The objective of this research was to identify the potentials of Syrian olive
oil exports through studying the current situation of the Syrian olive oil in the
world and local markets and the most important factors effecting its
competitiveness ca
pabilities in the world markets. This study was built on
analyzing the primary data obtained from the delivered questionnaires,
searches lists and personal interviews with the exporting and manufacturing
companies (30 companies) of Syrian olive oil. Some of the economic indicators
were calculated to determine the competiveness status in the import markets.
Results indicated that the Syrian olive oil exports had suffered from low
competitiveness indicators of production which was 0.12 in the most important
import markets for the studied period. In addition, the increased pricing levels
compared with other competitors in the same markets had reached an average
of 3083.98 dollars per ton representing 106% of world export price, high
production costs, the reduction of the market penetration rate related to Syrian
olive oil exports in the most important markets amounted to about 0.245 during
the second period of the study. The low value of the dependence on export
indicator compared with the competitive countries where Syria occupied the
seventh place .This means that Syria doesn’t have a good export efficiency, lack
of marketing researches on the foreign markets, the absence of promotional
programs the restrictions applied by the European Union on the exports of
Syrian olive oil, lack of access to all distribution outlets due to the dependence
of the exported companies on the exclusive agents in the process of distribution
and marketing. The results had recommended that the establishment of a
comprehensive database and accurate studies is very necessary for the Syrian
exported products, in addition to detailed studies about the major and
promising markets to Syrian olive oil exports, iImproving the Syrian business
environment to encourage the foreign direct investment to support the
competitiveness of Syrian olive oil exports.
