– Transit Exports Surge 36% to JOD 324M – 50,058 Loaded Trucks Enter and Depart Zone – Trade Up 24% to JOD 983M – Key Economic Pillar for Trade and Investment – Facilitating Cargo Movement and Regional Redistribution AMMAN, Oct. 24 (Petra) – The Zarqa Free Zone has demonstrated structural resilience against regional macroeconomic volatility, sustaining its role as a pivotal hub for transit flows, re-export operations, and cross-border merchandise trade servicing both the domestic market and neighboring Arab economies.

Statistical indicators released by the Jordan Customs Department show that the aggregate value of inbound and outbound freight handled through the zone reached 983 million JOD by the end of September 2026, marking a 24 percent year-on-year increase compared to 794 million JOD registered in the corresponding period of 2025.

International transit departures out of the zone experienced a 36 percent expansion during the first nine months of 2026, reaching a total valuation of 324 million JOD compared to 238 million JOD through Q3 2025. In parallel, inbound shipments designated for the domestic market recorded a 4 percent valuation growth, rising to 192 million JOD from 185 million JOD in the prior-year period.

Customs logistics activity reflected robust operational throughput, with freight and clearance handling firms completing 48,856 declarations across vehicle and general cargo categories via Zarqa Free Zone Customs over the nine-month period. Customs telemetry tracked 31,841 inbound loaded trucks entering the zone year-to-date, alongside 18,217 outbound loaded units dispatched under multi-modal transit and re-export procedures to regional destinations.

President of the Clearance and Transport Companies Association, Daifallah Abu Aqueleh, stated that the zone has evolved from a conventional bonded storage zone into a fully integrated logistics platform that re-engineers regional trade flows and optimizes supply-chain cost efficiency.

Abu Aqueleh highlighted the zone’s role in facilitating inventory management for Gulf exporters through tariff-exempt bonded status prior to re-export, serving as a primary consolidation and pre-shipment point for Iraqi market demand via the Karameh border crossing, and supporting capital goods trade into Syria following the reactivation of the Jaber-Nassib commercial corridor. He noted that the ecosystem offers operational incentives including full foreign capital ownership, 100 percent tax exemptions on export earnings and transit transactions, and a single-window administrative clearing framework.

President of the Arab Federation for Freight Forwarders (OFA), Odeh Ramahi, emphasized that the site serves as a vital component in Jordan’s multimodal transport network. Ramahi noted that linking Zarqa’s land transport, bonded warehousing, and customs processing assets with maritime freight channels through the Port of Aqaba yields high-value-added logistics solutions, improving national supply-chain competitiveness and cementing the Kingdom’s position as a regional trade gateway.

Established in 1983 along key international transport corridors, the Zarqa Free Zone represents one of the region's largest specialized commercial and industrial enclaves, leveraging modern logistics infrastructure to capture regional trade and foreign direct investment.

//Petra// AA