This is Beirut - Economy

Ministry of Finance: No Containers Blocked at Tripoli Port

This is Beirut, 17:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Tripoli port Lebanon container economy Ministry of Finance

The Ministry of Finance has denied, in a statement issued by its press office, rumors circulating on social media claiming that Minister Yassine Jaber blocked the entry of containers at Tripoli Port. These accusations, the statement says, have been presented through a sectarian lens and are “misleading.” The statement clarifies that no ...

US Govt Shutdown Begins after Congress Fails to Reach Deal

This is Beirut, 01/10 10:21 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

United States Economy Politics Shutdown

The US government began shutting down Wednesday after lawmakers and President Donald Trump failed to break a budget impasse during acrimonious talks that hinged on Democratic demands for health care funding. Republicans and Democrats immediately blamed each other for the deadlock that will impact hundreds of thousands of government workers and ...

BDL Leads Financial Recovery and Reassures Depositors

Liliane Mokbel, 29/09 19:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Central Bank of Lebanon Banks International Monetary Fund Lebanon economy deposits BDL

At a luncheon debate hosted by the École supérieure des affaires (ESA), Karim Souhaid, the Governor of Lebanon’s Central Bank (BDL), presented his assessment of the country’s economic situation – “slowly but surely moving in the right direction” – to around 40 members of the Mouvement des entreprises de France (MEDEF), currently on ...

Jounieh Highway: When Public Land Becomes Private Property

Liliane Mokbel, 25/09 15:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon economy infrastructure Jounieh Highway expropriation

Widening Jounieh Highway will not happen overnight. The project is expected to take 36 to 40 months. As the saying goes, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Funding for the project is secured, Minister of Public Works and Transport Fayez Rasamny told the press, though he provided no further details. Sources close to the ...

Parliament Committee Approves Waste Plan Empowering Municipalities

This is Beirut, 24/09 15:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Waste Municipalities Landfills Parliament Economy

The Finance and Budget Committee, chaired by MP Ibrahim Kanaan, held a session on Wednesday that focused on Lebanon’s deepening waste management crisis and financial concerns related to private sector end-of-service indemnities. The committee approved a measure that empowers municipalities to manage waste collection and treatment in exchange ...

Olive Oil 2025: A Harvest That Leaves a Bitter Aftertaste

Christiane Tager, 24/09 14:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon economy olives olive oil

In Lebanon, it’s hard to imagine a meal without a drizzle of olive oil. It flavors the morning man’oushe, enlivens salads, and graces every mezze platter. But this year, this staple of the Lebanese table risks becoming a luxury. The 2025 olive season is exceptionally poor, with serious consequences for both producers and consumers. A ...

Consumer Prices Rise by 0.56% in August

This is Beirut, 22/09 20:10 - Reading : less than a minute

Lebanon Economy Lebanon’s Central Administration of Statistics Consumer Price Index

Lebanon’s Central Administration of Statistics (CAS) reported that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 0.56% in August 2025. On a year-on-year basis, the index increased by 14.17%, the agency said in a statement. The highest monthly increases were recorded in the North Lebanon governorate (+0.96%), followed by South Lebanon (+0.80%), Beirut ...

Aradina: A Green Boost for Lebanese Agriculture

This is Beirut, 22/09 19:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Economy Nizar Hani Aradina Fair Trade Lebanon the French Development Agency

Agriculture Minister Nizar Hani on Monday launched the Aradina project, a four-year program to be implemented in partnership with CIHEAM Montpellier, Action Against Hunger and Fair Trade Lebanon. Aradina is funded by the French Development Agency (AFD) and aims to support 2,500 farmers and 145 cooperatives across Lebanon in adopting sustainable ...

Iraq–Lebanon: A Vital but Uneven Partnership

Christiane Tager, 20/09 12:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Iraq economy fuel trade

For the first time in a decade, the Lebanese–Iraqi Joint Commission reconvened in Baghdad in September 2025, concluding its second session with the signing of seven accords. These span the economy, industry, transport and justice, including a treaty on prisoner transfers. The move sends a strong political signal and builds on an already pivotal ...

Two-Wheelers: The New Hazard on Lebanon’s Roads

Christiane Tager, 19/09 14:39 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon economy roads motorcycles traffic

Lebanon’s economic collapse has pushed many to seek cheaper modes of transport than cars. Motorcycles and mopeds, consuming less fuel and offering greater flexibility, quickly became the go-to solution, spreading chaotically across the country’s roads. Numbers speak for themselves: according to the Vehicle Registration Authority (known ...

End-of-Service Benefits: The Only Social Safety Net at Risk Since the Crisis

Liliane Mokbel, 18/09 16:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

economy Lebanon Indemnities National Social Security Fund retirement

There is no doubt that employees remain the most vulnerable group in the struggle to ensure a dignified retirement. Their end-of-service benefits, intended to preserve part of their purchasing power, have been almost completely eroded by the multidimensional crisis that hit the country at the end of 2019. Employers Plead Powerlessness Employers ...

AI May Boost Global Trade Value by Nearly 40%: WTO

This is Beirut, 17/09 15:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

AI WTO Technology Economy

Artificial intelligence could boost the value of global trade by almost 40 percent by 2040 thanks to cost reductions and productivity gains, the World Trade Organization said Wednesday. In its latest annual World Trade Report, the WTO identified AI as one of the few bright spots as the global trading system has been upended by the United States ...

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