US-Jordanian trade exchange in the first seven months of the current year has increased by 31 percent to 235.9 million Jordanian dinars ($332.3m), reported the Gulf Daily News, citing figures.
The Jordanian Department of Statistics figures yesterday released coinciding with King Abdullah's departure on a tour that includes the United States, where the Senate is expected to ratify a free trade accord with Jordan later this month.
Jordanian exports to the US increased by 414 percent to 79.7 million dinars ($112.3m) between January and the end of July, compared with 15.5m dinars ($21.8m) in the same period last year, the report said.
It said US imports during the seven months fell by 5.2 percent to 156.2m dinars ($220m), compared with 164.8m dinars ($232m) in the same period last year.
Trade officials attributed the rise to growing imports to the US from two Jordanian industrial complexes housing joint-ventures with Israel.
The Qualified Industrial Zones are part of US efforts to bolster the 1994 Jordanian-Israeli peace treaty.
Output - which includes garments, textiles, agricultural products, leather, medical products, fertilizers and suitcases - enters the US tariff and quota free.
Two more Jordanian industrial complexes are currently under construction – Albawaba.com
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