# Greece throws lifeline to Assad by buying phosphates – POLITICO

> Greece has revived phosphate imports from mines near Palmyra, Syria, which are now developed by Russian investors. EU phosphate imports from Syria more than tripled between December 2017 and April 2018 but remain well below pre-war levels. Sales are increasingly important to the Assad government under sanctions.

- Date: 2018-08-09 · published 2018-08-09T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: geopolitics · region Europe · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/63850-greece-throws-lifeline-to-assad-by-buying-phosphates-politico
- Commodities: [Phosphate Rock](https://feedsoft.ai/c/PHOSROCK.md), [DAP](https://feedsoft.ai/c/DAP.md)

## Why it matters

Resumed Syrian phosphate flows add modest supply to the EU market, which marginally eases phosphate rock availability. The volumes are small relative to global trade, so the price effect is limited.

## Read by commodity

- DAP: bearish ▼
- PHOSROCK: bearish ▼

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| DAP | 2023-07-09 | [Norway challenges Morocco's position as top phosphate supplier](https://feedsoft.ai/events/35368-norway-challenges-morocco-s-position-as-top-phosphate-supplier.md) | -1.7% | +15.1% |
| DAP | 2026-06-26 | [Fertilizer shipments begin exiting through Hormuz strait \| The Western Producer](https://feedsoft.ai/events/18704-fertilizer-shipments-begin-exiting-through-hormuz-strait-the-western-producer.md) | -4.2% | -0.0% |
| DAP | 2026-06-19 | [Morocco's OCP shifts to low-sulphur fertiliser, resumes full output](https://feedsoft.ai/events/19138-morocco-s-ocp-shifts-to-low-sulphur-fertiliser-resumes-full-output.md) | -4.2% | -1.9% |
| DAP | 2023-02-17 | [Farm inputs – endeavouring for a new equilibrium](https://feedsoft.ai/events/37259-farm-inputs-endeavouring-for-a-new-equilibrium.md) | -6.3% | -1.8% |

## Sources

- politico.eu: https://www.politico.eu/article/syria-europe-greece-throws-lifeline-bashar-al-assad-by-buying-phosphates/

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.