AMMAN —
Manufacturers called on the concerned authorities to make the best use of the
trade agreements signed with various economic blocs, including the free trade
agreements with the
US,
Canada, and the EU, to take advantage of all export
opportunities and to create the right mechanisms for promoting Jordanian
products in order to strengthen their presence in global markets.
اضافة اعلان
The appeal
follows the global increase in demand for Jordanian products, which, experts
say, are highly competitive.
Head of Jordan
Exporters Association
Ahmad Khudari told
Jordan News that “despite the
unprecedented increase achieved by industrial exports since the beginning of
this year, the achievements are still confined to certain industrial sectors.
This requires focusing on other industries that add high value to the national
economy”.
Khudari stressed
the need to diversify the base of industrial goods “that are exported to
foreign markets by investing in the existing export opportunities in the
industrial sector, which are still untapped. This will contribute to reducing
the balance of the trade deficit, expand investments, and provide more job
opportunities”.
He noted the
importance of achieving optimal use of trade agreements signed with various
economic blocs, indicating that “there are great opportunities for Jordanian
industries that have not been exploited yet”.
Representative
of the leather industries and knitting sector at the
Jordan Chamber of Industry Ehab Qadri told
Jordan News that “local industries have many advantages that
make them able to compete in foreign markets”, noting that “industrial exports
constitute more than 93 percent of the total national exports and reach more
than 140 countries”.
He stressed the
need to make optimal use of untapped export opportunities, adding that “it is
necessary to develop mechanisms to promote these products in order to enhance
their presence in global markets”.
Qadri said that
the increase in Jordanian exports of potash, phosphate, fertilizers, and
industrial chemicals is due to the increase in global demand. He added that
this increase shows the concern of world governments to enhance food security,
which is one of the highest global priorities.
There are great opportunities for Jordanian industries that have not been exploited yet.
He also said
that the rise in exports of clothing is due to the return of the market
situation to its state before the pandemic, adding that the demand for clothing
in the American market has returned to pre-pandemic levels.
According to
him, it is important to build a national export strategy that is able to
prioritize markets and products for exports, based on scientific and realistic
facts.
He stressed the
importance of reviewing free trade agreements with other countries and
exploiting them optimally, as well as activating the role of Jordanian
embassies, which should network with businessmen and investors in Jordan and
abroad, “to enhance the access of national products to various markets around
the world”.
Qadri also
stressed the importance of reducing high production costs, which are 25 percent
higher than those of most competitors, which clearly impedes competitiveness.
He said the
recent government decision to reduce the cost of electricity for the economic
sectors is a step that will contribute to enhancing the productivity and
competitiveness of national products.
According to the President of the Jordan Chamber of Commerce, Nael
Kabariti, “the role of the government lies in signing free trade agreements,
and this is what the Jordanian government does. It has already signed important
free trade agreements with countries such as the US”.
Kabariti
believes that “if there is an obstacle to exporting a particular product, it is
lack of promotion”.
“The duty to
promote lies with the owner of the product himself; this is not the duty of the
government. Some products have been largely exported to certain countries,
while some others have not, which means that the specifications of the latter
products are not up to the required level,” he pointed out.
Jordan’s exports
increased by JD1.2 billion in the first half of 2022, reaching JD3.9 billion,
compared to the same period of last year, when the value of exports stood at
JD2.7 billion, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, said, quoting official data.
The main
commodities exported during the January–June period were garments, fertilizers,
raw potash and phosphates, and chemical products.
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