Trade activity among countries has been positive for Jordan since the beginning of 2026, including an increase of trade activity of 1.6% in the first quarter compared to the same period a year ago, with total national-level exports for the first quarter of 2026 at approximately $3 billion (USD). The reduced value of re-exported goods contributes to this positive change in trade activity, with total national-level re-exporting decreasing by the total amount of re-exported goods from the previous year to approximately $791.3 million USD, which represents a decrease of 7.1% or approximately $43 million USD compared to last year. The decrease in the value of all re-exported goods should not be interpreted solely as an indicator of decline in the volume of goods traded through Jordan’s ports; therefore, considering the underlying elements of trade, Jordan’s total export level for the past quarter was JOD 2.69 billion (approximately $3.79 billion USD), representing an overall decline of 0.4% from last year at this time.
However, import data painted a much better picture than export data provided. Total imports into Jordan averaged JOD 4.6 billion (approximately USD 6.49 billion), which created a trade deficit of JOD 1.9 billion (approximately USD 2.68); this figure represents an improvement of 6.3 per cent from the previous year, which is good news for Jordan’s overall trade balance and indicates an improvement between what Jordan spends for products from outside of the country and what is imported or sent to importers within Jordan. Even though exports increased only slightly, the decrease in imports and the improvement in total trade net of imports signal significant economic progress for Jordan.
The most recent statistics support Jordan’s vision of economic upgrade and trade. Jordan aims to enhance investor appeal, thus attracting investment and creating 1 million jobs by expanding exports in tourism, information and communication technologies (ICT), manufacturing, agricultural production and digital services.
New statistics are being published during periods of relative macroeconomic stability. In February 2023, S&P Global reaffirmed Jordan’s sovereign credit rating as “BB” with a stable outlook due to successes in fiscal and structural reform and support from many countries worldwide and the continued strength/resilience of the Jordanian economy.
As such, Jordan’s trade deficit is not being remedied by contracting its trade deficit; rather, it is building a new entire economy, based on competitiveness and globalisation, from the ground up.
