AMMAN — Jordan Chamber of Industry (JCI) President Fathi Jaghbir discussed on Tuesday with Chinese Ambassador to Jordan Guo Wei ways to strengthen economic and trade relations between the two countries and build on available opportunities to advance cooperation between the two business communities.

 

Jaghbir noted that the trade balance remains heavily in China’s favour, citing Department of Statistics (DoS) data that shows Chinese exports to Jordan exceeded $5.1 billion in 2024, compared with about $318 million in Jordanian exports to China, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

 

Jordan’s exports to China reached $271 million in the first ten months of 2024, down from $289 million a year earlier, stressing a "significant" trade gap that requires joint efforts to boost Jordanian industrial exports and expand cooperation in higher value-added sectors.

 

The two sides discussed key challenges facing Jordanian industrial exports to China, particularly administrative and technical requirements, standards and regulatory procedures, including those related to the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC), especially for food products.

 

They stressed the importance of enhancing coordination between relevant authorities in both countries and expediting registration and accreditation procedures to facilitate market access, improve the competitiveness of Jordanian products and expand their presence in external markets.

 

The meeting also explored opportunities to attract more Chinese investment to Jordan and expand joint industrial partnerships, especially in "promising" sectors where Jordan has competitive advantages, contributing to technology transfer, increased production capacity, job creation and export growth.

 

Both sides highlighted the role of participation in specialised exhibitions and economic events, as well as mutual promotion programmes, in linking companies and opening access to potential partners and importers in China and the broader Asian market.

 

They emphasised the need to maintain close communication and coordination in the coming period to strengthen economic, trade and investment cooperation, achieve a more balanced trade relationship, and support Jordan’s efforts to promote its national industry and expand its global market access, Petra reported.