Ports in a storm

Ports in a stormA combination of relaxed trade regulations, high transit demand and soaring local consumption has helped Syria’s two ports achieve record levels of cargo traffic and position themselves as potential transshipment hubs for the eastern Mediterranean.Lattakia and Tartous provide an increasingly vital outlet for the Syrian economy. The former has doubled its productivity and more than tripled its income over the last five years, while Tartous has grown by 115% since 2003, thanks mainly to dry bulk goods being shipped onwards through Syria to Iraq.“Syria provides the cheapest and quickest route to the Iraqi market,” says Michel Sawaya, assistant manager at Eagle Shipping and Logistics, the Syrian agent for the French CMA-CGM container giant.“If you go via a Turkish port, then you have to deal with mountains. If you ship through Jordan, then you have to pay Suez Canal costs and also deal with Aqaba, which is very