Amman – The Amman Chamber of Industry in Jordan said exports from January to May amounted to JOD 1.552 billion (USD 2.173 billion), down 9% from the year-ago period, local news agency Petra reported this Wednesday (14).
Exports by most industries slid in the first five months of 2017. However, foreign sales of foods, agricultural products, livestock, leather and hides, textiles and building material went up.
Sales to Arab countries in Asia reached JOD 724 million (USD 1 billion), down 22% from a year ago. Sales to Arab countries in Africa amounted to JOD 83 million (USD 116.2 million), down 28%.
Exports to other Asian countries climbed 14%, with those to non-Arab destinations in Africa going up 10%. Sales to European Union countries were up 6%, Petra said. Sales from Jordan to India reached JOD 232 million (USD 324.8 million), and sales from Jordan to the United States clocked in at JOD 182 million (USD 254.8 million).
Petra highlighted the increase in exports to Palestine (90%), Indonesia (78%), China (484%) and Turkey (92%), and the drop in exports to Saudi Arabia (-15%) and Iraq (-29%). Sales to the latter were affected by the shutting down of Jordan-Iraq land borders.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum