Jordanian exports rising — statistics

AMMAN — National exports to the counties of North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) increased by 6.5 per cent in the first quarter of 2015 reaching JD226 million, compared to JD215 million in the same period of 2014, the Department of Statistics (DoS) announced Wednesday. 

The US accounted for the biggest share of these exports, according to DoS, which indicated that national exports to the Grand Arab Free Trade Zone, including Iraq, went down by 14 per cent.

The DoS report showed that national exports to non-Arab Asian countries, including India, dropped by 8.9 per cent, and exports to European Union (EU) countries, including Spain, fell by 28.9 per cent. 

Other data revealed that imports from EU countries increased by 5.5 per cent, while imports from non-Arab Asian countries declined by 14 per cent.

Imports from the Grand Arab Free Trade Zone and the NAFTA countries regressed by 9 and 5.4 per cent respectively, DoS data indicated.

Separately, Zarqa Chamber of Industry President Thabet Wer said Wednesday that the value of industrial exports from Zarqa reached $274 million during the first four months of 2015, 1.5 per cent higher than the value during the same period of 2014.

The total number of certificates of origin the chamber issued during the January-April period of 2015 stood at 4,312 covering different industrial sectors, he added.

The chamber's exports to North American countries stood at $149 million, constituting 54.3 per cent of the total exports, while exports to Arab countries amounted to $95 million, accounting for 34.7 per cent, Wer indicated.