Syrian authorities have banned Jordanian lorries from entering and delivering goods, prompting Jordan to respond in kind and disrupting trade between the countries.
Bilateral trade had surged after the US scrapped sanctions on Damascus last year.
The move has now left hundreds of lorries stuck at Jaber-Nasib, the only border crossing open between the nations, in the first public disruption of ties between Damascus and Amman since rebels toppled Syrian president Bashar Al Assad in December 2024.
Jordan, an ally of Washington and a major recipient of US aid, has misgivings about the militant roots of the new Syrian government. However, it was quick to establish ties with President Ahmad Al Shara and supported US-led efforts for Syria's integration into the international community.
The new regulations, issued by Syria's Crossings and Customs Council, applies to all lorries bringing in goods from Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey. The decree says "non-Syrian lorries are not allowed to enter Syrian Arab Republic territories" and specifies that "transfer of goods between Syrian and non-Syrian lorries is to be conducted at the customs yard at each border crossing". The ban excludes "passing lorries carrying transit [cargo]".
Turkey and Iraq, as well as Gulf states, have bans or restrictions on the entry of Syrian lorries, either for security reasons or because most of the vehicles are old, said Mohammad Kheir Al Daoud, head of the Jordanian Truckers' Association.
However, until this weekend Jordan had allowed Syrian lorries to enter and deliver their cargo anywhere in the kingdom, Mr Al Daoud told The National. "This decision serves neither the interests of Syria nor Jordan," he said.
Mr Al Daoud said the rules would delay deliveries by up to two weeks and raise the cost of trading, especially because about 1,000 lorries pass daily through the Jaber-Nasib crossing.
The volume of traffic is far higher than the dozens of lorries that used to cross daily before the US lifted all major sanctions on Syria last June. The measures were first imposed in the late 1970s in response to the former Assad regime's backing of militant groups in the Middle East.
"The costs for the consumer will rise, especially since we are nearing Ramadan," Mr Al Daoud said, referring to the increase in consumer demand during the holy month.
Most of the main cities in Jordan and Syria are within half a day's travel from the border.
The latest official data shows that trade between Syria and Jordan almost doubled to $432 million in the first 11 months of 2025, compared to the same period the previous year. Jordanian exports to Syria accounted for 66 per cent of the trade volume.
Jordanian driver Raed Fares said lorries have been lining up on both sides of Jaber-Nasib since the new Syrian regulations were imposed on Sunday. Syrian drivers have been complaining they will be "unable to feed their children", he said.
There has been no explanation from Damascus on why the ban was imposed.
Fares Abu Dayyeh of Jordanian Transport Ministry told state television that the kingdom had "automatically" imposed a reciprocal ban after learning of the Syrian move.
