Jordan's exports to Syria fell by 70 percent during the first quarter of this year, despite the return of life to the land border, the head of the Jordan Chamber of Industry, Engineer Fathi al-Jaghbir, said.

The Jordanian industrial exports to the Syrian market fell to 19 million dinars during the first quarter of this year, compared with 61 million dinars for the same period last year, he said in a statement to Jordan News Agency (Petra) on Monday.

He attributed the retreat to the obstacles and measures imposed by the Syrian side on Jordanian exports and the requirement that the Syrian importer obtain an import license that allows the importation of Jordanian products in specific quantities and varieties, in addition to the existence of a wide list of goods that prevents entry due to the protection of national production.

Al-Jaghbir, who also heads the Amman Chamber of Industry, called on the government to apply the principle of reciprocity with Syria, which impedes the entry of Jordanian products and exports into its markets through unreasonable conditions and restrictions that are totally contrary to the mechanism of dealing with their products.

He stressed the need to put controls and restrictions on Jordan imports from Syria or even any country imposing restrictions on our exports has become urgent and need to take quick measures that protect our Jordanian products in particular and our national economy in general.

He said: "Since the beginning of the events in Syria in 2011 and until last year 2018 Jordanian exports to the Syrian market or through the transit of more than 150 million dinars, and the relative importance of the Syrian market of total national exports decreased from 8.3 percent in 2011 to 0.7 percent last year".

Al-Jaghbir called for the necessity of continuing to do everything that would support the Jordanian industry through administrative practices that stand in the face of such practices because the products of the industry are of high quality and contribute significantly to the desired economic and social development. National Renaissance Project

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