Commercial exchange at Turaibil border still weak — official

AMMAN — Despite the reopening of the Turaibil border crossing, the commercial exchange is still weak, due to security concerns of Jordanian merchants and truck owners, an official at the Iraqi embassy in Jordan said.

Abdel Ameer Aziz, the Iraqi commercial attaché to Jordan, said that around four to five trucks cross the Jordanian-Iraqi border daily, while the rest of the trade is carried out through the Saudi Arabia-Kuwait-Busra road, although no security incident has been recorded on the border since its reopening. 

However, Aziz said he expected the activity to increase within a month or so. 

The official confirmed that an Iraqi delegation will be in Jordan on Saturday to put the final touches on the decision to exempt Jordan from the 30 per cent tax that Iraq imposes on exporting countries.

Iraq has set three conditions for the exemption including  that Jordan provides a list of Jordanian factories’ production capacity to ensure that products imported from Jordan are not reexported products, and that at least 40 per cent of the production process happens in Jordan.

Aziz noted that Saturday’s meeting will list the products exempted from customs tax.  

Last week, an Iraqi committee and Industry, Trade and Supply Minister Yarub Qudah announced the establishment of a joint Jordanian-Iraqi industrial estate on the newly reopened border between the two countries.

The Iraqi and Jordanian governments are currently conducting a  feasibility study, Aziz stated. 

During its visit, the Iraqi committee also visited Jordanian factories where they were briefed on the Jordanian experience in industrial zones like Sahab. 

Meanwhile, Mohammad Dawood, president of the Jordan Truck Owners Association, said that Iraq "did not provide enough trucks" to move products from Jordan to the Iraqi side which is slowing the commercial activity on the border.

Regarding transportation of products through Al Omari border crossing between Saudi Arabia and Jordan, Dawood said on Wednesday that Jordanian merchants ordered trucks loaded with fruits and vegetables going through the Saudi border to take the Turaibil border crossing.