The chairman of Jordanian Businessmen Association (JBA) HE MR, Hamdi Tabbaa discussed on Wednesday with the trade attaché at the Lebanese Embassy to Jordan Ms, Greta Muhanna, the economic, trade and investment relations between the two countries.

Al-Tabaa stressed the depth of Jordanian-Lebanese relations in all fields, calling for activating the joint Jordanian-Lebanese Business Council, which was established between the JBA and Lebanese Economic Forum in Beirut in 25/9/2000 in order to enhance the trade and economic relations between the two countries. Al-Tabaa stressed the important role of the JBA in promoting investment in Jordan in a way that enhances the Jordanian investment climate.

Al-Tabbaa pointed out that Jordan enjoys many trade agreements with different countries of the world and that the Lebanese side may benefit from the markets offered by these agreements. Especially if the activation of the terms of the bilateral free trade agreement between Jordan and Lebanon, which was signed in 2002 are taken place.

For her part, Muhanna stressed the importance of solving the difficulties that impede increasing the volume of trade exchange between Jordan and Lebanon, especially the issue of high air freight charges, in a bid to revive the trade activity between the two countries as it was prior to the Syrian crisis.She pointed out that the Jordanian-Lebanese relations are distinguished at different levels and that they are keen to promote and develop economic and trade relations between the two countries.

The two sides also discussed future prospects for investment opportunities and joint cooperation in the most important economic sectors of mutual interest from both sides and discussed the most important issues for the private sector from the Jordanian side and the Lebanese side. The most important of which is to discuss ways of enhancing cooperation in the agricultural field in order to increase the volume of trade exchange of agricultural products as they were before the Syrian crisis, In addition to discussing the possibility of removing all obstacles facing the transit of agricultural goods with respect to customs duties, while ensuring the protection of local product and cooperation in covering the shortage in agricultural crops from the two countries.

In addition to following up the issue of reopening the land road, activating the maritime line between Lebanese ports and Aqaba port, and discussing the possibility of finding alternative ways to transport goods in lower cost.

It is worth mentioning that the volume of trade exchange between the two countries amounted to about 192 million dollars in 2018, where the value of Jordanian exports to Lebanon amounted to about 118 million dollars concentrated in aluminum products, plastic and pharmaceutical products, while the value of Jordanian imports from Lebanon reached about 74 million dollars concentrated in Machinery and electrical appliances.

The meeting was also attended by the Board of Directors member, Eng. Hossam Eddin Al Hudhud, Eng. Abdul Rahim Al-Beqai and the Director General of the JBA Mr. Tarek Hijazi.