RIYADH: Industrial exports from members of the Amman Chamber of Industry rose 5.1 percent in the first five months of 2026, as manufacturers pushed deeper into African, European and Asian markets.
According to the Jordan News Agency, the chamber’s statistical report showed exports reached 2.99 billion Jordanian dinars ($4.22 billion) between January and May, up from 2.84 billion dinars in the same period of 2025, with growth spread across most industrial subsectors and export destinations.
The figures underscore the momentum behind Jordan’s Economic Modernization Vision, which identifies the industrial sector as the engine of the country’s long-term growth strategy. The sector contributed 45 percent to overall gross domestic product growth in 2025 and employed 261,000 workers, a 3 percent increase on the year before.
The chamber’s report attributed the latest export rise to expanding market reach and product diversification, noting that local manufacturers are “continuing to expand their presence in non-traditional markets across Africa, Europe and Asia” in a reflection of the sector’s resilience amid ongoing regional uncertainties.
Iraq was the single largest destination for ACI exports in the period, with shipments rising 6 percent to 404 million dinars, while India held steady at 394 million dinars.
Exports to Syria surged 52.2 percent to 173 million dinars and to Palestine by 29.5 percent to nearly 89 million dinars, as neighboring markets recorded strong gains.
Arab countries as a whole absorbed 1.51 billion dinars of total exports, reinforcing their place as the primary destination for Jordanian industrial goods.
Not all sectors shared in the growth. Exports from engineering and information technology industries fell 18.9 percent, leather and garments dropped 3.1 percent, and plastics and rubber edged down 0.4 percent.
Exports to the US declined sharply, falling 28.5 percent to 362 million dinars from 506 million dinars a year earlier, while Saudi Arabia also saw a 3 percent dip to 342 million dinars.
The standout performer was the packaging, paper, cardboard and office supplies sector, which posted export growth of 48.3 percent. Mining industries led all sectors by value at 663 million dinars, followed by chemicals and cosmetics at 633 million dinars and food, agricultural and livestock industries at 444 million dinars.
Founded in 1962, the Amman Chamber of Industry represents around 8,600 industrial establishments employing approximately 159,000 workers, with capital investments estimated at nearly 5 billion dinars.
