Syrian Daily Says Exporters Should Look East

Syrian businesses should make a "strategic choice" and start exporting their goods to Asian markets instead of the West, a newspaper said Tuesday, in the face of tough Western sanctions on the regime.

The call came in the state-owned Ath-Thawra newspaper with Syrian exports taking a dive since the conflict erupted in March last year, triggering a blitz of sanctions by the United States, the European Union and the Arab League.

The sanctions have hit top regime figures as well as financial and bank dealings and the oil sector, the country's main source of revenue.

According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, Syrian exports reached $12.3 billion before the revolt erupted, but slumped to $8 billion in 2011 and $4 billion so far this year.

In its report headlined: "Hesitation to turn to eastern markets will bring about losses," Ath-Thawra criticized the government for "drifting" and directing half of its exports to Western markets.

Currently less than 10 percent of exports make it to Asian countries.

The newspaper called on the government to ignore the fact that businesses are often led "by their corrupted love of the West."

But it acknowledged that tapping Asian markets would require "great... genuine efforts. The decision needs to be strategic, not temporary or tactical."

In 2010, about 40 percent of exports went to Arab countries, 38 percent to European countries and 3.2 percent went to the United States.

In contrast, just 0.66 percent of exports went to China and 0.27 percent to Russia, both traditional allies of President Bashar Assad's regime which have refused to impose sanctions over the conflict.