Free zones see decline in vehicle clearances

AMMAN — Jordan saw 10,300 customs clearances of vehicles during the first quarter of 2022, compared with 11,300 vehicle customs clearances during the same period in 2021, President of the Jordan Free Zone Investor Commission (JFZIC) Mohammad Bustanji said on Sunday.

Speaking to the Jordan News Agency, Petra, Bustanji said that the reason for the decline in vehicle clearance this year is due to the reduced availability of new cars and the global shipping delays, caused by the pandemic and the Russian-Ukrainian war.

Additionally, the decline in the clearance of hybrid vehicles was due to the 55-per-cent tax imposed this year, he added. He urged the government to reconsider the decision that has affected the Jordanian Free Zones in general, and the automobile sector in particular.

Meanwhile, a total of 8,931 vehicles were reexported in the first three months of the year, compared with 9,646 vehicles in the same period of 2021. 

Bustanji pointed out that the January-March period of 2022 saw the clearance of 3,713 gasoline vehicles compared with 4,455 vehicles in the same period of 2021.

He added that 2,294 diesel vehicles were subjected to customs clearance in the first three months of 2022 compared with 2,517 vehicles in the same period of last year.

As for hybrid cars, the first three months of 2022 witnessed the clearance of 1,295 vehicles compared with 3,209 vehicles in the same period of 2021, Bustanji added.