When planning is over, it’s time to export your products or services.
- What are Jordan’s commitments in international trade?
- Which agreements provide preferential tariff treatment for goods/services manufactured and exported from Jordan?
- What are the technical requirements?
01What are Jordan’s commitments in international trade?
Since joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) on 11 April 2000, Jordan became a signatory to various arrangements that govern international trade, mainly: General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), and Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS).
Accordingly, the Jordanian Government should ensure that their trading system complies with the above agreements.
02What agreements provide preferential tariff treatment for goods/services manufactured and exported from Jordan?
Jordan has signed trade agreements with several countries and is a beneficiary to the Generalized System of Preference (GSP) from certain members of the WTO. In addition, Jordan also signed several regional, bilateral, and multilateral trade agreements whereby products originating from Jordan will benefit from tariff and duty reduction or elimination upon entry.
These agreements apply diverse rules of origin requirements (see CoO) to ensure that the goods imported undergo sufficient processing in the country of origin Jordan. The International Trade Center (ITC) market access map database provides an easy search engine tool on tariffs using the HS code by country to identify applicable tariffs by type of agreement.
These agreements, amongst others, are listed in the Jordan Customs website.
03What are the technical requirements?
Technical requirements are standards, technical regulations, Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS). Measures, and conformity assessment procedures undertaken on goods prior to exportation.
Knowing the technical requirements applicable to the exported product is essential. The Jordan Standards and Metrology organization (JSMO) can assist exporters to identify and obtain the technical requirements applicable by product and target country.
In some cases, mutual recognition of conformity certificates between the JSMO and similar bodies in target countries can help simplify the trade exchange processes, save time, effort and money when conducting conformity assessments, however mutual agreements apply to a limited number of countries.
The EU export help desk provides information on technical requirements necessary when exporting to the EU. The US food and Drug Administration (USFD) imposes technical requirements for food and drugs as well as medical devices amongst others. Moreover, the US standards portal ANSI provides additional information on standards that apply in the USA.
