Imports rose 7.2 percent in January-May from a year earlier to 4.14 billion due to rises in oil prices and consumption, data from the Department of Statistics showed.  

Jordan, which imports most of its energy from Saudi Arabia, saw its crude oil import bill in the first five months of the year surge 49.2 percent from a year ago to 495 million dinars, according to the data.  

Imports from Saudi Arabia, the largest exporter to Jordan, topped 746.7 billion dinars, a figure that includes crude oil alongside consumer and industrial goods.  

Jordan's exports rose 3 percent from a year earlier to 2.014 billion dinars in the January-May period.  

The export figure includes re-exports to neighboring countries, mainly Iraq and Syria, which dropped 33 percent in the first five months of this year from a year ago to 301 million dinars.  

Jordan's main hard currency earners are garment exports to the United States under a free-trade deal, but they have been hard hit by a slump in US consumption. 

Total exports to the US rose 2.5 percent to 242 million dinars in the first five months of this year against the same period last year.  

Imports from the US fell 11.8 percent to 230.6 million dinars, compared with last year, the trade figures showed.