Oman- US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose customs duties on the countries of the world, including Jordan, has sparked a storm of criticism and fears of the mechanisms of implementing the American decision that exceeded the minimum of 10% for the Middle East countries, and reached 20% on Jordanian exports to the United States of America.
The American decision announced by Trump yesterday, Wednesday, which he described as “Liberation Day”, included the imposition of comprehensive new customs duties on all the countries that have trade relations with Washington, and the decision did not differentiate between the United States friendly countries, or traditional opponents, while economic experts indicated that Trump’s decision is a commercial war with global partners, raises prices, and turns a commercial regime that has been in turn for decades.
An economic setback
The decision – which the Jordanian government did not comment yet – was a shock in the Jordanian economic circles, and some saw that it would form a milestone in the commercial policy between Amman and Washington, which threatens the free trade agreement that Jordan signed with the United States at the end of 2001, in addition to the high cost of production on Jordanian goods, which may make it less competitive with others due to the new American customs duties in general.
Jordanian exports to America are concentrated in clothing, jewelry, fertilizers, dates, pharmaceutical industries, and technology services, while the Kingdom from the American market imports metal products, transportation equipment, pills, and medical devices, but the new fee decision may threaten this balance, especially in the clothing sector, which exceeded 1.5 billion dinars last year.
For his part, a member of the Jordan Chamber of Industry, Eng. Musa Al -Saket, said that “Jordanian exports to the United States are estimated at about 1.9 billion dinars,” noting in his talk to Al -Jazeera Net that the new American decision needs to be clarified from Washington, especially with the existence of the free trade agreement between the two countries and signed in 2001, wondering about the targeted sectors and the extent to which fees are compatible with the agreement that strengthened economic cooperation between Amman and Washington.
Al -Saket added that it is necessary to study the consequences of the American decision and its impact on the vision of the economic modernization of the Kingdom, which aims to reach Jordan’s exports to about $ 5 billion in America in 2033, while Jordan’s exports today are about two billion dollars to the United States, and therefore the US President’s decision will significantly affect the vision of economic modernization.
Regarding what is required of the Jordanian government and market to face the challenges imposed by the American decision, Al -Saket said, “At the present time, there is no alternative to Jordan for the American market, which represents 25% of our total economic exports.
He called on the Jordanian government to enter into constructive and direct negotiations with Washington to return to Trump’s decision regarding Jordan, adding that the volume of Jordanian exports to the United States of America in exchange for the volume of global exports will not have negative effects on the United States, but the percentage imposed by Washington on Jordan will have negative impacts and repercussions on the local economy.
Jordan is the most affected
For his part, the economist Dr. Amer Al -Shobaki said that Jordan is one of the most affected and affected by the Arab customs duties, explaining that the volume of Jordanian exports to the United States represents a quarter of Jordanian exports in general, and the trade balance says that 2.9 billion dollars is the actual Jordanian exports of Washington.
Al -Shobaki revealed – in his interview with Al -Jazeera Net – that Jordan has already lost the “advantage” of the free trade agreement with the United States, in addition to the Kingdom of Bahrain from among the Arab countries.
The economist called on the government to diversify and strengthen trade relations with the promising Arab markets in Syria, Iraq, Turkey and the European Union to alleviate the impact of the economic damage resulting from Jordan as a result of Trump’s recent decision.
The head of the Jordanian and Amman Fathi Al -Jaghbir industry rooms confirmed – in a statement issued – that the American decision “is an important lesson for all countries that it is necessary to adopt a policy of reciprocity and support national industries.”
An economic disaster
According to a report issued by the “Tamkeen” legal assistance organization (a civil society organization specialized in labor issues), the organization estimated that registration of a decrease of 20-30% in the clothing sector products to the United States, for example, may lead to the loss of 10 thousand to 15 thousand direct jobs, women are the weakest link, as they make up 60% of workers in this sector.
The organization considered that raising customs duties unilaterally from the United States may be a violation of the conditions of commercial agreements, and may open the way for the affected countries to file complaints to the World Trade Organization.
US President Trump has confirmed that the purpose of his steps to impose new customs duties on the countries of the world commercially linked to Washington is to protect the American economy and the American dream of the “thieves”, adding, “We have prepared the fate of the United States and we have prepared it to its previous covenants.”
He continued: “I will sign an executive order that imposes mutual customs duties, and this day is one of our most important days because it represents the declaration of economic independence.”
He considered that the United States will make trillion dollars and America will return again. He also said: “From midnight, we will impose 25% fees on all foreign cars.”
