Jordan Times
Wednesday, January 17, 2008
Exports to Arab
countries rise by 13% in 11 months
AMMAN (JT) - Jordan’s exports to member states of the Greater Arab Free Trade
Area (GAFTA) reached JD1,204 million during the January-November period of last
year, 13 per cent higher than the JD1,063 million during the same period of
2006.
At present, there are 17 states that are members of GAFTA. They are Bahrain,
Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi
Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen and Jordan.
Others are in the process of joining.
Iraq accounted for the largest part of the exports’ volume buying JD337 million
worth of Jordanian goods, up from JD299 million during the same period of 2006.
Exports to Saudi Arabia ranked second, at JD239 million up from JD233 million,
followed by Syria which accounted for JD137 million compared to JD101 million.
Exports to the United Arab Emirates dropped to JD113 million compared to JD146
million at the end of November 2006, according to the Department of Statistics (DoS)
figures on foreign trade.
Exports to Kuwait were also less, valued at JD49 million compared to JD59
million, the DoS figures indicated.
Lebanon, Sudan, Qatar, Yemen and the Palestinian Authority accounted for JD61
million, JD48 million, JD43 million, JD28 million and JD25 million of Jordanian
exports, respectively. Also, Egypt and Bahrain purchased JD40 million worth of
exports, each.
As for the Kingdom’s purchases from GAFTA member states, imported goods rose by
8 per cent, reaching JD2,867 million from JD2,655 million.
In terms of countries’ importance in this regard, imports from Saudi Arabia
topped the list but the volume was less in 2007 than 2006, totalling JD1,797
million at the end of November 2007 compared to JD1,884 million at the end of
the same month of 2006.
Egypt ranked second at JD379 million, followed by Syria and the United Arab
Emirates at JD241million and JD179 million respectively.
Imports from Kuwait, Lebanon, Yemen and the Palestinian Authority totaled JD72
million, JD68 million, JD38 million and JD20 million, respectively, the DoS
figures indicated.