Asad Al-Qawasmi, representative of the clothing, footwear and textiles sector, said that Jordanian industry covers only 15-20% of the local needs of clothing and footwear, while about 80% of the market needs are imported from abroad. 

He said in a statement to the opinion that the commercial sector supports the local industries, and encourages national industries that meet the conditions of the right price and quality, because the trader is marketed to any commodity, whether local or imported according to Qawasmi. 

High fees and taxes, high labor force, energy bill and operation are considered obstacles that affect the national industry, making competition between them and imported goods very difficult, especially in terms of price and quality. 

He added that the local industry is protected in the sector of clothing and footwear in terms of fees and customs due to traders, as the clothing dealer pays about 48% of the value of the following invoice from the customs center, and the shoe dealer 55% of its value. 

The value of Saudi imports of clothing and footwear is estimated at about 220 million dinars last year, while it decreased by 15% in the first quarter of this year, 50% from China, 20% from East Asia, India and Bangladesh, 20% from Turkey, And 10% of the rest of the Arab and foreign countries. 

Al-Qawasmi stressed the need to provide goods of high quality and reasonable price to the consumer, and in light of the national industry process for clothes in terms of price and quality, the import is the basis, calling on the competent authorities to work to provide gains, to achieve competition between them. 

For shopping tourism inside Jordan, he pointed out that it is almost non-existent, because most of the expatriates buy their needs from Turkey and Egypt for their licenses compared with the imported goods to Jordan with high fees. He called on the government to provide moderate fees for the commercial sector. At a favorable price, rather than buying them from other countries. 

He also called on the government to reconsider the decision to increase customs duties and to exempt or reduce them for clothing and footwear, to buy tourist shopping, taking into account the current economic situation and the low level of purchasing power of Jordanian citizens. 

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