ARAB LEAGUE BOYCOTT REPORTING - SYRIA

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000828 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/ELA, NEA/RA, NEA/FO, EEB/EX; DEPT PASS TO USTR COMMERCE FOR BIS/SONDERMAN/CHRISTINO NSC FOR SHAPIRO/MCDERMOTT TREASURY FOR HAJJAR/CURTIN PARIS FOR NOBLES LONDON FOR LORD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON ETRD KBCT PREL SY IS SUBJECT: ARAB LEAGUE BOYCOTT REPORTING - SYRIA REF: STATE 120272 ¶1. (SBU) In response to ref A concerning foreign government applications of the Arab League Boycott (ALB),Syria continues to be the strictest adherent of the primary and secondary boycotts. Although it allows goods to be imported with a positive, rather than negative, country of origin certificate, Syria strictly monitors and controls entry into its ports by ships that have made calls in Israel. Syria often requires certification of commercial activity in Israel by companies seeking to register trademarks or acquire import licenses. However, Syria has shown restraint and limited its enforcement of the tertiary boycott. ¶2. (SBU) In 2008, the SARG approved Directive No. 4964/1 exempting all new trademarks, patents, industrial drawings and design applications from the Israeli Boycott declaration. The directive was implemented on September 1, 2009. ¶3. (SBU) Syria maintains its own blacklist of firms for the boycott, separate from the outdated Arab League Boycott Office list. ¶4. (SBU) Damascus is host to the Arab League's Central Boycott Office (CBO). The CBO holds official regional meetings in Damascus twice per year. During its last meeting, Syria proposed that the boycott be fully reinstated by all Arab League members and that a study be conducted to determine how to enforce this policy. ¶5. (SBU) The SARG's boycott practices have not had a substantive impact on U.S. businesses because Syria has been subject to U.S. economic sanctions since May 2004. ¶6. (SBU) In addition to the CBO, Syria maintains an ALB office under the wing of the Ministry of Defense. Among the duties of this ALB office is to recommend to the Ministry of Economy and Trade the banning of certain companies from operating in Syria and deleting names of companies from the "Blacklist". GOODFRIEND