Ammon News - The Kingdom's trade balance deficit with Greater Arab Free Trade Agreement (GAFTA) countries in the first-half of 2021 soared by 45.9 per cent to JD748 million, compared with JD512,4 million in the same period of 2020, the Department of Statistics (DoS) announced on Thursday.

In the same comparison period, the value of national exports to the GAFTA's countries rose by 18.7 percent, reaching JD1,076 billion, against to JD907,6 million, according to the the monthly DoS report.

Meanwhile, the value of Jordan's imports from the GAFTA countries increased in the January-June period of 2021 by 28.4 percent, reaching about JD1,824 billion, compared to JD1,420 billion in the same period last year, the report showed.

According to the DoS figures, this uptick contributed to an increase in the Kingdom's imports of precious jewelry, by 348.5%, to stand nearly at JD309 million, compared to the same period last year, which amounted to JD68.9 million.

Saudi Arabia was the top importer of Jordanian exports to the GAFTA countries in the first half of 2021, reaching about JD385 million. Saudi Arabia was also the top exporter to Jordan, at a value approximately standing at JD1,042 billion, thus bringing the trade balance deficit with the Arab Gulf nation to the end of June to JD657 million.