The Department of Statistics has

The statistical data issued by the Department of Statistics indicate a rise in the value of national exports by 39.2 % and the re-exports by 38.9 % during the first ten months of 2008 compared with the same period of 2007. In contrast, the value of imports has risen by 32.2 % during the first ten months of 2008.

The deficit in the trade balance, which is calculated by deducting the value of imports from the value of total exports, has risen by 27 % during the first ten months of 2008 as compared to the same period of 2007, therefore the imports coverage by the exports stood at 44.9 % during the first ten months of 2008, meanwhile the imports coverage by the exports was 44.4 % during the first nine months which means an increase by 0.5%.

As for commodities, the main exported items were pharmaceutical products, crude phosphates, crude potash, fertilizers and vegetables while there was a retreat in the apparel and related accessories. Meanwhile, there was a rise in Jordan’s imports of crude oil, iron and its products, machinery and electrical appliances, vehicles, motorcycles and cereals.

Regarding trade with the main partners, there was a rise in the national exports to Asian countries, particularly India and the Greater Arab Trade Zone part of which is Iraq and the European Union countries part of which is Italy. On the other hand, there was a retreat in the national exports to North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) countries that resulted from the retreat in exports to the United States of America (USA)

There was a notable increase in the imports from the Grater Arab Trade Zone countries especially Saudi Arabia who is the main crude oil exporter in addition to the European Union countries, the non-Arab Asian countries and the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) countries.

The most important exported and imported commodities during the first ten months of 2007& 2008

National Exports						Imports
Commodities	2007	2008		Growth Average %		Commodities	2007	2008	Growth Average %
Apparels	720.4	612.6		-15..0		Crude Oil	1092.2	1790.3	63.9
Pharmaceutical products	235.4	292.1		15.3		Machinery and its Parts	643.2	849.2	32.0
Vegetables	217.8	225.1		3.4		Machinery, electrical appliances and their parts	660.1	791.9	20.0
Fertilizers	227.3	559.6		146..2		Vehicles, Motorcycle and their parts	581.1	717.4	23.5
Crude Potash	180.3	420.9		133.4		Iron and its products	443.2	686.3	54.9
Crude Phosphates	118.7	277.1		133.4		Cereals	388.6	519.4	33.7
Others	921.0	1284.7		39.5		Others	3986.1	4948.7	24.1
National Exports	2638.9	3672.1		39.2		Total of Imports (2)	7794.5	10303.2	32.2
Re-exports	688.2	956.1		38.9
Sum total of Exports (1)	3327.1		4628.2		39.1	Trade Deficit (1)-(2)	-4467.4	-5675.0-	27.0

Main trade partners (Economic cartels)during the first ten months of 2007 & 2008

Imports				National Exports
Growth Average %	2008	2007	Economic Cartels	Growth Average %	2008	2007	Economic Cartels
41.3	3571.2	2528.0	Greater Arab Trade Zone countries	32.0	1441.4	1091.6	Greater Arab Trade Zone countries
51.6	2358.0	1554.9	Of which Saudi Arabia	54.5	462.7	299.4	Of which Iraq
25.3	516.3	412.2	North American Free Trade Agreement countries	-16.1	633.6	755.4	North American Free Trade Agreement Countries
24.4	458.4	368.5	Of which USA	-16.2	626.3	747.7	Of which USA
34.1	2964.9	2210.9	Non-Arab Asian countries	122.5	1213.4	545.4	Non-Arab Asian countries
35.5	1059.5	781.7	Of which China	179.5	749.4	268.1	Of which India
9.8	2121.7	1932.6	European Union Countries	74.1	158.1	90.8	European Union Countries
2.7	609.7	593.6	Of which Germany	77.6	27.7	15.6	Of which Italy
58.8	1129.1	710.8	Other Economic Cartels	44.9	225.6	155.7	Other Economic Cartels
126.5	424.4	187.4	Of which Ukrain	36.6	78.0	57.1	Of which Algeria