The Jordanian Statistics Bureau recorded an 18.5 percent increase in Jordanian exports in the first nine months of 2001, hitting 963 million Jordanian Dinars ($1.4 billion), up from JD 812 million (one billion dollars) in the corresponding period of the previous year.
The European Union (EU) received 54 percent of Jordan’s exports in the first eight months of 2001. Exports to EU member states reached JD 33.5 million ($47.2 million), up from JD 21.7 million ($30.6 million) in the corresponding period of the previous year.
Jordanian exports to the EU constituted four percent of the Kingdom’s total exports during the same period, compared with three percent in the previous year.
Jordanian re-exports increased by 2.1 percent from JD 200 million ($280 million) to JD 204.8 million ($288 million) during the same period.
Jordanian agricultural exports increased by nine percent in the first seven months of 2001 to JD 57.7 million ($81 million) compared with figures from the previous year.
Jordanian mining and fertilizer exports fell to JD 191 million ($269 million) in the first seven months of 2001, a nine percent decrease compared to figures from the previous year, stated Jordanian Undersecretary of Commerce and Industry, Samer Taweel.
The Statistics Bureau also recorded that Jordan’s imports increased by 9.4 percent in the first nine months of 2001 to JD 2.54 billion ($3.5 billion) from JD 2.322 billion ($3.2 billion) in the corresponding period of the previous year.
The Kingdom imported JD 733.7 million ($1 billion) worth of goods from the EU, reported Al-Dustour. Imports from the EU constituted 32.4 percent of the Kingdom’s total imports during the same period compared with 33.6 percent in the previous year.
The Jordanian foreign trade balance deficit grew to JD 1.374 billion ($1.8 billion) by September 2001, up from JD 1.510 billion ($1.67 billion) in September 2000. This implies a 4.2 percent increase. — (menareport.com)
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
