Jordan’s Exports to Arab Trade Partners Surge in Early 2024

Amman: ordan's exports to the Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA) dominated the nation's trade landscape in the first third of 2024, with exports reaching JD 934 million, marking a notable increase from JD 812 million during the same period last year. According to data compiled by the Jordan News Agency (Petra), national exports to GAFTA countries rose by 15%, fueled by a significant increase in exports to Saudi Arabia, which alone accounted for JD 274 million. Exports to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) region also saw robust growth, climbing 6.3% to JD 677 million from JD 637 million a year earlier. This uptick was primarily driven by increased exports to the United States, which amounted to JD 656 million. Trade with the European Union (EU) witnessed a substantial boost, with exports rising 30.2% to JD 125 million in the first third of this year, compared to JD 96 million in the same period last year. A significant contribution to this growth was from exports to the Netherlands, which to taled JD 33 million. In contrast, exports to non-Arab Asian countries experienced a sharp decline of 39.4%, dropping to JD 500 million from JD 825 million in the same period last year. This decline was largely due to reduced exports to India, which amounted to JD 274 million. Overall, exports to other economic blocs fell by 19.2%, reaching JD 252 million, down from JD 312 million in the previous year. This decrease was driven by a drop in exports to the free zone, which totaled JD 114 million. Source: Jordan News Agency