National exports rise by 11.2% during the first ten months of 2006

The Department of Statistics has issued its report on foreign trade statistics for the first ten months of 2006. The value of Jordan’s national exports was JD 2363.6 million in the first ten months of 2006 as compared with JD 2126 million during the corresponding period of 2005. The report indicates that national exports increased by 11.2% compared to the same period of 2005. By adding the value of re-exports to that of national exports, the total value of exports amounts to JD 2986.2 million as compared with JD 2523 million, rising by 18.4% above its level in the first ten months of 2005. It is worthy to mention that Jordan's exports to countries of the Greater Arab Trade Zone constituted 40%, while its exports to the European Union countries and to North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) countries amounted to 3.3% and 32.2% respectively of the total national exports in the first ten months of 2006.

The value of the Jordanian imports was JD 6696.8 million in the first ten months of 2006 against JD 6159.4 million for the same period of 2005, therefore rising by 8.7%. In the first ten months of 2006, imports from the Greater Arab Trade Zone countries constituted 35.7% of the total imports, while imports from the European Union countries accounted for 23%, and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) countries accounted for 5.3% of the total national imports.

As for the balance of trade deficit, which is calculated by deducting the value of imports from the value of total exports, it amounted to JD 3710.6 million during the first ten months of 2006 as compared with JD 3636.4 million in the corresponding period of 2005, rising by 2%. In spite of this increase, the exports coverage of imports rose from 41% in the first ten months of 2005 to 44.6% for the same period of 2006.

 Among the main exported items, clothing constituted the highest percentage of the national exports in the first ten months of 2006 and amounted to JD 740.1 million or 31.3% of the total exports, as compared with 29.5% for the same period of 2005. Fertilizers ranked second at JD 181.1 million (or 7.7% of the national exports). Pharmaceutical products came third, which amounted to JD 170.3 million or 7.2% and then potash, and amounted to JD 150.5 million or 6.4% of the total national exports in the first ten months of 2006.

 The report also shows that the United States of America was the first importer of the Jordanian products with purchases amounting to JD 754.7 million or 31.9% of the total national exports. Clothing was the major exported item to the USA amounting to JD 693.8 million or 91.9% of our exports to the USA. Iraq ranked the second at JD 276 million or 11.7%. Its main imports from Jordan included oils, fats, cigarettes, soap, detergents, aluminium and aluminium products. India ranked the third as an importer of the Jordanian products and valued at JD 223.5 million or 9.5%. The main imports from Jordan were phosphate, potash and phosphoric acid. Saudi Arabia occupied the fourth place as an importer of Jordan’s products, the main items imported from Jordan included pharmaceuticals and live sheep amounting to JD 187.3 million or 7.9% of the total national exports in the first ten months of 2006. Total exports to all these countries together constituted 61% of the total national exports.

The main commodities imported during the first ten months of 2006, were crude oil, which amounted to JD 1196.5 million topping the list of imports and constituting 17.9% of the total imports. Vehicles and motorcycles and their spare parts ranked second and amounted to JD 607.5 million or 9.1%, followed by machinery, mechanical equipment, appliances and parts thereof in the amount of JD 499.2 million or 7.5% of the total imports. Electrical appliances and their parts ranked fourth and amounted to JD 495.7 million or 7.4% of the total imports in the same period.

Imports from Saudi Arabia ranked first amounting to JD 1700 million or 25.4% of the total imports. They covered mainly crude oil and by-products and amounted to JD1397.9 million, or 82.2 % of our imports from Saudi Arabia.  Imports from China were JD 682.3 million or 10.2% of our total imports. It included cloth and clothing in the amount of JD 211.9 million or 31.1% of our imports from this country. Germany ranked the third, with total imports amounting to JD 521.9 million or 7.8%. The main imports covered automobiles and their spare parts and amounted to JD 214.6 million or 41.1% of our total imports from that country. Followed by The United States of America, which amounted to JD 323.7 million or 4.8%. Main exports to Jordan included machinery, equipment and appliances and parts thereof in the amount of JD 51.2 million or 15.8% of the value of our imports from the USA in the first ten months of 2006.

   The following table gives a summary of foreign trade in the first ten months of the years 2005 and 2006.

                                                                                                                                   Value In Million JD))