Irbid, March 2 (Petra) -- Exports registered by the Irbid Chamber of Industry (ICI) rose 18.3% in February to $92 million, up from $78 million in the same period of 2025, ICI President Hani Abu Hassan said.

He added that ICI exports in the first two months of 2026 reached approximately $179 million, compared with $151 million a year earlier, marking an 18.4% increase and signaling a stronger export performance at the start of the year.

The leather and textiles sector remained the leading export driver, with shipments rising to $75.1 million in February from $67.3 million in February 2025, up 12%. The sector accounted for 86.4% of total exports, supported by higher external demand.

Exports of the food and agriculture industries climbed from $4.1 million to $6.4 million, a 54% increase, while chemical industries exports grew 36% to $1.6 million, up from $1.1 million in February last year.

Abu Hassan said the chamber issued 1,260 certificates of origin in February, compared with 1,017 in the same month of 2025, up 24%. The leather and textiles sector accounted for the largest share with 834 certificates, followed by food and agriculture with 117 and construction industries with 114.

The United States topped the list of importing destinations at $62.8 million, followed by Arab countries at a combined $8.8 million and European markets at about $8.3 million, reflecting broader geographic diversification for the governorate’s exports.

He noted that Al Hassan Industrial Estate generated about 95% of the chamber’s February exports, totaling nearly $88 million, followed by the Cyber City office at 4% ($3.5 million), while main exports amounted to about $645,000.

//Petra// AO