29, 2025 suspension of used car imports with narrow exceptions and later measures to settle cars already in ports and free zones — including a deadline extension for registered importers and a National Committee decision allowing 30 days to legalize vehicles stuck in free zones. Enforcement came after widespread reports of accident-damaged vehicles being imported as spare parts, reassembled, and sold cheaply, and amid concerns that a rapid influx of cars (Damascus vehicle numbers rose sharply in 2025) strained infrastructure and foreign currency reserves. The Ports Authority decision complements the broader import controls framework established by the Presidential decree creating the National Committee for Import and Export. as reported by Enab Baladi