After Lebanese industry had to cope with an arduous first half of 2005, Syria’s closure of its borders to cargo shipments from Lebanon dealt manufacturers another blow. Executive asked Fadi Abboud, the president of the Association of Lebanese Industrialists, how bad the problem is and what industrialists can do to cope with the current crisis How big is the damage that the current dispute between Lebanon and Syria inflicts on Lebanese industry and economy? The damage is quite serious. We export Lebanese industrial and agricultural products through Syria at a value of about $50 million per month. Then we have transit shipments, which are valued at about the same amount. But in my mind, the damage is beyond economics. The damage is taking toll on the people, the Syrian people who feel hurt for various reasons, and the Lebanese people who feel that they have been abused. This could develop
