Alghad - Industrialists considered the results of the official talks between Jordan and Iraq that took place in Baghdad last Thursday, a step that supports economic and trade relations and the establishment of joint projects that achieve the interests of the two countries.

And among them for “Al-Ghad” that the sisterly neighbor’s market, Iraq, is one of the important traditional markets on which it relies to increase national exports and return it to its previous state, especially since its value reached 883 million dinars in 2013.

They emphasized that the private sector looks at sister Iraq as a strategic partner in various Areas leading to achieving economic integration and establishing joint projects that achieve mutual benefits.

On the sidelines of the visit of Prime Minister Dr. Bashr Al-Khasawneh last Thursday to Baghdad, Jordan and Iraq signed several agreements and memoranda of understanding, including excluding the products of the two countries from any import registration system and accelerating the completion of the operational steps for the establishment of the joint economic city in addition to proceeding with the implementation of the double circuit electric air transmission line connecting the station Badminton transfer with Al-Qaim transfer station and re-studying the procedures at Trebil (Al-Karamah) port to facilitate trade exchange. The latest foreign trade figures issued by the Department of Statistics show an increase in the value of national exports during the first eleven months of last year, by 7%, to reach 404.6 million dinars compared to 377.6 million dinars, compared to the same period in 2019

The head of the Jordanian Exporters Association, M. Omar Abu Wishah, said, "The prime minister's visit to its sisterly neighbor Iraq is a very important step to revitalize and increase economic and trade cooperation between the two countries."
Abu Wishah indicated that excluding the products of the two countries from any import registration system facilitates the process of trade exchange with ease and saves time and effort, stressing that the registration process is an indirect obstruction to the entry of national products into the Iraqi market.

The head of the association said that "the Iraqi market was in the first rank in relation to national exports during the past years, but it declined significantly due to security disturbances and the closure of land crossings."

He stressed the need to increase communication and coordination at the level of the private sector in both countries and to benefit from the agreements signed between the two sides, pointing to the need to reconsider energy costs and freight wages in order to increase the competition of Jordanian products within the Iraqi market with their counterparts exported from countries in the region.

Abu Wishah said, "Any reduction in energy and freight wages for the national industry greatly helps exporters to recover the share of the national product in the Iraqi market in light of the brotherly and historical relations that bring the two countries together at various levels."

Abu Wishah pointed to the importance of the agreement to continue exempting a list of Jordanian products from Iraqi fees that reach 30%, stressing the importance of expanding this list to include the largest number of products.

Hakim Zaza, an official in the export file to Iraq at the Jordan Chamber of Industry, said that the Iraqi market is one of the most important traditional markets for national exports, as its value amounted to more than one billion dollars in 2013.

Zaza indicated that excluding the products of the two countries from any import registration system and extending the exemption for 344 Jordanian goods from Iraqi customs duties is a very important step that facilitates the process of exporting Jordanian products and enhances competition in the Iraqi market.

Zaza demanded the necessity to simplify procedures on customs borders, remove technical and administrative obstacles imposed by the Iraqi side, facilitate direct transport, in addition to granting special incentives for export to Iraq through reducing energy and freight wages in order to increase competition for the national product and enhance the benefit from the agreements signed between the two countries.

He explained that the Jordan Chamber of Industry is working within clear plans and programs to increase communication and coordination with the Iraqi private sector with the aim of networking and promoting trade exchange in light of the great capabilities available and the historical and interconnected relations between the two countries.

Zaza asserted that Jordanian products are able to meet the needs of the Iraqi market in terms of various commodities with high quality, pointing out that Jordanian factories have large production capacities.

The Director General of the Amman Chamber of Industry, Dr. Nael Al-Husami, said, "The prime minister's visit to Iraq gives stability in general and a positive message for the private sector to continue work and enhance the prospects for cooperation, thus contributing to the return of trade exchange to its previous state."

He indicated that the exemption from the mutual registration of imports implies the mutual recognition of the certificate of conformity issued by the governmental institution in both countries, calling for the necessity to facilitate trade exchange operations at the borders and return them to before the year 2014.

He stressed the need to facilitate procedures for the entry of businessmen in both countries with the aim of discovering opportunities and maintaining direct communication, in addition to involving the private sector in major projects in Iraq, especially in the energy, water and infrastructure sectors.

He pointed to the importance of intensifying government communication with the Iraqi side in order to expand the list of exempting Jordanian products from customs duties, stressing that the sister neighbor Iraq is seen as a strategic partner in various economic fields that achieve common interests.

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