The statistical data issued by the Jordanian Department of Statistics indicate a rise in the value of national exports by 6.9% during January and February 2009, while there was a drop in the re-exports by 0.7 % compared with the same period of 2008. The value of imports has decreased by 21.8 % during the first two months of 2009.
The deficit in the trade balance, which is calculated by deducting the value of imports from the value of total exports, has dropped by 40.9 % during January and February 2009 as compared to the same period of 2008, therefore the imports coverage by exports stood at 55.9 %. Meanwhile, the imports coverage by exports was 41.6 % for the same period of the previous year which means an increase by 14.3%. The imports coverage by exports during February 2009 was 60.4 % and it was the highest coverage ever recorded in Jordan (in comparison to the annual coverage Index), meanwhile the imports coverage by exports was 44.2% for the same month of 2008.
As for commodities, the main exported items were crude phosphates and potash, fertilizers and vegetables, while there was a retreat in the apparel and related accessories and pharmaceutical products. Meanwhile, there was a decrease in Jordan’s imports of crude oil, machinery and electrical appliances, plastics and its products while there was an increase in the imports value of machinery and electrical appliances, vehicles, motorcycles and iron and its products.
Regarding trade with the main partners, there was a rise in the national exports to Asian countries, particularly Japan and the Greater Arab Trade Zone part of which is Iraq. On the other hand, there was a retreat in the national exports to North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) countries that resulted from the retreat in exports to the United States of America (USA) and the European Union countries part of which is Spain.
here was a notable decrease in the imports from the Greater Arab Trade Zone countries especially Saudi Arabia which is the main source of crude oil imports in addition to the European Union countries and the non-Arab Asian countries part of which is Japan. In contrast, there was an increase in imports from the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) countries part of which is the United States of America (USA).
