Ali pushes for more trade with Canada

AMMAN — Cooperation between the public and private sectors is essential to bolster the Free Trade Agreement between Jordan and Canada, Industry, Trade and Supply Minister Maha Ali said Sunday.  She was speaking to representatives of industry and commerce chambers, the Jordan Exporters Association and the Canadian embassy in Amman besides the president of the Jordanian-Canadian Business Association, according to ministry statement.

Ali urged a follow up on the recent visit by a Jordanian delegation to Canada in order to increase national exports to the Canadian market. The Jordanian private sector is crucial in helping exporters penetrate the Canadian market and acquaint them with the free trade agreement which went into effect in 2012, Ali added.

The agreement contributed to the growth of bilateral commercial movement by 42 per cent between 2012 and 2014, with Jordanian exports to Canada improving by threefold during the same period. In the first eight months of 2015, the value of national exports to Canada stood at $37 million, marking an increase of 15.6 per cent compared to the same period of 2014, while Jordanian imports from Canada valued $23 million, with a drop of 22.7 per cent during the same comparison periods.