VZCZCXRO4091
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDH RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHDM #0828 3351217
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 011217Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7073
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0803
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0759
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY

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boycott, separate from the outdated Arab League Boycott 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