AMMAN, 10 July 2004 — Jordan’s trade deficit grew by 37.8 percent in the first five months of the year, to 1.054 billion dinars ($1.49 billion) from 765 million dinars ($1.08 billion) in the same period of 2003, the General Statistics Department (GSD) announced yesterday.
Saudi Arabia, Jordan’s largest oil supplier, topped the list of exporters.
Economists attributed the widening trade gap mainly to a 34.6 percent increase in imports, which shot up to 2.1 billion dinars ($2.96 billion) from 1.56 billion dinars ($2.2 billion).
Jordan’s oil imports amounted to 290 million dinars ($410 million) or 13.8 percent of the total imports, thanks to the soaring oil prices on the world market, a GSD official said. Following Saudi Arabia on the list of exporters to Jordan were China, the United States and Germany.
The GSD also reported a 31.5 percent increase in the volume of exports and re-exports in January-May, to 1.047 billion dinars ($1.48 billion) from 796 million dinars ($1.12 billion) in the same period of 2003.
