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Trade with Syria flips on its head Lebanon’s trade dynamic with its neighbor has reversed since the start of the Syrian uprising in March 2011, according to research by international economic analysis provider IHS Global Insight. In the first quarter of 2012 exports from Lebanon to Syria were valued at LL189 billion ($126 million), which amounts to an 18 percent increase on the same period last year. This is most likely due to a shortage in Syria of consumer, agricultural and energy products as a result of the continuing internal conflict. This reverses a downward trend of such exports over recent years. Conversely, there has been a drop in the value of imports from Syria to Lebanon by 8 percent, comparing the first quarter of 2012 to the same period last year. Lebanon still has a trade deficit with Syria but this has been significantly reduced in comparison to recent