ACI data shows increase in exports

AMMAN — Data from the Amman Chamber of Industry (ACI) showed on Saturday that exports increased by 3 per cent during the first eight months of 2015, despite the decline of sales to traditional markets, particularly Iraq and Syria.

According to ACI statistics,  exports during January-August 2015 reached JD2.75 billion, JD83 million higher than the JD2.67 billion registered during the same period of last year. Exports to the Iraqi market declined by 26 per cent to JD427 million, from JD575 million in the same period of 2014, a drop ACI attributed to border closure.

Despite this regression, Iraq still tops the list of importers on ACI list, followed by Saudi Arabia, the US and India. Sales to Saudi Arabia totalled JD474 million, whereas those to the US and India amounted to JD265 million and JD261 million respectively.

Exports to Egypt went down from JD53 million to JD49 million, and to Libya from JD16 million to JD14 million. Chemical industries and cosmetics topped the list of exports with JD656 million, followed by mining at JD526 million, while exports of the engineering, electric and ICT sector were valued JD337 million during the first eight months of 2015.