The following export product groups represent the highest dollar value in Jordanian global shipments during 2017. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Jordan.

At the more granular four-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level, Jordan’s most valuable exported products are knitted or crocheted miscellaneous garments trailed by medication mixes, potassic fertilizers, natural calcium phosphates, aircraft parts, tomatoes then mobile phones.

1. Knit or crochet clothing, accessories: US$1.5 billion (20.1% of total exports)
2. Pharmaceuticals: $668.2 million (8.9%)
3. Fertilizers: $656.8 million (8.8%)
4. Salt, sulphur, stone, cement: $446.4 million (6%)
5. Inorganic chemicals: $384.6 million (5.1%)
6. Vegetables: $379.6 million (5.1%)
7. Electrical machinery, equipment: $361.5 million (4.8%)
8. Plastics, plastic articles: $270 million (3.6%)
9. Aircraft, spacecraft: $253.1 million (3.4%)
10. Machinery including computers: $223.2 million (3%)

Jordan’s top 10 exports accounted for over two-thirds (68.8%) of the overall value of its global shipments.

Inorganic chemicals was the fastest-growing among the top 10 export categories, up by 21% from 2016 to 2017.

In second place for improving export sales were knit or crochet clothing and accessories which appreciated by 10.5%.

Exports of fertilizers from Jordan posted the third-fastest gain in value up by 7.3% followed by exported plastics and articles made from plastic via its 5.7% gain.

The leading decliner among the top 10 Jordanian export categories was aircraft and spacecraft which retreated by -37.7%.

The following types of Jordanian product shipments represent positive net exports or a trade balance surplus. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports.

In a nutshell, net exports represent the amount by which foreign spending on a home country’s goods or services exceeds or lags the home country’s spending on foreign goods or services.

1. Knit or crochet clothing, accessories: US$1.2 billion (Up by 14.5% since 2016)
2. Fertilizers: $620.4 million (Up by 9.9%)
3. Salt, sulphur, stone, cement: $414 million (Down by -7.8%)
4. Inorganic chemicals: $326.6 million (Up by 32.3%)
5. Vegetables: $269.8 million (Down by -5.8%)
6. Pharmaceuticals: $110.9 million (Down by -14.8%)
7. Aircraft, spacecraft: $19.2 million (Down by -90.3%)
8. Lead: $12 million (Up by 1.7%)
9. Raw hides, skins not furskins, leather: $4.2 million (Down by -0.5%)
10. Furskins, artificial fur: $624,000 (Down by -48.7%)

Jordan has highly positive net exports in the international trade of knitted or crocheted clothing and accessories. In turn, these cashflows indicate Jordan’s strong competitive advantages under the knit or crochet clothing and accessories product category.

Overall Jordan incurred a -$12.9 billion trade deficit for 2017, up by 10.6% from -$11.7 billion in red ink one year earlier.

Below are exports from Jordan that result in negative net exports or product trade balance deficits. These negative net exports reveal product categories where foreign spending on home country Jordan’s goods trail Jordanian importer spending on foreign products.

1. Mineral fuels including oil: -US$3.4 billion (Up by 25.9% since 2016)
2. Vehicles: -$2 billion (Up by 11.4%)
3. Machinery including computers: -$1.8 billion (Up by 48.7%)
4. Electrical machinery, equipment: -$864.2 million (Up by 5.3%)
5. Cereals: -$673.6 million (Down by -27.9%)
6. Knit or crochet fabric: -$507.4 million (Up by 3.8%)
7. Gems, precious metals: -$456.4 million (Up by 18.2%)
8. Plastics, plastic articles: -$438 million (Up by 2.1%)
9. Iron, steel: -$388.9 million (Down by -26.6%)
10. Meat: -$345.8 million (Up by 11.8%)

Jordan has highly negative net exports and therefore deep international trade deficits particularly for petroleum oils, gas and to a lesser degree petroleum coke and coal.

Jordanian Export Companies

One Jordanian corporation ranks among Forbes Global 2000 for 2016, namely Arab Bank.

Wikipedia lists companies from Jordan that engage in international trade. Selected examples are shown below:

• Aqaba Railway Corporation (industrial transportation)
• Arab Bridge Maritime (industrial transportation)
• Jordan Petroleum Refinery Company (oil, gas)
• Jordan Phosphate Mines (chemicals)
• Jordan Steel (basic materials)
• King Hussein International Airport (industrial transportation)
• Queen Alia International Airport (industrial transportation)