Jordanian exports to Syria saw a significant increase during January and February compared to the same period in 2024 under the previous Syrian regime.

Jordanian exports to Syria rose by 482% during the first two months of the current year, according to a report from the Department of Statistics in Jordan released today, Wednesday, May 7.

According to the report, the value of Jordan’s exports to Syria during January and February of this year reached 35.377 million Jordanian dinars (49.845 million US dollars), compared to 6.077 million dinars (8.454 million dollars) during the same period last year.

On a monthly basis, the value of national exports to Syria in February rose to nearly 16.784 million dinars (23.684 million dollars), compared to 3.82 million dinars (5.382 million US dollars) during the same month last year.

On February 25, the Jordanian Minister of Industry and Trade, Yarub Qudah, announced that Jordan is in talks with the Syrian government to reactivate the bilateral trade agreement.

According to the Jordanian minister, discussions with Damascus included transit fees to ease the burden on exporters, noting that there is ongoing communication with both Turkish and Syrian authorities regarding the Bab al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey, adding that he hopes to resume operations there soon, without specifying a timeline.

Trade agreements are commercial treaties held between two or more countries aimed at facilitating trade between parties by reducing or eliminating trade barriers, such as tariffs and quantitative restrictions. These agreements help promote trade and investment between countries, contributing to economic growth.

Before 2011, Syria was the largest Arab trading partner for Jordan, with the value of bilateral trade between the two countries estimated at 600 million US dollars, according to a report by the Fikra Forum in 2018.

Coordination Council

On April 17, the Jordanian and Syrian foreign ministers agreed to form a higher coordination council that will include multiple sectors, including energy, health, industry, trade, transport, agriculture, water, information technology and communication, education, and tourism. The council is set to hold its first meeting in the coming weeks.

Following the fall of the regime, Jordan expressed a desire to reactivate transit trade through Syria. Sultan Allan, a member of the Jordan Chamber of Commerce and president of the Clothing, Textile, and Footwear Merchants Association, stated that enhancing transit trade between Jordan and Syria represents a promising opportunity for the Kingdom to benefit from its strategic location as the sole and safe southern outlet for southern Syria.

On December 18, 2024, Jordanian trucks began entering Syrian territory directly via the Nassib-Jaber border crossing to deliver goods, in a move aimed at enhancing commercial movement between the two countries, after the Syrian authorities allowed traders to directly deliver goods without having to switch transport vehicles at the crossing.