Jordan-India trade volume has reached $4.425 billion since last year

AMMAN — The bilateral trade volume between Jordan and India has reached unprecedented heights, soaring to $4.425 billion between April 2022 and the end of April 2023, registering an extraordinary 63 per cent growth rate, India's Ambassador to Jordan Anwar Haleem said on Monday.

In an interview with the Jordan News Agency, Petra, celebrating his country's 77th Independence Day, Haleem said that the Jordanian-Indian cooperation is wide-reaching, with Indian exports to Jordan ranging from essential food items supply and mechanical, electrical and engineering products to exquisite gems, jewellery, petroleum derivatives and leather goods.

In return, Jordan plays a pivotal role as a reliable supplier of fertilisers, phosphates, phosphoric acid and other vital resources to India, highlighting that India is Jordan’s leading importer of phosphates from the Kingdom, he added.

He further noted that both nations aim to achieve a trade profit of $5 billion by 2025. 

Highlighting significant Indian investments in Jordan, the envoy said that over $1.3 billion has been invested in phosphate and textile sectors. 

A prime example of this partnership is a joint $860 million phosphoric acid production venture between the Jordan Phosphate Mines Company (JPMC) and the Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative (IFFCO), which was inaugurated by His Majesty King Abdullah and the Indian President, during his visit to the Kingdom in 2015.

He also highlighted recent collaborations between the Jordanian Phosphate and Arab Potash companies and various Indian fertiliser companies, mainly memoranda of understanding and agreements worth a total of $2.5 billion. 

More than 15 Indian-owned apparel companies have strategically invested approximately $500 million in Jordan's industrial zones, he said, adding that "this investment resulted in exports of finished products from the Kingdom worth more than $1 billion".

The ambassador also highlighted India's recognition of Jordan as a key regional partner, as both nations share an unwavering commitment to global peace and stability. 

In the field of education and technology, Haleem highlighted the establishment of the India-Jordan Centre of Excellence in Information Technology (IJ-CoEIT) at Al Hussein Technical University. 

Responding to a question, he said that the Kingdom is home for more than 17,000 Indians working in textile, construction,  production, fertilisers, healthcare, universities, IT, financing and international organisations.

As the conversation shifted to the issue of counter-terrorism, the diplomat reiterated his country's dynamic participation in the Aqaba process that facilitates comprehensive counter-terrorism dialogues among relevant stakeholders.