The value of exports by industrial manufacturers and producers registered with the Amman Chamber of Industry (ACI) grew by 4 per cent in the first five months of 2021, hitting a total of JD1.926 billion against JD1.857 billion recorded in the same period of 2019.
ACI Chairman Fathi Jaghbeer told Petra that the five-month figure is “encouraging and significant”, indicating that the recovery in the industrial sector is seen across the board, except for the mining and textile sub-sectors.
According to Jaghbeer, who also heads the Jordan Chamber of Industry, the increase in exports in the January-May period suggests that the industrial sector could be a prime mover of post-Covid recovery, urging the government to improve the business-doing environment to propel further growth.
According to the ACI statistics, the U.S., India, Iraq and Saudi Arabia accounted for more than half of exports in the reporting period at about JD1.02 billion.
In particular, exports to the U.S. jumped by 55 per cent over the past five months, hitting JD323 million against JD208 million recorded in the same period of 2019, while India-bound exports stood at JD255 million, down 17 per cent.
Also, exports to Iraq remained unchanged at JD204 million in contrast to those shipped to Saudi Arabia, where a 4-per cent decline in the ACI’s exports was reported, down at JD238 million.
In its sectorial breakdown of the data, the ACI indicated that the value of exports by the chemical and cosmetics industries amounted to JD441 million followed by the mining sector with JD385 million and the foodstuff, agricultural and livestock industries with JD311 million.
Moreover, the pharmaceutical sector accounted for JD240 million of the five-month figure of exports, while the engineering, electrical and IT industries accounted for JD166 million.
Also, the value of exports by the packaging, cardboard and office supplies industry stood at JD87 million, followed by the plastic and rubber sector JD68 million, the construction sector JD29 million and the wood and furniture sector with JD7 million.
For his part, ACI Director-General Nael Husami explained that the increase in the chamber’s exports since the beginning of this year, despite the challenges imposed by the coronavirus pandemic, indicates the strength of the Jordanian industry and its ability to overcome hardships and access new markets.
According to Husami, exporters registered with the chamber have recently been able to access non-traditional markets for the Jordanian industry, and now have a strong foothold in many African markets, citing Sudan and Zambia as examples where the value of Jordanian exports to those two countries reached JD24 million and JD20 million, respectively.
Source: Jordan News Agency