Embassy of the United States

The opening of the Exhibition and Workshop on "How to Maximize the U.S.-Jordan Free Trade Agreement for Importers and Exporters"

Amman, June 1, 2009:  H.E. Eng. Amer Hadidi, the Minister of Industry and Trade, and H.E. Mr. Stephen Beecroft, the U.S. Ambassador to Jordan, launched today the exhibition and workshop on "How to Maximize the U.S.-Jordan Free Trade Agreement for Importers and Exporters."  Organized by the U.S. Commercial Service and the USAID-Funded Tatweer Project in association with the Middle East Partnership Initiative, the hands-on-workshop is designed to answer everyday questions asked by private sector companies to help them do business with the U.S.

Ambassador Beecroft noted:  “Partly thanks to America’s first free trade agreement with an Arab country, bilateral trade with Jordan has grown from $369 million in 1998 to $2.1 billion in 2008.  Exports from Jordan have continued to diversify, with Jordanian clothes, jewelry, equipment, pharmaceuticals, and food products reaching America.”

The workshop covers several important topics that importers and exporters need to know about, such as: harmonized system codes (HS Codes) for trading and tariffs, certificates of origin (Rules and Regulations) and customs documentation (Importing / Exporting). In addition, participants will be provided with tips on importing and exporting between U.S. and Jordan, information on the legal requirements for exporting to the U.S. and compliance regulations.

Moreover, the workshop will highlight standards and intellectual property rights, as well as the effect of the financial crisis on trade between the U.S. and Jordan and how to exhibit in U.S. trade events.  

With the participation of more than 150 Jordanian and U.S. companies in different sectors, the workshop also features an exhibition that highlights several importers and exporters who have succeeded in benefiting from the Free Trade Agreement.

The Jordan-U.S. Free Trade Agreement is a bilateral agreement between Jordan and the U.S. that aims to establish a free trade area between the two countries by removing trade barriers and strengthening economic relations in the parties’ mutual benefit. Furthermore, the FTA provides for a gradual elimination of duties and removal of commercial barriers on trade in goods and services between Jordan and the U.S. over a period of ten years, leading to a complete free trade area between the two countries starting January 1, 2010

The U.S. Embassy’s Commercial Counselor, Sheryl Maas, said: "Trade is important to every country’s economy.  Small and medium enterprises play a key role in trade and creating jobs.  However, in order to be successful, companies need to be aware of the rules, regulations and opportunities available to them. This FTA workshop is designed to inform Jordanian importers and exporters of the opportunities available to them in the U.S. by using the benefits of the U.S.-Jordan Free Trade Agreement."

Mr. Nayef Stetieh, President and CEO of USAID-Tatweer Project commented: "In order for local businesses and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to harness new market opportunities created under the FTA, they must fully understand and make use of the benefits awarded under this agreement.”  Furthermore, Mr. Stetieh informed the participants that the USAID-Funded Tatweer Project’s main objective is to enhance the competitiveness of Jordanian SMEs and increase their exports to international markets, highlighting its “Export Fast Track Action Program” which helps  SMEs penetrate U.S. markets successfully and maximize the benefits of the U.S.-Jordan Free Trade Agreement.  He also noted that the Tatweer Project has increased Jordanian exports to the U.S. by $16.46 Million and exports to other markets by $20.5 Million.

The U.S. Commercial Service in Jordan is part of a global network of trade specialists dedicated to supporting U.S. commercial interests around the world. It helps U.S. companies by offering comprehensive export promotion assistance to find agents, distributors, representatives and end users for their products and services in the Jordanian market through a variety of programs and services. It also helps Jordanian companies to find U.S. firms, products and services.  If a Jordanian Company is looking for trade events in the U.S., the U.S. Commercial Service accompanies  trade delegations to several certified trade shows in the U.S.

TATWEER is an economic development project funded by USAID and managed by the Business Development Center (BDC), with a main objective of enhancing competitiveness of Jordanian Enterprises and creating jobs, through export development and facilitating technical assistance and capacity building services in addition to providing employment and training opportunities to Jordanian youth through the Maharat Program.

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