Turkey sees resumption soon of cement sales to Syria

Turkish producers told to follow new packaging rules from June.[$]

{reg}[PAID={"id":"1,2,3,4,5","title":"The content you tried to access is only available to paid subscribers.","link":"1"}] Turkey expects the resumption of cement exports to Syria soon, following Turkish Foreign Minister Zafer ├ça─ƒlayan's ÔÇ£fruitfulÔÇØ visit to Syria recently.

Syria last month ordered a stop to imports of bulk cement and cement in plastic packages from Turkey, which in 2009 were valued at $164.5 million, according to reports in Istanbul's Today's Zaman.

Turkish companies were given until May 1 to adapt to new packaging and inspection rules for the cement trade.

Syria had required cement imports to be packed in kraft paper instead of plastic, the Today's Zaman reports said.

Çağlayan, who called on Syrian Deputy PM Abdullah Dardari during his visit, said on Sunday that Syria had agreed to allow Turkish manufacturers to fulfill current contracts and were granted a one-month extension, or until June, to shift to new packaging.

Syria was also reported to be looking into suggestions by Turkey about procedures for Turkish cement held at customs for tests and analyses.

├ça─ƒlayan said Syria had accepted suggestions that the necessary inspections on the cement be carried out while the product stays in the purchasersÔÇÖ depots instead of waiting for nearly a month in customs, Today's Zaman reported.

Before the Syria clampdown, Turkey had projected cement exports to that country to hit $200 million this year, to show a steady increase from $164.5 million in 2009 and $115.2 million in 2008.{reg}