Jordan- Trade deficit widens in first third 

(MENAFN - Jordan Times) Jordan's trade deficit widened by 34.2 per cent during the first four months of 2012, reaching JD3,238.4 million compared with JD2,413.1 million in the same period last year, official figures showed Wednesday.

According to a Department of Statistics report, the total value of Jordanian exports rose slightly by 0.1 per cent to JD1,825.7 million by the end of April this year from JD1,823.1 million in the same period in 2011.

Out of the total value of exports, national exports accounted for JD1,536.2 million, dropping by 0.7 per cent from the JD1,546.7 million generated in 2011, according to the report.

Re-exports accounted for JD289.5 million, increasing by 4.7 per cent during the first third of 2012 from JD276.4 million generated in last year, the report said.

Total imports stood at JD5,064.1 million during the first four months of this year, 19.5 per cent higher than the JD4,236.2 registered in 2011, according to the report.

Among the major exports, garments and their accessories, raw potash, pharmaceuticals and raw phosphate have recorded a rise in their volumes, while the value of vegetables and fertilisers went down in the period in question.

Exports bound for the US and India increased, while those bound for Iraq and Italy decreased, according to the report.