Chambers of industry call for boosting trade between Jordan and Egypt

AMMAN — Jordanian exports to Egypt face non-customs technical and administrative obstacles that limit national products’ access to the Egyptian market despite all trade agreements between the two countries, President of the Jordan and Amman chambers of industry Fathi Jaghbir said on Thursday.

During a meeting with newly appointed Jordanian Ambassador to Egypt Amjad Adaileh, Jaghbir said that the Kingdom’s imports from Egypt over the past few years have witnessed “remarkable increase”, while national exports to Egypt did not reach the desired level due to measures taken by the Egyptian authorities to protect its industries.

These factors reflected on the trade balance that "clearly favoured" Egypt, Jaghbir said in a chamber statement.

He also referred to some of the protective measures imposed by Egypt, such as requiring the ISO quality certificate and registered trademarks from exporting factories among other requirements.

Adaileh stressed his keenness to address matters hindering the trade flow between the two countries, expressing readiness to cooperate with the private sector to follow up on issues and improve trade ties.

The diplomat also referred to the “deep-rooted” relations between Jordan and Egypt at all levels, especially after His Majesty King Abdullah’s recent visit to Cairo and the trilateral summit in Amman between the Kingdom, Egypt and Iraq, which is envisioned to pave the way for wider scopes of economic cooperation.

On Wednesday, the board of directors of the Amman Chamber of Commerce and Adaileh discussed means of easing trade exchange between Jordan and Egypt. 

The meeting went over constrains facing the Kingdom’s transport sector, especially transit trade and its impact on the movement of goods between Jordan and neighbouring countries, including Egypt, as a result of the closures of land, sea and air borders due to the pandemic.