Global price increases may mean product weight decrease — ACC

AMMAN — The reduction of some food products’ weights may occur locally and internationally, according to Amman Chamber of Commerce (ACC) Chairman Khalil Haj Tawfiq.

In a statement made available to The Jordan Times on Sunday, Haj Tawfiq, who is also president of the Foodstuff Traders Association, said: “We are awaiting a decision on decreasing customs duty on certain foodstuffs,” adding that “global price hikes in 2021 were like never before”.

Amidst global price increases, prices will either remain the same and product weight will decrease, or prices will go up if the weight remains the same. 

“The Kingdom has a sufficient quantity of commodities regardless of their prices,” he said.

Abu Jamil, owner of a supermarket in Amman’s Marj Al Hammam neighbourhood, told The Jordan Times on Sunday that “customers are conscious of market price changes, and they will not be happy when they notice that the thing they bought for the same price weighs less”.

He added that not only food products are becoming lighter, with the quality of many products changing too.

Grocery store owner Waleed Ali said that “the shrinking of products will continue globally and the prices of basic products are likely to increase in 2022”.

However, Ali said that Jordan has always had a sufficient quantity of basic commodities, and the government always assures that.

“There are slight changes in food prices ever now and then, but no major changes have happened in the market,” said hypermarket employee Qusai Daifalla.

“There are continuous offers and sales, but during 2021 many shoppers came to me and asked about the reason behind food price changes,” he noted.