AMMAN: The deficit in Jordan’s balance of trade grew by 43.4 percent in the first seven months of the year, to 4.222 billion dinars ($5.96 billion) from 2.944 billion dinars in the same period of 2007, according to official statistics released yesterday. The trade deficit expansion was blamed by economists mainly on a 38.2 percent rise in imports, which stood at 7.259 billion dinars in the first seven months of 2008.