Jordanian overland trade stranded over border closure

Jordan’s land export to neighbouring countries and the European Union has been paralysed due to the closure of the land border with Syria and Iraq, Mohamed Khair Daoud, head of Jordan’s truckers association said.

“As many as 5,000 trucks are stranded on the border with Syria and Iraq after the authorities closed the borders due to security reasons,” Daoud explained in remarks to Quds Press.

Until recently, Jordan used Syria and Iraq to export Jordanian goods to Libya, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Turkey and the European Union.

Daoud called on the Jordanian government to open alternative markets for Jordanian produce.

Daoud refused to comment on the Saudi and Kuwaiti authorities’ inspection measures of the Jordanian trucks, saying the two Gulf nations are strict in their inspection due to the security situation in neighbouring countries.

As many as 17,500 transportation trucks operate in Jordan, with 5,000 of them working on external trade routes. Around 3,000 of these trucks now work internally due to the political and security situation in neighbouring countries.