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Jordan’s merchandise trade deficit narrowed by 9.6% in the first eight months of 2026, falling by JD616 million to JD5.830 billion from JD6.446 billion a year earlier, the Department of Statistics said in figures reported by the Petra News Agency on October 25. The improvement came as exports expanded while imports edged higher, leaving the export-to-import coverage ratio at 56%, five percentage points above the 51% recorded in January–August 2025.
Total exports increased 11.2% to JD7.464 billion. National exports, which exclude re-exports, rose 6.0% to JD6.464 billion, while re-exports climbed 63.4% to JD1.0 billion. Imports grew 1.0% to JD13.294 billion. The separate measures matter: the faster growth in total exports partly reflects the sharp increase in goods shipped onward after entering Jordan, while national exports track goods attributed to domestic producers under the department’s reporting categories.
The report identified fertilizers, crude potash, knitted or crocheted apparel and accessories, and pharmaceuticals among the contributors to growth in national exports. Fertilizer exports rose 16.4%, crude potash 12.3%, apparel 4.6%, and pharmaceuticals 1.8%. The data also showed declines: raw phosphate exports fell 13.4% and precious jewelry exports 14.4%. The release did not attribute these changes to a particular company, policy, or capacity change.
On the import side, crude oil and petroleum products increased 39.1%, and grain imports rose 13.5%. Imports of vehicles and motorcycles were down 33.6%, mechanical tools 25.0%, precious jewelry 14.4%, and electrical machinery and equipment 7.9%. Petra said higher national exports reflected increased shipments to Syria, Iraq, non-Arab Asian markets including China, and the European Union, including the Netherlands. Import growth was reported from Greater Arab Free Trade Area countries, including Saudi Arabia.
August alone recorded JD1.069 billion in total exports: JD955 million in national exports and JD114 million in re-exports. Imports were JD1.708 billion, producing a monthly trade deficit of JD639 million. Compared with July, national exports rose 17.5% from JD813 million, while imports declined 2.2% from JD1.746 billion. These one-month changes describe the reported customs trade values and do not establish that the same pace continued after August.
The figures are a goods-trade measure for January through August, not a full current-account balance: they do not by themselves cover services, income flows, or transfers. Nor does a smaller deficit mean imports contracted; imports were higher year on year. The release provides a snapshot of value changes and named commodity groups but does not state volumes, prices, or a forecast for the rest of 2026. Petra attributed the data to the Department of Statistics’ report issued Sunday, October 25. No overall annual result is established here.