A new private firm has announced the commencement of its $90m sugar refinery in Syria with an annual capacity of 600,000 tonnes, Reuters has reported. The Akhras Group has said its Middle East Sugar Refinery has the potential to reach a capacity of 1 million tonnes. The mill uses raw sugar from Brazil, company chairman Tarif Akhras said. “The production from the refinery will be targeting the domestic and surrounding markets which include Iraq, Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan,” Akhras told the news service.