Amman, January 23 (Petra) – Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply, Yarub Qudah, underscored Jordan's robust trade relations with Arab countries, particularly highlighting the significant share of intra-Arab trade within Jordan's overall foreign trade.
He emphasized the nation's progress in diversifying export markets and product offerings, enhancing the competitiveness of Jordanian industries.
During a dialogue session hosted by the Jordan Strategy Forum titled "Prospects for Trade and Economic Cooperation between Jordan and Syria: A Launch Towards Joint Arab Integration," Qudah highlighted the ongoing efforts to strengthen cooperation with Syria, emphasizing a commitment to supporting the Syrian people beyond economic interests.
He outlined his recent visit to the Jaber border crossing, aimed at closely monitoring the flow of land freight and trade between the two countries. He emphasized the importance of fostering direct and fruitful economic partnerships between the business communities of both nations.
Qudah highlighted Jordan's strategic position as a regional hub with well-developed infrastructure, facilitating the efficient movement of goods. He emphasized the ongoing development of the Mafraq development zone, strategically positioned to serve as a key center for economic cooperation and trade exchange with Syria, providing essential infrastructure services to support Syria's reconstruction efforts.
He stressed the need to remove obstacles hindering trade movement through the Syrian-Turkish Bab al-Hawa crossing, a crucial gateway for Arab exports to European markets. Qudah emphasized the importance of leveraging the benefits of the agreement to simplify rules of origin with the European Union and expressed Jordan's commitment to extending this agreement beyond 2030, particularly in light of the challenges faced by land ports in recent years.
Qudah reaffirmed Jordan's commitment to fostering strong economic and trade relations with Syria and neighboring countries, emphasizing the pursuit of mutual benefits and enhanced regional cooperation. He noted the establishment of technical working groups to expedite progress in this regard.
Fares Sharaf, Chairperson of the Jordan Strategy Forum, emphasized that the forum's approach prioritizes dialogue between the public and private sectors to support the implementation of national policies and priorities.
He outlined the Forum's comprehensive plan for 2025, which includes a series of dialogue sessions with government officials to address critical issues across various sectors and develop actionable recommendations to support the national economy and foster sustainable development.
Sharaf emphasized that strengthening the partnership between Jordan and Syria is not merely a strategic option but an urgent necessity for a more prosperous and stable future for the region.
He stressed the importance of identifying and leveraging existing opportunities and capabilities, translating them into concrete steps that serve the interests of both countries, enabling them to overcome shared economic challenges and contribute to enhanced Arab integration.
Nisreen Barakat, Executive Director of the Forum, presented an overview of opportunities and potentials in economic relations between Jordan and Syria. She highlighted that the Arab economy, despite constituting 3% of global output and 6% of international trade, suffers from low intra-Arab trade (15% compared to 58% in the European Union).
She also pointed to low Arab economic participation rates (48% compared to the global average of 66%) and high unemployment rates in the Arab world. In this context, she emphasized the urgent need for an Arab integration project, starting with bilateral partnerships that drive desired levels of growth and inter-trade.
Barakat noted that trade exchange between Jordan and Syria, which exceeded half a billion US dollars between 2004 and 2011, declined significantly to approximately 182 million US dollars in 2023 due to regional political and economic turmoil. This decline was accompanied by a notable decrease in the diversity of exchanged goods. The share of the Jaber border crossing in Jordan's total land trade declined from 25% in 2011 to approximately 8% in 2023, with a corresponding decrease in truck and passenger traffic. However, passenger traffic has shown signs of recovery in 2023, reaching 3,318 passengers per day.
Barakat identified approximately 600 Jordanian goods with comparative advantages in the Syrian market, including chemical industries, building materials, and certain food industries. Conversely, Syria possesses comparative advantages in the food, leather, and textile industries.
She highlighted that the estimated cost of rebuilding Syria exceeds $300 billion, presenting a significant opportunity for Jordan to play a pivotal role. However, the Caesar Act poses a major obstacle to activating economic and trade ties between the two countries. Overcoming these challenges and fostering stronger economic and trade cooperation between the two countries is crucial.
Regarding the Forum's recommendations, Barakat emphasized the need for a comprehensive partnership agreement to enhance Jordan's role in Syria's reconstruction, particularly in promising sectors.
She also called for the repeal of the Caesar Act and the lifting of economic and trade sanctions on Syria. Facilitating trade operations, enhancing transportation and shipping, supporting Syria's efforts to restore its customs system, modernizing its transportation services, and ensuring the safe and efficient operation of the Bab al-Hawa crossing are essential steps.
Barakat stressed the importance of reactivating the 1999 land transport agreement to unify fees and the need to review existing decisions regarding economic and trade affairs, including reducing customs duties and transit fees between the two countries. She emphasized the need to review restrictions on imports and exports to ensure economic and trade integration that serves the mutual interests of both nations.
//Petra// AJ

23/01/2025 16:52:18