Jordan’s garment and leather exports increased eight per cent during the first eight months of this year. The garments and leather industries sector contributes about 29 per cent of the total employment in the industrial sector while accounting for 26 per cent of the total national exports. Additionally, it contributes about seven per cent of the total existing production of the industrial sector. The contribution of garment and leather industries sector to the national GDP has doubled over the last two years.

The number of Jordanian workers in the sector has increased by 119 per cent from 2010 to 2018. However, clothing sales in Jordan have been hit by customs fees and taxes, causing the kingdom to lose its competitive edge. Other challenges facing the sector include illegal e-commerce and the mail package trade that abuses regulations and allows entry of goods with exemption from customs fees. Anyone with a passport and a national identification number can order up to five packages a month, with exemption from customs. However, people abuse these regulations and use friends’ passports to order goods without having to pay extra customs or taxes and then sell these goods at low prices.