RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
23 November 1999 
 (99-5093) 
Working Party on the  
Accession of Jordan  
 
 
 
DRAFT REPORT OF THE WORKING PARTY ON  
 THE ACCESSION OF THE HASHEMITE KINGDOM OF JORDAN TO THE  
WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION  
 
Revision  
 
Introduction  
1. The Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan applied for accession to the General 
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT 1947) in January 1994 (document L/7378).  At its meeting 
on 25 January 1994, the GATT 1947 Council of Representatives established a Working Party to 
examine the application of the Government of Jordan to accede to the General Agreement under 
Article XXXIII of the General Agreement.  Followi ng the conclusion of the Uruguay Round, Jordan 
requested accession to the World Trade Organizat ion (WTO) under Article XII of the Marrakesh 
Agreement establishing the World Trade Organizatio n.  In accordance with the decision adopted by 
the WTO General Council on 31 January 1995,  the existing GATT 1947 Accession Working Party 
was transformed into a WTO Accession Working Part y.  The terms of reference and the membership 
of the Working Party are reproduced in document WT/ACC/JOR/5/Rev.3. 
2. The Working Party met on 28 October 1996; 4 July 1997;  22 July 1998;  22 October and 
[24 November] 1999 under the Chairmanship of H.E. Mr. K. Kesavapany (Singapore). 
Documentation provided  
3. The Working Party had before it, to serve as a basis for its discussions, a Memorandum on the 
Foreign Trade Regime of Jordan, the questions s ubmitted by Members on the foreign trade regime of 
Jordan, together with the replies thereto, and othe r information provided by the authorities of Jordan 
(L/7533, WT/ACC/JOR/2, WT/ACC/JOR/3 a nd Add.1, WT/ACC/JOR/8 and Add.1, 
WT/ACC/JOR/9, WT/ACC/JOR/13, WT/ACC/JOR/14, WT/ACC/JOR/18, WT/ACC/JOR/22, WT/ACC/JOR/23, WT/ACC/JOR/24, WT/ACC/JOR/25, WT/ACC/JOR/26, WT/ACC/JOR/27, 
WT/ACC/JOR/28, WT/ACC/JOR/30 and WT/ACC/JOR/32), including the legislative texts and other 
documentation listed in Annex I. WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
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Introductory statements
 
4. In his introductory statement in 1996, the representative of Jordan said that Jordan was 
approaching the next century in an environment ra dically different from that of its early decades of 
development.  In the 1970s and 1980s, Jordan had inv ested heavily in developing its human resources, 
relying on high levels of external financing and re mittances of Jordanians wo rking abroad.  Jordan's 
inability to meet its external obligations had led to an economic stabilization programme being 
introduced at the end of the 1980s.  The stabilizat ion policies had been successful, even with the 
return of more than 400,000 expatriate workers.  The Government had pursued an ambitious reform 
agenda, including fiscal and trade reform, since the early 1990s to stabilize the economy, improve efficiency and broaden the role of the private sector .  The current account deficit had declined sharply 
reflecting solid export growth, improved earnings fr om tourism and increased worker remittances.  
Jordan's medium-term reform programme aimed at su staining annual growth of real GDP at minimum 
6 per cent and export growth of around 10 per ce nt, rates of inflation in line with those of 
industrialized countries, current account deficits be low 3 per cent of GDP and accumulation of foreign 
exchange reserves. 
5. Economic reform was geared towards liberaliza tion and dismantling of all barriers to trade, 
investment, labour, capital, payments and services.  The Government had drafted a customs law based 
on international best practice.  Actions to improve  customs clearance included streamlining of the 
temporary entry and duty drawback regime, a "g reen channel" for easy clearance of imports and 
computerization, upgrading and training of customs staff.  The Government had also taken initiatives 
to review and revise the main economic laws governing economic activity, and had established a 
Privatization Unit at the Prime Ministry to coor dinate various privatization initiatives and ensure 
transparency of the process.  Domestic reforms we re consistent with the direction of multilateral 
reform, but Jordan had not waited for world-wide lib eralization to take decisions deemed in its own 
best interest. 
6. A strong multilateral trading system was vital to Jordan, and Jordan was preparing to link its 
economy with the global economy.  Jordan's economic  cooperation and trade relations with the world 
community were characterized by a sincere commitmen t to obligations towards its partners.  Some 
WTO obligations would entail constraints on polic ies and regulations affecting certain sensitive 
industries.  Jordan was ready to negotiate a fair  deal that would accommodate the interests of all 
parties concerned within the spirit of WTO multilateral agreements, and hoped for a successful 
accession which would take into account Jordan's s ituation as a developing country with a small 
economy.  Accession to the WTO would give Jordan the chance to work along with member countries 
to strengthen the multilateral trading syst em to the advantage of all members.  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 3 
 
 
7. In their opening remarks, members of the Work ing Party welcomed the request from Jordan 
to accede to the WTO.  Jordan's accession would reinforce the univer sality of the WTO.  Jordan was 
commended for its efforts to overcome economic di fficulties, and accession to the WTO was expected 
to assist in consolidating the reforms.  Members looked forward to close co-operation with Jordan 
with a view to concluding the accession process succ essfully as quickly as possible.  Noting Jordan's 
wish to avail itself of certain transitional arrange ments, some members supported this request while 
other members stated that such requests would be  given sympathetic consideration and decided case-
by-case on the basis of substantiated needs. 
8. The Working Party reviewed the economic polici es and foreign trade regime of Jordan and 
the possible terms of a draft Protocol of Accessi on to the WTO.  The views expressed by members of 
the Working Party on the various aspects of Jordan 's foreign trade regime, and on the terms and 
conditions of Jordan's accession to the WTO ar e summarized below in paragraphs 9 to 246. 
ECONOMIC POLICIES  
Monetary and fiscal policy  
9. The representative of Jordan said that current ec onomic policies aimed at fiscal and monetary 
stability.  The public budget deficit had been redu ced through subsidy cuts, ex penditure restraint and 
increasing revenue.  Food subsidies had been reduced , the domestic price for petroleum derivatives 
increased, and a programme to improve the perform ance of loss-making public enterprises such as 
Royal Jordanian Airlines, Public Transportatio n Corporation and the Agricultural Marketing 
Organization had been implemented.  Draft legisla tion had been submitted to the Council of Ministers 
to remove all privileges enjoyed by the Housing Bank,  consistent with mainta ining its obligations to 
low-income housing.  The Housing Bank had beco me a commercial bank and no longer enjoyed any 
privileges.  Food subsidies had been eliminated recently, and Royal Jordanian Airlines and Public 
Transport Corporation were undergoing privatization. 
10. On the revenue side, an expanded tax base was a ccompanied by more efficient tax collection, 
including the introduction of a general sales tax (G ST), replacing the former consumption tax.  The 
system of income tax implemented through the Inco me Tax Law (No. 14 of 1995) taxed profits or 
gains earned or accrued in Jordan on the basis of annual self-assessment.  Tax rates ranged from 5 to 
30 per cent for individuals and 15 to 35 per cent fo r companies.  Exempted from income tax were 
non-profit welfare, cultural, educational, sports or health institutions and coop erative societies;  land 
invested in agriculture or poultry, cattle, fish or  bee breeding;  capital gains earned on equipment, 
apparatus, land, real estate, bonds and shares;  sa laries paid to non-Jordanian diplomatic envoys;  
salaries and wages of non-Jordanians paid by branch es of foreign companies;  salaries and wages paid WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
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by non-operating foreign companies registered in Jordan according to the Co mpanies Law;  interest 
due on deposits of national and fo reign persons and companies;  income accrued from patents, 
copyrights or rewards;  income specified in ag reements on the prevention of double taxation;  and 
income explicitly exempted by th e Investment Promotion Law (No.  16 of 1995) and by means of 
bilateral or multilateral agreements .  The tax exemptions applied equally to foreign enterprises. 
11. Monetary policy aimed at monetary stability to ensure price stability and adequate financing 
of economic activity.  The objective was achieved by controlling the money supply while reducing 
monetary control restrictions;  consolidation of fo reign currency reserves;  continued liberalization of 
interest rates;  the establishment of a deposit insura nce corporation;  and Ce ntral Bank supervision of 
all financial institutions. 
Foreign exchange and payments
 
12. The representative of Jordan said that the nationa l currency - the Jordan dinar (JD, equal to 
1,000 fils) - had been pegged to the US dollar at th e official buying and selling rates of JD 0.708 and 
0.710, respectively, since 23 October 1995.  Jo rdan had formally accepted the obligations of 
Article VIII, sections 2, 3 and 4 of the Articles of  Agreement of the International Monetary Fund as 
from 20 February 1995.  Thus, foreign exchange pa yments for current account transactions were not 
restricted in Jordan.  Concerning capital transacti ons, the representative of Jordan said that inward 
transfers of capital were not restricted, but outward  transfers were subject to approval by the Central 
Bank of Jordan (CBJ).  Transactions pertaining to fo reign investment had been completely liberalized.  
The CBJ allowed capital transfers to  Arab countries on a reciprocal basi s.  Residents were allowed to 
carry or transfer up to JD 35,000 in foreign exchange  to meet current payments for invisibles such as 
travel, education, medication, pilgrimage, resi dence abroad and family assistance without prior 
approval from the Central Bank.  Applications  for amounts in excess of JD 35,000 would be 
considered positively in the light of the applicant's needs.  As of 1997, outward transfers were fully 
liberalized. 
13. Licensed banks could purchase any amount of foreign currency against Jordan dinars from 
their customers on a forward deal basis, and could sell foreign currencies forward to customers paying 
for imports into Jordan. 
14. Forward contracts in major currencies against th e Jordan dinar were permitted for specified 
commercial transactions, including commodity imports , provided the authorized banks covered such 
operations abroad.  Each dealer's forward transactions were subject to quantitative limits, but the CBJ 
could offer a forward exchange facility in respect of forward exchange cover provided by Jordanian 
banks for corporations and projects of vital national interest.  Foreign exchange regulations had been  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 5 
 
 
modified to permit banks to execute asset-swap operations from foreign currencies into Jordanian 
dinars for all customers. 
15. Exchange permits were require d for goods subject to import licensing, and were granted 
automatically once the import licence had been obtai ned.  Exchange permits were issued by the 
Foreign Exchange Control Department of the Centra l Bank of Jordan against a fee of 0.1 per cent to 
recover related administrative costs.  Although exch ange permits were no long er required, banks still 
collected the 0.1 per cent fee on some categories of transfers for payment to the Central Bank.  The 
fee was being revised to narrow the categories of tran sfers subject to it with a view to its eventual 
elimination.  The fee was not applied to transfer s issued for government departments, non-resident 
accounts in foreign currency, and certain approved in stitutions and individual transfers of less than 
JD 300. 
16. He confirmed that private sector firms could borrow abroad freely and that no government 
approval was necessary.  Export proceeds were not s ubject to any repatriation requirements.  There 
were no taxes or subsidies on purchases and sales of fo reign exchange;  the fees and charges for such 
transactions were determined freely in the market. 
Investment regime  
17. The representative of  Jordan said that the Investment Promotion Law No. 16 of 1995 had 
superseded the Encouragement of Investment Law No. (11) for 1987 and the Arab and Foreign 
Investment Law No. (27) for 1992.  A Higher Coun cil of Investment Promotion had been formed 
under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister, and an "Investment Promotion Corporation" was 
entrusted with the implementation of the law, in cluding acting as inquiry point regarding information 
on investment. 
18. Business enterprises were incorpor ated in Jordan either as General Partnership and Limited 
Partnership Companies, Limited Liability Companies, Limited Partnership in Shares or Public 
Shareholding Companies.  Applications for re gistration were submitted to the Controller of 
Companies at the Ministry of Industry and Trade.  For general and limited partnership companies, the 
application should be accompanied by the original partnership agreement and a statement signed by 
each of them;  for limited liability companies the company's Memorandum and Articles of 
Association, on the approved forms for this purpose, should be included.  The statement should be 
signed before the Controller or any person authorized  by him, a Notary Public or a licensed lawyer. 
An application for registration as a public share holding company was accompanied by the company's 
Articles of Association, the Memorandum of Associa tion, the names of the promoters of the company 
and the names of the promoters' commitment conduc ting the formation procedures.  The Articles of WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
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Association and the Memorandum of Association we re signed before the Controller or any person 
authorized by him, a Notary Public or a licensed la wyer.  Foreign investors registered their companies 
as Jordanian companies with the Companies' Registra r at the Ministry of Industry and Trade.  A 
branch of a foreign company would need to submit  to the Controller of Companies a copy of its 
Articles of Association and Memorandum of Associ ation, as well as written documentation certifying 
that the company had been approved by the concerne d authority in Jordan for operating in Jordan.  
The representative of Jordan provid ed detailed information on the fees levied in connection with 
registration of companies in document WT/ACC/JOR/30. 
19. Tax incentives were provided by virtue of the Investment Promotion Law for any project 
related to industry, agriculture, maritime transport and railways, hospitals and hotels.  The Council of 
Ministers could add any other sector in accordance w ith the Kingdom's needs.  In January 1997, the 
Council of Ministers had added leisure and recr eational compounds, and convention and exhibition 
centres to the list of projects benefiting from tax incentives provided under the Investment Promotion 
Law.  All imported fixed assets needed for the estab lishment of a project were exempted from import 
duties, sales tax and other import fees and charges (w ith the exemption of municipal taxes) provided 
these assets were imported into the Kingdom within three years from the date of the Investment 
Promotion Committee's decision approving their importation.  The Committee could extend this 
period if considered justified due to the nature of the project or the size of the work required.  
Imported spare parts for a project were exempt from import duties, sales tax and other import fees and 
charges (with the exception of municipal taxes) pr ovided the value of such parts would not exceed 15 
per cent of the value of the fixed assets for which th ey were required, and provided that these parts 
would be imported into the Kingdom or used in the project within 10 years of the date of commencement of production or the work.  Fixed asse ts required for the expansion, development or 
modernization of a project were exempt from import duties, sales tax and other import fees and 
charges (with the exception of municipal taxes), if  they would lead to an increase in production 
capacity for the project of not less than 25 per cent.  The exemptions would also cover any increase in 
the value of the fixed assets resulting from price in creases, freight charges or changes in exchange 
rates.  Hotels and hospitals enjoyed further exem ptions from fees and taxes on purchases of furniture 
and supplies for renewal or renovation once every seven years.  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 7 
 
 
20. Reductions in income and social services taxes to the level of 25, 50 or 75 per cent were 
granted depending on the nature of the activity and the location of the project.  The reduction could 
amount to 100 per cent in certain areas approved by the Council of Ministers.  The exemptions from 
income and social services tax were applicable fo r 10 years, starting from the date of commencement 
of works (services projects) or production (manufacturing projects).  An additional exemption, not exceeding four years, could be granted if the proj ect was expanded, developed or modernized with a 
resulting increase in production capacity (one year for each increase of not less than 25 per cent). 
21. The Investment Promotion Law did not diffe rentiate between domes tic and non-Jordanian 
investors, and no preferences were linked to expor t performance or domestic content requirements.  
Article 24 of the Investment Promotion Law stipulat ed that non-Jordanian investors investing in any 
project governed by the Law should be afforded the same treatment as Jordanian investors.  The Law 
guaranteed foreign investors the transfer of profits  and repatriation of the foreign capital invested.  
According to the Investment Regulation No. 39 for 1 997, issued in accordance with Article 24 of the 
Investment Promotion Law No. 16 of 1995, non-Jord anian ownership could not exceed 50 per cent in 
any project or economic activity in the sectors of construction, trading and trade services (excluding 
the right to import and export as outlined in paragr aph 50 below), and mining.  Except for these three 
sectors, a foreign investor could own 100 per cent of the equity in a Jordanian entity.  The Investment 
Promotion Corporation was preparing legislation to define clearly the scope of trade services covered 
by the foreign equity restrictions.  Non-Jordan ian investment in securities listed on the Amman 
Financial Market was subject to a provision (Ar ticle 6) that payment be made from the sale of 
convertible foreign currency.  The amount of non- Jordanian investment in any project should be 
minimum JD 50,000, except in public shareholding companies (JD 1,000). 
State ownership and privatization
 
22. The representative of Jordan said th at Jordan's economic strategy called for a much larger role 
of the private sector in the economy.  The Government aimed at reducing its own involvement in the 
production and distribution of goods  and services.  Some sectors previously reserved for public 
investment such as telecommunications and power ge neration were being opened to private investors, 
and new public-private partnerships  were being forged.  Rapid impl ementation of the privatization 
programme in a transparent manner was a key objective of the Government. 
23. The Council of Ministers had appointed an inte rministerial committee, headed by the Prime 
Minister, to steer the overall privatization plan.  A Privatization Unit, located in the office of the Prime Minister, assisted in the privatization pro cess, and the World Bank s upported the institutional 
capacity to implement the programme through the Institutional Development Fund (IDF).  The main WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 8  
 
responsibilities of the Privatization Unit at the Prime Ministry included: 
(a) coordination of the preparation of divestiture transactions; 
(b) managing the teams of technical experts and short-term external advisers; (c) managing the marketing efforts of enterprises undergoing divestment; (d) negotiations with stockholder groups; (e) execution of transactions;  and  (f) dissemination of information on progress in privatization. 
24. The privatization programme aimed at increasing enterprise efficiency.  The operational 
performance of some public enterprises was expect ed to improve by according greater autonomy to 
enterprise management in administrative and investme nt decision, and the sale of shares to reputable 
strategic investors.  Substantive steps towards eventu al privatization had been taken in the energy and 
telecommunication sectors.  The Government inte nded to restructure public enterprises in the 
transport sector.  The Government had decided that  the first phase of the programme would involve 
the privatization of the Jordan Telecommunicati on Corporation (JTCC), the Jordan Electricity 
Authority (JEA), Irbid District Electricity Company (IDECO), Jordan Electric Power Company 
(JEPCO), Aqaba Railway Corporation (ARC), Jordan  Cement Factories Company (JCFC), Public 
Transport Corporation (PTC) and the Jordan Tour ism and Spa Complex Co. at Zerqa Mai'n.  The 
Government would also sell its minor stakes (less than  5 per cent) in public shareholding companies 
and partially dispose of other shareholdings such  as those in Arab Pot ash Co. and the Jordan 
Phosphate Mines Co. (under study). 
25. The representative of Jordan said that Jo rdan's privatization process was free from 
discriminatory practices or discretionary investment  authorizations.  Forei gners of all nationalities 
could participate in Jordan's privatization process within the legislation in force.  International 
consultants, investors and develope rs were invited to compete for bi ds related to privatization through 
local and international media. 
Pricing policies
 
26. The representative of Jordan said that his Gove rnment was removing pri ce controls gradually 
on certain commodities with a view to the eventual liberalization of all prices at the retail level.  
Jordan applied price and profitability control, as well as price cap control, on certain domestic and 
imported products.  The products subject to controls are listed in Table 1.  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
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Table 1:  Price controls in Jordan  
HS Code Product name 
PRICE CONTROL  
ex 0713.20 Chickpeas, seeds of a kind used for sowing 
ex 0713.40 Lentils, seeds for a kind used for sowing 
ex 1001 Wheat, seed of a kind used for sowing 
ex 1214.90 Vetches and similar forage, seeds of a kind used for 
sowing animal feed. 
1001.10, ex 1001.90 Wheat 
1101.00 Flour 
ex 1905.90 Bread – Arabic, Tanouri, Taboun, Armenian, and Baladi 
ex 2302 Bran 
ex 2523.29 ex 2523.29 ex 2523 ex 2523 Cement, Portland , bagged 
Cement, Portland , not bagged Cement, Sulphate resistant, bagged Cement, Sulphate resistant, not bagged 
ex 2711.13 ex 2710.00 ex 2710.00 ex 2710.00 
ex 2710.00 
ex 2710.00 2710.004 2710.005 ex2714.90 ex 2714.90 
ex 2710.00 Liquid gas Butane 
Leaded  (gasoline)  Super  (gasoline) Unleaded  (gasoline) 
Jet Fuel (airplanes’ fuel) 
Kerosene Diesel Fuel oil Asphalt, w/o containers Asphalt, in containers 
Diesel for Ships 
ex 3002, ex 3003, ex 3004 Medicaments for human use 
ex 2201.90 Water 
2716.00 Electrical Energy 
PROFITABILITY CONTROL  
ex 3002, ex 3003, and ex 3004 Medicaments for human use 
ex 3002, ex 3003, and ex 3004 Medicine for veterinary use 
PRICE CAP 
ex 0401.30 Fresh Cow Milk 
ex 1003.00 Barley, seed of a kind used for sowing 
ex 2005.90 ex 2005.90 
ex 2005.90 ex 2005.90 ex 2106.90 Houmos, 
Qudsieh, 
Fool, Musabaha, Falafel Sandwiches, and Falafel pieces, sold in unclassified restaurants 
 
27. A committee - comprising representatives of me rchants and the Ministries of Supply and 
Agriculture - set prices based on costs, and allo wed a 17 per cent profit margin for wholesalers and 
retailers.  The same maximum profit margin applie d in case of similar imported products.  Revisions 
of the established prices could take place every si x months.  In most cases the revisions were 
requested by importers due to changes in import prices, for example, for wheat of bread-making WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 10  
 
quality.  The price controls had originally a ffected 66 food products.  In response to specific 
questions, he confirmed that prices of dried milk , sugar and rice were not fixed when imported by 
private enterprises.  Except for th e regular Jordanian loaf of bread, prices of all bakery and pastry 
products were determined freely by the market.  Pr ice controls had been liberalized on imported and 
locally-produced cigarettes. 
28. Prices for utilities (electricity, water, solar h eating and natural gas) and petroleum products, 
except lubricants, were controlled to support low-inco me groups.  Electricity prices had recently been 
raised to rationalize the use of energy and increase the financial viability of electricity production.  
Water charges had also been increased, including the adoption of a progressive tariff for irrigation 
water, to rationalize use and ensure cost recovery for water and sanitation services. 
29. Some members noted that the use of price controls on imported chilled meat, but not on 
domestically-produced chilled meat, would appear to  violate the national treatment obligations of 
GATT Article III, and asked how Jordan intended to  bring this item into conformity with WTO 
requirements.  These members sought a commitment from Jordan that it would observe the provisions 
of Article III concerning the application of maximu m prices to imports, with particular emphasis on 
the provisions of paragraphs 4 and 9, that Jordan would notify its current price controls on imports 
and domestic goods and services to the Working Party, and that any subsequent such controls will be 
published in an official journal for the informati on and review of traders.  A member added that 
grading requirements applied to meat by Jordan were arbitrary and unjustifiable, and that the 
maintenance of such a regime after accession would deny its exporters benefits to which they would 
be entitled under Article III:4 of GATT 1994.  This member therefore requested that the grading 
requirements and the pricing regime associated with those requirements be eliminated prior to accession. 
30. In reply, the representative of Jordan said th at price control affected imported wheat and 
medicaments for human use;  profitability contro l was applied to imported medicaments for human 
and veterinary use;  and the price cap was app lied on imported and loose barley.  The controls on 
imports were also applied on the same domestically-produced items  Therefore, these price controls and caps did not violate the national treatment provi sions of Article III of the GATT 1994.  He added 
that Jordan did not intend to liberalize the pri ces of products remaining under price control before 
acceding to the WTO.  However, Jordan would ensure  that the price control mechanisms applied in 
Jordan be in conformity with Article I and III of the GATT 1994, and with the transparency 
requirements of the WTO.  He confirmed that Jo rdan had eliminated price controls on imported 
chilled meat.  Legal measures to eliminate this pr actice had been adopted in October 1999.  The 
representative of Jordan stated that there was no relation between the meat grading requirements and  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 11 
 
 
the pricing regime.  Jordan was preparing new t echnical regulations on meat that would retain a 
grading system in line with the grading system of  the concerned member.  The main purpose of the 
grading requirements in Jordan would be to provide information to consumers. 
31. The representative of Jordan confirmed that pri ces for goods in every sector of Jordan were 
determined freely by market forces with the exception of those listed in Table 1.   Current price 
controls on imported fresh and chilled meat had b een eliminated at the end of October 1999 in 
accordance with the "Instructions on the Eliminati on of the Price Cap on Imported Meat" issued by 
the Ministry of Industry and Trade.  Price controls  existed on State services (e.g. vehicle inspection, 
passport fees), customs clearing agents services, public warehouses, transport services for passengers 
and goods, telecommunication services, professional me dical services offered by the Government, car 
liability insurance services, and ticketing services by  travel agents.  Price cap was applied on 
professional medical services, certain banking services, money exchange services, commission on 
services rendered by securities dealers, hotel room rat es, internal tourism tour packages, tour packages 
with bed and meal, meal prices at hotels, bed and breakfast rate for country's official guests, vegetables and fruits auctioning services, and legal services.  All other prices of services were 
determined freely by the market. 
32. The representative of Jordan confirmed that Jord an would apply, from the date of accession, 
the price and profitability controls described in pa ragraphs 26-31 and Table 1 and any applied in the 
future, in a WTO-consistent fashion, and woul d take account of the interests of exporting WTO 
Members as provided for in Article III:9 of the GA TT 1994.  Jordan would publish any list of goods 
and services subject to State price controls in the Official Journal, including any changes regarding 
existing price controls.  The Working Party took note of these commitments. 
Competition policy
 
33. The representative of Jordan said that a draf t Law on the Prevention of Monopolistic Practices 
and Encouragement of Competition had been submitted to Parliament for review and approval.  An 
English translation of the law, once available, would be provided to the Working Party. 
FRAMEWORK FOR MAKING AND ENFORCING POLICIES  
34. The representative of Jordan said that Jordan  was a constitutional monarchy.  The King and 
the Council of Ministers constituted the executive br anch of government.  The legislative system 
comprised the King and Parliament, which was fo rmed by an Upper House of 40 dignitaries 
appointed by the King, and a Lower House of 80 deputies elected by the people.  The constitution 
(Article 97) guaranteed an independent judicial system , i.e. the civil and criminal courts, including the WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
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magisterial courts, courts of Firs t Instance and courts of Appeal. 
35. The Council of Ministers was responsible for issuing regulations based on the different 
relevant laws.  Regulations of the Council of Ministers should be approved by the King and published 
before coming into effect.  According to the Customs Law, the Council of Ministers decided on 
changes in tariff rates upon proposals of the Tariff Council, formed by the Minister of Finance, the 
Minister of Industry and Trade, and the Director General of the Customs Department.  The Council of 
Ministers was empowered to restrict importation or exportation of certain goods, restrict totally or 
partially the right to import or export goods to certain entities, or exempt goods from import and export licensing requirements upon proposal of the Minister of Industry and Trade. 
36. The Ministry of Industry and Trade supervised the formulation and execution of policies 
related to industry and trade.  The Ministry's f unctions included the implem entation of major trade-
related legislation such as the Import/Export Law an d regulations, the Companies Law, the industrial 
property laws, the Insurance Law and the Trade Marks Law; negotiation of trade and economic 
agreements and protocols; and re presenting the Government in bilate ral, regional and international 
meetings.  The Ministry of Industry and Trade coul d, upon a proposal from or in coordination with the 
authority concerned, subject certain imports or exports to prior approval of this authority. 
37. The Customs Department within the Ministry of Finance administered the flow of goods 
across borders according to the laws and regulations  in force.  The main tasks of the Department, 
which consisted of 16 directorates, 28 cust oms house centres, 8 bonded custom houses, and 6 
passenger customs border centres included the app lication of customs duties on imported goods;  
administration of temporary entry and/or drawba ck facilities for exporters , diplomatic missions, 
regional offices and projects;  implementation of ex emptions accorded to entities such as charitable 
organizations and beneficiaries;  collection of sales tax;  handling of violations of the Customs Law 
such as smuggling, fraud and false information;  orga nization of special patrols to combat smuggling;  
and performing auditing checks on all customs statemen ts.  The Ministry of Health was responsible 
for registration of imported and locally-produced medicaments. 
38. The representative of Jordan said that draft laws  would normally be submitted to the Council 
of Ministers for consideration by the Ministry or agency concerned with the subject-matter.  
Approved by the Council of Ministers, the law would be  sent to the Bureau of Legislation to be put in 
proper legal form prior to submission to Parliament .  Laws were discussed and approved separately by 
both Houses of Parliament.  A Law passed by both  Houses was submitted to the King for his consent 
and signature.  Once this step had been complete d the Law would become effective 30 days after 
publication in the Official Gazette or as stipulated in the Law.  International agreements and treaties  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 13 
 
 
signed by Jordan needed to be ratified by Parliament  only if they entailed expenditure on behalf of the 
Treasury or affected the rights of Jordanian citizens.   All treaties were required to be published in the 
Official Gazette in order to be enforceable. 
39. The representative of Jordan said that unless a la w designated a different court, civil courts 
had jurisdiction in all civil matters, including trad e.  Jordanian courts could also decide on cases 
beyond their jurisdiction if the litigants agreed.  Trade issues heard by civil courts could be referred to 
the magisterial courts (cases within a JD 750 value limit), the Courts of First Instance (which also 
served as courts of appeal for magisterial court d ecisions), the Courts of Appeal, and the Court of 
Cassation.  The Court of Cassation decided on ch allenges regarding judgements of the Courts of 
Appeal in civil cases.  It also decided on points of law or procedure if reference to the Court of Cassation was allowed by the presiding judge of th e Court of Appeal.  In certain cases the Court of 
Cassation could decide to return the case to the Court of Appeal for reconsideration.  Matters of fact 
relating to litigants' rights not objected to before the Court of First Instance could not be raised before 
the Court of Appeal, and those not raised before th e Court of Appeal could not be raised before the 
Court of Cassation. 
40. Natural or legal persons contesting administrativ e decisions could take the matter to the High 
Court of Justice, which was specialized in admi nistrative jurisdiction.  Customs and income tax 
matters were decided by specialized courts.  Customs decisions could be appealed to the Customs Court of First Instance, whose judgements could be  appealed to the Customs Court of Appeal and 
further to the Court of Cassation.  Issues of in tellectual property infringement were addressed by the 
civil Courts.  Apart from the granting of amnesty or partial pardon to convicted individuals and sanctioning the execution of capital punishment, the King had no power to overrule any court 
judgement, civil or criminal.  Religious Courts mainly heard cases involving marriage, divorce, wills and legacies and had no jurisdiction in civil or crim inal cases or issues related to domestic and foreign 
trade. 
41. A member asked Jordan to clarify the right of a ppeal to a separate judicial authority in matters 
covered by WTO Agreements.  In reply, the represen tative of Jordan said that Jordan had adopted the 
system of two-tier litigation.  This rule applied in  the civil or administrative courts, thus every 
decision of a judicial character was subject to appeal in Jordan in one form or another.  In the absence 
of a special court of first instance, all administra tive-related decisions were considered decisions of 
the first court and subject to appeal to the High Court of Justice.  The High Court of Justice had jurisdiction to hear a limited list of appeals menti oned in the High Court Law or in other special laws, 
such as trade marks and patents.  Decisions concer ning customs, income tax, and compensation under 
imminent domain were appealed to the civil system  of courts as provided by special provision in the WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 14  
 
relevant laws.  The Court of Customs and the Cust oms Court of Appeal had jurisdiction to hear all 
customs-related issues and penalties.  Decisions of the Customs Court and the Court of Appeal were 
subject to review of the Court of Cassation.  However, decisions rega rding prior approval for 
importation would be subject to appeal to the High  Court of Justice in accordance with the general 
theory of Administrative Law. 
42. Concerning the division of authority between  central and sub-central government, the 
representative of Jordan said that the central Government was responsib le for all matters related to the 
national economy and foreign trade.  Autonomous public entities and private agencies shared in implementing national economic policies, including trade. 
43. The representative of Jordan stated that if Jo rdanian laws or other acts should be found to 
contradict international treaties or  agreements, the provisions of the international treaty or agreement, 
such as the WTO, would apply.  The representative of Jordan confirmed that sub-central entities had 
no autonomous authority over issues of subsidies,  taxation, trade policy or any other measures 
covered by WTO provisions.  He confirmed that the provisions of the WTO Agreement, including 
Jordan's Protocol, shall be applied uniformly thro ughout its customs territory and other territories 
under Jordan's control, including in regions engagi ng in border trade or frontier traffic, special 
economic zones, and other areas where special regimes for tariffs, taxes and regulations are 
established.  He added that when apprised of a situation where WTO provisions were not being 
applied or were applied in a non-uniform manner,  central authorities would act to enforce WTO 
provisions without requiring affected parties to petition through the courts.  The Working Party took 
note of these commitments. 
POLICIES AFFECTING TRADE IN GOODS  
Trading rights (the right to import and export)
 
44. Some members requested Jordan to clarify the righ t of firms and individuals to trade, i.e. to 
import and export goods, to  understand better how Jordan's conditi ons compared with the requirement 
of GATT Articles III:4 and XI.  Specifically, Jordan w as asked to outline the trading rights of (i) fully 
domestically-owned firms;  (ii) firms with less than  50 percent foreign equity;  (iii) firms with more 
than 50 percent foreign equity;  and (iv) fully fore ign-owned firms.  For each category, Jordan should 
also indicate who would be entitled to register as Jo rdanian firms with the right to import for own use 
(e.g. in manufacturing), import for further distributi on, or export.  In reply, the representative of 
Jordan provided a detailed report on the right to trade (WT/ACC/JOR/25).  Jordan's legislation 
distinguished between import/export for a comme rcial purpose (further distribution and sale, 
including wholesale and retail) and non-commercial purpose (own use).  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 15 
 
 
45. Commercial trade could be effected by compani es or sole proprietorships having specified 
"engaging in trade activities" among their objectives at the time of registration.  In this respect, 
Jordanian legislation distinguished between Jord anian (including foreign-owned) companies and 
foreign companies.  Jordanian companies were co mpanies established and registered in Jordan, and 
having Jordan as the principal place of operation.  According to the Non-Jordanian Investment 
Promotion Regulation for 1997, foreign equity in a Jordanian company engaged in trade and trading 
services (including distribution services and import/export for commercial purposes) could not exceed 
50 per cent.  In addition, foreign investors in a Jordanian trade and trading services company were 
required to deposit minimum JD 50,000 with a Jordan ian bank to effect the registration of such a 
company (except for public share holding companies) .  A foreign company, such as a branch of a 
company incorporated abroad, could be registered for trade and trading services in Jordan, in which 
case the minimum capital requirement of JD 50,000 w ould not apply.  Registration could be either 
temporary, for the purpose of implementing a specific project or tender in Jordan, or permanent.  
However, permanent registration of foreign comp anies carrying out regular business in Jordan was 
subject to approval by the relevant Ministry. 
46. Individuals, Jordanian or foreign, did not have the right to import or export for commercial 
purposes.  However, a Jordanian natural person could register a "sole proprietorship", an option which 
was not available to foreigners wishing to engage  in commercial trade.  Foreign individuals could 
register as a sole proprietorship and import fo r non-commercial purpose after obtaining a special 
import card.  Imports or exports for non-commercial purposes (own use) could be effected by 
Jordanian companies regardless of the level of forei gn equity, foreign companies registered in Jordan, 
or domestic or foreign individuals.  Imports for own use would be lim ited to items relevant to attain 
the stated objectives of the entities concerned. 
47. A firm engaging in importation and exportati on for commercial purposes was required to hold 
a valid import card, as stipulated in the Instructions on Import No. 1 of 1999.  Import cards were 
issued automatically by the Trade Directorate in th e Ministry of Industry and Trade after the importer 
had received a certificate of registration from the Importer's Registration at the Ministry of Industry and Trade.  An application for registration in th e Importer's Registration should be accompanied by a 
valid profession licence and include information such as the name, address, capital and trade name of 
the company or enterprise.  Profession licences were i ssued to natural and legal persons registered in 
Jordan which were members of the Chamber of Commerce or Chamber of Industry, and which had 
had their premises inspected/approved by the local  municipality.  Membership in the Chamber of 
Commerce or Chamber of Industry was automatic provided membership fees were paid. WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 16  
 
48. The registration certificate of a company or mercha nt should be attached to the application for 
individual enterprises, whose capital should not be less than JD 5,000.  Provided the documentation 
was in order, the import card would be issued w ithin 30 minutes at no cost.  The card was valid for 
one year (ending on 28 February), and could be renewed annually s ubject to the usual documentation 
requirements, including a renewed profession licence.   An import card could not be cancelled.  The 
Ministry could not refuse an application for an impor t card.  Identical criteria applied for import cards 
issued to all persons, entities and institutions regardless of nationality and economic sector. 
49. The import card provided the importer with a special number and a special file which 
facilitated the clearance of importe d goods through customs.  Goods could also be imported without a 
valid import card, but would then be subject to a fine equal to 5 per cent of the value of the imported goods.  This fine was applied evenly to imports from all sources. 
50. A member expressed concern that since Jordan 's regulations did not  distinguish between 
importing or exporting and providing services, such as distribution, after importation those regulations could be considered a restriction on imports an d inconsistent with Article XI of GATT 1994.  
Moreover, application of an economic needs test in the context of registering importers would have an 
adverse effect on the terms of competition betw een imported and domestically produced goods.  The 
representative of Jordan recognized the distinction drawn in the WTO between the right to import and 
export under the GATT and the right, under the GATS, to provide services such as distribution, and transportation, with respect to imported goods.  Without prejudice to Jordan's schedule of 
commitments on services, Jordan would modify the relevant laws, regulati ons and requirements to 
permit foreign firms, including sole proprietorshi ps to register as importers without limitation on 
equity or application of an economic needs test, including for branches of foreign firms permanently 
registered in Jordan. 
51. Some members requested Jordan to provide a WT O justification for the import card rule, and 
considered the fine for importing without a card disproportionate.  The representative of Jordan 
replied that import cards were used for identifica tion and statistical purposes, and that the fine was 
designed to ensure that importers complied with th e requirements.  Jordanian and foreign companies 
which had not been registered as "engaging in trad e activities" or "importing" could avoid the 5 per 
cent penalty on imports for own use by requesting a special import card.  Imported personal effects 
were not affected by the import card rule as these were cleared unconditionally by customs. 
52. The representative of Jordan said that Jordan’s requirements on the right to trade would not in 
any way contradict Articles III, XI, and VIII of  the GATT 1994.  The representative of Jordan 
confirmed that no restrictions existed on the right of foreign and domestic i ndividuals and enterprises  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 17 
 
 
to import and export goods and services into Jordan's customs territory, except as provided for in 
WTO Agreements.  He confirmed that individuals a nd firms were not restricted in their ability to 
import or export based on their registered scope of business and the criteria for registration of 
companies in Jordan were generally applicable and published in the official gazette of Jordan. 
53. The representative of Jordan confirmed that from the date of accession Jordan would ensure 
that its laws, regulations and re quirements relating to the right to  import and export and all fees, 
charges or taxes levied on such rights would be in full conformity with its WTO obligations, including 
Articles VIII:1(a), XI:1 and III:2 and 4 of the GATT 1994 and that it would also implement such laws 
and regulations in full conformity with these oblig ations.  The Working Party took note of this 
commitment. 
1. Import Regulation  
Customs tariff  
54. The representative of Jordan said that the custom s law had been revised and amended to make 
it compatible with WTO requirements, ensuring transparency and simplified customs procedures.  A new Customs Law, replacing the Customs Law of 1983,  had been published on 1 October 1998, and 
had entered into force on 1 January 1999.  Jo rdan had begun using the Harmonized System 
nomenclature on 1 January 1994, and the HS 96 nomenclature had entered into force on 
1 March 1997.  The Customs Law No. 20 of 1998 had been reviewed to assess its WTO conformity.  
Although the Customs Law No. 20 of 1998 largely conformed to WTO requirements, certain 
amendments were needed in order to bring it into full conformity.  Key subject areas to be addressed 
were (i) non-preferential rules of origin (Articl es 24-26), which would be substantially revised to 
incorporate the Harmonized Rules of Origin once finalized by the WTO in co-operation with the 
World Customs Organization;  (ii) customs valua tion (Articles 28-32), where the language of some 
articles would be changed in the areas covering the definition of tr ansaction value, deductive value, 
and prohibited methods.  Jordan was also publishing, in the form of an Instruction, the interpretive 
note on customs valuation in 1999;  (iii) customs user fees, to include a provision ensuring that 
customs user fees reflected the cost of services rendered in accordance with Article VIII of GATT 
1994;  (iv) border enforcement of intellectual property rights, providing a basic legal framework 
which would be further elaborated through Regulat ions,  and (v) countervailing duty and safeguard 
measures, where existing language in Article 15 would be amended because Jordan had enacted a 
Law on safeguards and was preparing Regulations on countervailing measures.  Jordan was in the 
process of preparing these amendments, and planned to enact them in 2000. WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 18  
 
55. The representative of Jordan said that tariff ra tes had been streamlined and reduced.  The 
tariff bands had been reduced to six (0, 5, 10, 20 , 30 and 40 per cent).  The average trade-weighted 
tariff had fallen from 34.1 per cent in 1994 to 16.7 per cent in 1996, and the share of customs duties in 
government revenue had declined from 25 per cen t in 1992 to 10 per cent in 1995.  As of 
1 January 1997, the maximum tariff amounted to 40 pe r cent (except for alcohol and tobacco).  Jordan 
had reduced the 40 per cent tariff band to 35 per cent in September 1999.  Before the end of 2000, the 
maximum tariff was expected to be reduced to 30 per cent, except for manufactured tobacco and 
tobacco substitutes (70 to 100 per cent), and alc oholic beverages (50 per cent and 180 per cent).  
Jordan maintained combined ( ad valorem  and specific) duty rates on bananas, grapes, apples, calves, 
and sheep and goats.  Jordan had no inte ntion to abolish these compound rates. 
Other duties and charges
 
56. The representative of Jordan said that Law No . 7 on Unifying Other Taxes and Fees had been 
passed in March 1997, consolidating all other import  duties and charges into the ordinary rate of 
customs duty.  The fees and taxes that had be en incorporated into customs duties included a 
consolidated surcharge (6 per cent);  the munici palities and universities fees (2 per cent and 4 per 
cent, respectively);  the 1969 surcharge tax (5 per cent on items exempt from customs duty, 3 per cent 
on dutiable items); and a 5 per cent import fee. 
57. The Council of Ministers had decided to eliminat e a fee of 86.5 fils (JD 0.0865) per packet 
(20) of imported cigarettes, which had been levied  in accordance with the decision of the Economic 
Security Commission No. 16 of 20 September 1984.  The revenue had been earmarked for support of 
some agricultural products.  Jordan planned to impose an internal tax on imported and domestically-
produced cigarettes.  Such a tax would be imposed  in full conformity with Article III of the 
GATT 1994.  Imported radios were subject to fees le vied in accordance with by-Law No. 20 for 1966 
of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunication.  The fees amounted to JD 0.2 for one-wave transistor 
radios, JD 0.3 for two-wave radios and JD 0.4 for radios with three wave bands.  In addition, JD 0.5 
was levied on each transistor radio with an electric transformer, and JD 2 on each radio operated by electricity.  Asked to explain the purpose of th e fees levied on imported transistor radios, the 
representative of Jordan said that the purpose had not been specified in the legislation introducing 
these fees, i.e. the Regulation of Wireless Receiver s and Transmitters No. 30 of 1966 and the 1934 
Wireless Telegraph Law (Article 4).  Article 90 of the Telecommunications Law No. 13 of 1995 had 
repealed the aforementioned regulation and Law, thereby eliminating the import fee on transistor 
radios.  Asked by a member about the WTO justification for an import charge on imported sheep and goats (JD 2 per head) and calves (JD 10 per head), th e representative of Jordan said that the Law on 
Unifying Taxes and Duties No. 7 of 1997 would be  amended prior to accession.  Jordan would  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 19 
 
 
reintroduce compound tariff rates for sheep and cal ves, as was the case before February 1997. 
58. The representative of Jordan confirmed that fro m the date of accession Jordan would levy no 
duties and charges on imports other than ordinary customs duties and fees and charges for services 
rendered.  Any such charges applied to imports  after accession would be in accordance with WTO 
provisions.  The Working Party took note of this commitment. 
59. The representative of Jordan further confirmed th at Jordan would not list any other charges in 
its Goods Market Access Schedule under Article II: 1(b) of the GATT 1994, binding such charges at 
"zero". 
Tariff rate quotas, tariff exemptions  
60. The representative of Jordan said that tariff rate  quotas were not applied in Jordan, but tariff 
exemptions had been granted for basic production inputs, basic food products, necessary health and 
medical goods, and capital goods a nd equipment for agriculture and industry.  Tariff-exempt imports 
had accounted for almost 60 per cent of the total value of imports in 1996, 50 per cent in 1997, and 38 per cent in 1998.  These figures included duty-free imports by diplomatic, charitable, educational 
and medical institutions, certain imports governed by  bilateral trade agreements (protocol trade), 
imports by certain government institutions, and imports under th e Investment Promotion Law. 
61. The new Customs Law No. 20 of 1998 had cancelled all import duty exemptions for 
government-owned firms and government instituti ons (except grants and donations).  Duty 
exemptions remained for 10 companies in accordan ce with agreements with the Government or 
concessions, granted at the time of their establishmen t (Table 2).  The import duty exemptions were 
set to expire automatically on the date stipul ated in the concessions and agreements.  The 
beneficiaries were share holding companies with signi ficant private participati on - the Jordan Phosphate 
Mines Co. Ltd., the Jordan Petroleum Refinery Comp any, the Jordan Cement Factories Company, the 
Arab Bridge Maritime Company, the Arab Potash Co mpany, the Jordanian Elec tric Company, the Irbid 
Governorate Electric Company, the Jordanian Tanning Company, the Vegetable Oil Industries Co. Ltd., 
and the Arab Company for Manufacturing White Cement.  The products subject to import duty exemptions were used by the exempted compan ies for production and operations purposes.  The 
following goods imported by these companies were not exempt from import duties:  cars and spare 
parts, tyres, petroleum products, vans and buses and their spare parts, stationery, computer devices, 
air-conditioners, hand tools, consumption materials,  goods and materials used for housing employees, 
and products similar to Jordanian pr oducts.  These companies were not exempt from income tax, and 
the tariff exemptions were not contingent upon export performance. WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 20  
 
Table 2:  Company-specific tariff exemptions in Jordan
 
Company Name Terms of concessions and agreements; conditions; and expiration 
Jordan Phosphate 
Mines Co. Ltd. The company has exclusive mining rights of Phosphate for four different mines 
in Jordan, which are granted based on Law No. 12 of Natural Resources 1968.  Mining rights are usually granted for thirty years and are subject to renegotiations and renewal once they expire.  The company also has the 
exclusive right (indefinite term) to im port, store and sell explosive materials 
used in the local market for mining and quarrying purposes. 
Jordan Petroleum 
Refinery 
Company The concession Law No. 19 of 1958 was issued to approve the concession 
agreement signed between the Jordanian Government and the Petroleum 
Refinery Company.  The term of concession grants the company the exclusive 
right to refine oil and sell in Jordan.  The company alone shall have the right to 
import oil and Hydrocarbon necessary to the local market.  The concession expires in 2008. 
Jordan Cement Factories Company The Jordan Cement Factories has a c oncession for fifty years and it is valid 
from 1951 to 2001.  The company has the ex clusive right to search, extract and 
produce cement and its by-products in any area or land of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for the purpose of suppl ying the local market with all its 
cement demand.  The concession expires in year 2001. 
Arab Potash 
Company The Arab Potash Company has a conces sion Agreement which was granted in 
1958 and for 100 years according to law No. 16 of 1958, issued to approve the 
concession agreement.  The company has the exclusive right to mine and 
extract Dead Sea minerals from the Dead  Sea.  The concession expires in year 
2058. 
Jordan Tanning Company The Jordanian Tanning Co. has a concessi on agreement that was granted in 
1962, for forty years, according to the Law No. 9 which approved the concession agreement.  The company h as the exclusive right to import and 
export rawhides and skins and also it has exclusive right to export tanned leather.  The concession expires in year 2002. 
Jordan Electric Company The Jordanian Electric Co. has a con cession agreement that was granted in 
1961 for fifty years according to Law approving the concession agreement.  The company has exclusive right to distribute electric power to Amman, Zarqa, 
Madaba, Salt areas and suburbs with elec tricity power.  The concession expires 
in year 2012. 
The company is not engaged in interna tional trade activities and does not have 
exclusive right to generate power.  Its main objective is to distribute electric power in the above mentioned areas (natural monopoly with regard to power 
distribution at the local level). 
Irbid Governorate 
Electric  The Irbid Electric Co. has a concession ag reement that was granted in 1961, for 
fifty years, according to Law No. 1 of 1961 approving the concession 
agreement.  The company h as the exclusive right to distribute electric power to 
Ajlun, Irbid, Mafraq and Jerash areas.  The concession expires in year 2011. 
The company is not engaged in interna tional trade activities and does not have 
exclusive right to generate power.  Its main objective is to distribute electric power in the above mentioned areas (natural monopoly with regard to power 
distribution at the local level). 
Vegetable Oil The Vegetable Oil Factories Co. has exclusive right to produce vegetable Ghee  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 21 
 
 
Company Name Terms of concessions and agreements; conditions; and expiration 
Industries Co. 
Ltd. (Margarine) to the local market.  C oncession agreement was granted in 1956 
for thirty years according to agreem ent and has been extended for another 
fifteen years.  The concession expires in year 2001. 
However this is not implemented in practice. 
Arab Company 
for Manufacturing White Cement There is no concession agreement between the Jordanian Government and the 
Arab Company for Manufacturing White Cement. 
The company has an exemption from paying customs duties of indefinite 
validity, as per cabinet decision dated 10 November 1984. 
Arab Bridge Maritime Company The company has a concession agreement that was granted in 1985 for fifty 
years according to Maritime cooperation agreement between three Arab countries (Jordan, Egypt, and Iraq).  The company has the exclusive right to transport cargo, mail and passengers from Aqaba to Noueibe and return. 
The company is registered in Panama and, therefore, is not subject to Jordanian 
laws on income tax. 
 
62. The representative of Jordan added that the customs exemptions provided for the Jordan 
Phosphate Mines Co. Ltd. would be eliminated upon accession to the WTO, as stipulated in Council 
of Ministers Decision No. 12-9-76 of September 1999.  He noted that the concessions granted to the 
Arab Bridge Maritime Company would expire in 2035. 
63. The representative of Jordan confirmed that the exemptions on customs duties for certain 
imports by the 10 companies listed in Table 2 will e xpire as indicated in that table, and will not be 
renewed.  As noted in Table 2, the customs ex emption for Arab Company for Manufacturing White 
Cement had been granted for an indefinite period of  time, in accordance with the Council of Ministers' 
Decision dated 10 November 1994.  The Working Party took note of this commitment. 
64. Charitable organizations were registered in a speci al registry at the Ministry of Industry, and 
received an import licence from the Ministry to import goods duty free upon recommendation from the Ministry of Social Development, certifying that the goods to be imported were for charitable 
purposes.  Duty-free imports were allowed for medi cal equipment and medications (approval of the 
Minister of Health and Minister of Finance/Custom s);  fixed equipment and apparatus and educational 
apparatus received as donations or grants for use in schools and institutions run by charitable 
organizations (recommendation from the Minister of  Social Development and approval by the 
Minister of Finance/Customs);  clothes, food, fu rnishings (carpets and curtains) received as donations 
or grants to orphanages, old peoples' homes and hos pitals (upon direction from the Minister of Social 
Development and approval of the Mi nister of Finance/Customs);  dona tions and grants of construction 
materials for building mosques, churches or schools belonging to religious or charitable organizations 
accredited by the Ministry of Social Developmen t;  and hearse cars (95 per cent tariff reduction).  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 22  
 
Educational and medical materials and all other ap paratus, equipment, machines and spare parts, 
including transport vehicles, were also fully exempt from customs duti es when used by schools, 
institutions and programmes for handicapped persons. 
65. The tariff exemptions granted for imported capital goods and related spare parts in investment 
projects are described in the section "Investment regime".  Agricultural products exempted from 
customs duties were wheat and flour, and certain fruit and vegetables importe d under bilateral trade 
agreements with Arab countries, Israel and Pa lestinian Authority accord ing to an agricultural 
calendar. 
66. Some members noted that the seasonal exempti ons for customs duties and import fees for 
certain agricultural products were not applied on a most favoured nation basis.  In reply, the 
representative of Jordan said that Jordan intended to conform to the MFN requirements of WTO.  
Jordan would maintain seasonal exemptions from customs duties accorded as trade preferences to 
some Arab countries in the contex t of the Arab Free-trade Area. 
Fees and charges for services rendered
 
67. A member noted that Jordan imposed overtime fees and non-tariff ad valorem  charges for re-
exported goods, and that the fee assessed for au thentication of invoices and certificates of origin 
increased for goods worth more than JD 10,000.  Jo rdan was requested to bring its fees and charges 
for services rendered into conformity with Article VIII of the GATT 1994. 
68. In reply, the representative of Jordan said th at certain fees and charges were imposed for 
services rendered to the importer.  A detailed repor t was provided to the Working Party in document 
WT/ACC/JOR/27.  Veterinary charges were levied in accordance with by-law No. 17 for 1987, issued 
in accordance with the Agriculture  Law No. 20 for 1973, and their am endments.  He added that audio-
visual material was screened to protect public mo rals according to Law No. 52 of 1951, and the fees 
for movies (JD 50);  video films and visual discs (JD 3);  and audio discs, computer and electronic 
games, and audio cassettes (JD 1), were below the cost of the services rendered. 
69. An overtime fee equal to 0.2 per cent of the c. i.f. value of imported goods worth more than 
JD 50 (0.1 per cent for goods in transit) was ch arged for services rendered by staff of the Customs 
Department during official working hours and for performing difficult and risky tasks.  He confirmed 
that these fees would be brought into conformity with Article VIII of the GATT 1994 upon enactment 
of amendments to the Customs Law No. 20 (e xpected during Parliament Ordinary Session 
November 1999- February 2000).  The overtime fee would be replaced by an import processing fee of 0.2 per cent of the transaction value, minimum JD 10 and maximum JD 250 per transaction.  All trade  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 23 
 
 
would be subject to this fee, and revenues fro m the fee would be used to support the overall 
operations and infrastructure of the Customs De partment in connection with customs processing 
(Article 161D of the Customs Law).  The transit f ee would be levied at a fixed rate of JD 20 per 
transaction. 
70. A member noted that Jordan required cons ular certification of commercial bills, and 
considered the certification by consulates and Chambers of Commerce of documents unnecessary.  
Moreover, the requirement created an additional charge on imports, and an additional burden to 
import trade not applied to domestic goods, incompa tible with the provisions of the Agreement on 
Rules of Origin and Article VIII of the GATT.  Jo rdan was accordingly requ ested to eliminate this 
practice. 
71. In reply, the representative of Jordan said that  consular fees were levied in accordance with 
by-law No. 1 for 1989 based on Article 2 of the La w on consular fees No. 36 for 1947.  The fees were 
levied for certification of commercial bills not pa id at the time of certification by the consular 
authority in the exporting country, and ranged from JD 2 for bills less than JD 100 to JD 50 for bills 
worth JD 50,000-100,000 with an  additional JD 2 charged for each JD 10,000 in excess of JD 
100,000.  Certificates of origin issued by a consular authority were subject to a fee of JD 2 per 
certificate.  Appropriate legal measures to bring the consular fees for certification of commercial bills into conformity with Article VIII of the GATT 19 94 would be taken, and a flat fee of JD 21 per 
transaction would apply from the date of Jordan's  accession to the WTO.  Jordan would introduce 
amendments to the Customs Law No. 20 of 1998 and Regulations No. 1 of 198 9 on Consular Services 
and Fees during the second half of 2002 to elimin ate the consular authentication requirements. 
72. The representative of Jordan confirmed that fro m the date of accession, Jordan would impose 
any fees or charges for "services rendered" to im portation or exportation onl y in conformity with 
Article VIII of the GATT 1994.  He further confirme d that the fee described in paragraph 71 for the 
authentication or certification of import documents by Chambers of Commerce or consular officials in 
the exporting country would be fixed at JD 21 per transaction from the date of accession.  The 
practice of requiring such certifications would be eliminated by 31 December 2002.  Information 
regarding the application and level of such fees, revenues collected and their use, would be provided 
to WTO Members upon request.  The Workin g Party took note of these commitments. 
Application of internal taxes
 
73. Some members noted that Jordan applied sales tax rates which differentiated between 
imported and domestically-produced goods in violat ion of Article III of the GATT 1994, and asked 
which steps Jordan was taking to eliminate this di fferential treatment.  A member observed that, under WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 24  
 
a number of provisions of the General Sales Tax La w of 1994, as amended, national treatment was not 
accorded in the taxation of imported goods, and asked that the Law be brought into full conformity 
with the requirements of Article III:2 of GATT 1994 prior to accession.  This member stated that the 
General Sales Tax law provisions not in conf ormity with Article III:2 of GATT 1994 were 
(i) Article 6, which provided for two schedules of go ods subject to the supplementary sales tax, whose 
purpose was to compensate for reductions in import du ties;  (ii) Article 7, which provided that the 
Council of Ministers could wholly or partially exempt any locally produced goods from the tax;  
(iii) Schedule 1, which consisted of goods not s ubject to sales tax including locally produced 
furniture, locally produced dried legumes, locally produced solar water heaters and a number of other 
locally produced items, but not imported like products ;  (iv) Schedule 2, which consisted of goods 
subject to 20 per cent sales tax, but retained separ ate columns for the rate applicable to local and 
imported goods, as long as the rates were not the sa me;  (v) Schedule 3, which consisted of goods 
subject to specific sales tax, but retained separat e columns for the rate ap plicable to local and 
imported goods, as long as the rates were not the same ;  and (vi) Schedule 5- A, which consisted of 
imported goods subject to supplementary sales ta x, including natural and mineral water and 
carbonated and alcoholic beverages. 
74. In reply, the representative of Jordan said that a General Sales Tax was applied in Jordan, and 
imported goods were taxed at the border based on th e duty-inclusive customs value.  Jordan intended 
to remove the differential rates of General Sales Ta x prior to accession.  The Ministry of Finance was 
preparing amendments to the General Sales Tax La w to bring the application of General Sales Tax 
into full conformity with Article III of the GATT 1994.  Parliament was expected to adopt these 
amendments during its Ordinary Session November  1999-February 2000.  The amendments would 
ensure national treatment with regard to the appli cation of general sales tax. Products subject to the 
(amended) specific rates of sales tax are listed in Table 3. 
Table 3:  Products subject to specific sales tax
 
No. Product Unit Tax rate (JD) 
(domestic or 
imported) 
1 All kinds of cement Ton 10.000 
2 Iron for construction Ton 50.000 
3 Mineral lubricating oils Kg 0.200 
4 Natural and mineral water 
Gas water including soda water in  
- reusable container 
-   disposable container  
Litre 0.020 
 
0.166 
0.175  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 25 
 
 
No. Product Unit Tax rate (JD) 
(domestic or 
imported) 
5 Fizzy drinks 
(a) for immediate consumption      -  reusable container      -  disposable container 
(b) Concentrates in 
 -drums that yield 96 bottles/25 cl.   Capacity each  -drums that yield 480 bottles/ 25cl. capacity each   
 
Litre Litre 
 
Drum 
 
Drum  
 
0.166 0.175 
 
3.984 
 
19.920 
6 Beer including non-alcoholic beer 
 Litre 0.600 
7 Unsaturated Ethel Alcohol 
 Litre 0.330 
8 
 Alcoholic drinks including wine. Litre 1.000 
9 Tobacco 
(a) Ordinary 
(b) Mixed with fruit syrup  
Kg 
Kg  
2.000 
2.000 
10 Snuff Kg 2.000 
11 Chopped tobacco Kg 0.500 
12 Cigar Kg 15.000 
13 Cigarettes 
a) For local consumption 
b) for the same brand names sold to armed forces. box /20 
 
  
0.170 
0.130 
 
75. The representative of Jordan stated  that Jordan, as of the date of accession, will be applying 
sales tax for both imported and locally-made goods in conformity with Article III of the GATT 1994.  
Some imported products we re subjected to 10 per cent general sales tax while locally produced goods 
were exempt.  The products involved were agricultu ral plastic houses;  furniture;  wool blankets, 
covers, and mattresses, quilts, and towels;  yeast and bread improvements;  active and inactive lime 
and calcareous masonry;  smoke stack stoves and th eir parts;  dried leguminous vegetables subjected 
to any manufacturing process such as peas, chick peas, beans, kidney beans, lentils of field beans;  
egg carton holders;  solar heaters;  knitted textiles;  milled products including spices, thyme, and other 
herbs;  and energy-saving insulation materials fo r building purposes.  After the enactment of the 
amendments to the General Sales Tax Law, the above-mentioned locally produced goods would no 
longer be exempted from general sales tax.  A 13 per cent general sales tax would be applied on all 
imported and locally produced goods mentioned a bove except gas and kerosene heaters which were 
exempt from sales tax regardless of whether th ese were imported or locally-produced.  The 
representative of Jordan added that the General Sa les Tax Law had been amended in July 1999 to 
raise the tax rate from 10 per cent to 13 per cent. WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 26  
 
76. The representative of Jordan stated that, from the date of accession, Jordan will apply its 
domestic taxes, including those on products listed in Table 3, in compliance with Articles I and III of 
the GATT 1994.  The Working Party took note of this commitment. 
Quantitative import restrictions, includin g prohibitions, quotas and licensing systems
 
77. The representative of Jordan said that, although imports had been liberalized in recent years 
and numerous non-tariff barriers had been elimin ated, importation of some products was still 
prohibited or subject to prior approval or import licensing.  The goods banned from importation into 
Jordan are listed in Table 4.  Banned goods woul d be refused entry or clearance by customs, and 
would need to be re-exported to the country of origin or to the Free Zone. 
Table 4:  Banned imports  
HS Code Products 
39.15 Plastic Waste 
87.03 Passenger cars using other than benzene as fuel 
78. Some members pointed out that Jordan's bans on imports of plastic waste, mineral water, 
table salt, used cars, and cars using fuel other than  petrol were intended to  limit imports and were 
inconsistent with Article XI of the GATT and the Agreement on Agriculture.  Jordan was requested to 
confirm that all these restrictions would be elim inated or amended no later than upon accession to 
bring them into line with WTO provisions.  In repl y, the representative of Jordan said that mineral 
water and salt had been banned from importation for socio-economic reasons.  Price controls on table 
salt had been lifted in June 1997 as a first step towa rds liberalization.  Jordan had eliminated the 
import ban on mineral water in Apr il 1999, and the ban on table salt and cars older than five years in 
September 1999, and intended to lift the other bans.  Importation of diesel-engine saloon cars and 
taxis was not allowed because of the environmental pollution they were causing.  Diesel-engine trucks 
were accepted because they mostly  operated outside the congested areas.  His Government was 
encouraging Jordanians to replace older cars with newer (and safer) models.  Owners of old cars used 
in public transport were eligible for duty-free importation of new cars provided the old car was 
surrendered to the State or retired from service. 
79. He added that Jordanian standards on cars had b een suspended and were likely to be totally 
withdrawn.  The ban on importation of diesel pow ered saloon cars would remain until Jordan's 
refinery had been modernized to produce diesel fuel  with lower sulphur content.  The prohibition on 
import of plastic waste would not be lifted as processing of plastic waste was considered a major environmental problem in Jordan.  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 27 
 
 
80. The representative of Jordan said that prior a pprovals were issued under specific conditions 
by certain government institutions.  Prior appr ovals were required to import from all countries 
(including those with which Jordan had preferential agreements) for all produc ts listed in Table 5.  
Prior approvals were granted automatically to priv ate sector importers of rice and sugar and there 
were no import quotas or restrictions on the importe d quantity.  Private sector imports of cigarettes 
required prior approval and an import licence from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, but there was 
no import quota.  Prior approvals to import electri c and electronic video games were granted only to 
shops licensed to use or deal with such games.   
Table 5:  Prior approvals (measure in force prior to accession)  
 
 HS Code Product Party Granting 
Approval Justification 
1.  10.06 Rice Ministry of Industry 
and Trade (MIT) Statistical purpose 
2.  11.01 Wheat flour MIT Statistical purpose  
3.  17.01 Sugar MIT Statistical purpose  
4.  10.01 Wheat MIT Statistical purpose  
5.  10.03 Barley MIT Statistical purpose  
6.  10.05 Corn MIT Statistical purpose  
7.  Chapter 1 Live animals Ministry of 
Agriculture Health 
8.  0511.10 Frozen animal semen Ministry of 
Agriculture Health 
9.  Chapter 2 Fresh chilled and frozen 
meat Ministry of 
Agriculture Health 
10.  1509 Olive oil Ministry of 
Agriculture Social 
11.  Chapter 93 All kinds of arms and 
ammunition Ministry of Interior, 
Public Security Dept. (PSD) National security  
12.  36.01 
36.02 36.03 
36.04 All kinds of explosives PSD National Security  
13.  82.11 Pen knives and similar 
articles PSD National Security 
Public order  
14.  95.01 Children automobile 
toys operated with fuel PSD Safety 
15.  9503.20 Remote control and toy 
aeroplanes PSD Safety  
16.  95.04 Electrical and electronic 
video games machines PSD Public moral  
17.  85.43 Self-defence electrical 
equipment PSD National Security 
Public order 
18.  28.44 Radio-active materials 
and uranium Ministry of Energy & 
Mineral Resources National Security 
Health Safety Environment WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 28  
 
 HS Code Product Party Granting 
Approval Justification 
19.  85.25 Wireless transmitters 
and receivers Telecommunications 
Regulatory Commission (TRC) National  Security  
Safety  Health 
20.  85.31 Wireless alarm 
equipment TRC National Security  
Health 
21.  8543.209 
8526.92 All kinds of remote 
control equipment (except those for television and video)  TRC National Security  
Safety  Health  
22.  8526.91 Radar apparatus TRC National Security  
Safety  Health 
23.  85.25 Transmission and 
reception stations TRC National Security  
Safety  Health Environment 
24.  85.25.201 Cellular telephone 
systems TRC National Security  
Safety  Health 
Environment 
25.  85.17.11 Cordless telephones TRC National Security  
Health 
26.  8518.10 Cordless microphones TRC National Security  
Health 
27.  85.17 Electrical equipment for 
line telephony and telegraphy TRC Safety  
Environment  
28.  8543.899
  Decoders TRC National Security  
Health  
29.  85.29 
8529.101 8543.891 Satellites TRC National Security  
Safety  Health 
30.  90.09 Coloured photocopying 
machines Central Bank of 
Jordan National Security 
31.  29.41 
30.02 30.03 30.04 Medicaments, 
antibiotics, human blood, vaccines Ministry of Health 
(MOH) Health  
32.  2106.90 Food preparations used 
by athletes MOH Health 
33.  2827.51 Bromides of potassium MOH Health 
34.  13.02 Food colourings MOH Health 
35.  68.11 Sheets and pipes of 
asbestos MOH Health 
36.  04.02 
2106.90 Milk and foods for 
children MOH Health 
37.  21.05 Ice cream and other 
edible ice MOH Health 
38.  84.70 Postage franking 
machines Ministry of Post and 
Communications National Security  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 29 
 
 
 HS Code Product Party Granting 
Approval Justification 
39.  2903.4 
2903.46 Halogenated derivatives 
of hydrocarbons Public Corporation for 
Protection of the Environment Safety 
Environment 
40.  2903 Frion gas Public Corporation for 
Protection of the Environment Safety 
Environment 
41.  8430.4 Boring machinery for 
water Ministry of Water & 
Irrigation Conservation of Natural 
Resources 
42.  Chapters 
61+62 Military clothing General Command of 
the Armed Forces National Security 
 
81. Import licenses were required for goods (i) origin ating in countries and territories which had 
trade agreements and protocols with Jordan, i.e. Ba hrain, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, 
Morocco, Oman, Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia , Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates 
and Yemen;  (ii) imported by banks, companies under establishment, farms, handicraft businesses, 
hospitals, hotels, newspape rs, religious, scientific and charitable organizations;  (iii) imports by 
individuals for personal, non-commerc ial use;  (iv) goods, neither pr ohibited nor restricted and whose 
total value exceeded JD 2,000, brought into the c ountry by passengers;  (v) imports of companies, 
organizations and individuals registered with o fficial bodies to establish development projects in 
Jordan;  (vi) imports by foreign contractors and companies including their branches registered in 
Jordan as foreign entities;  and (vii) imports by fo reign entities permitted to operate a resident branch 
in Jordan to conduct business outside Jordan a nd non-Jordanian individuals working in media 
establishments.  Product-specific import licences were required for the items listed in Table 6.  The 
import licences were maintained for statistical purposes and to administer the tariff exemptions 
provided under the respective agreements. 
Table 6:  Import licences  
 
HS Code Item 
ex 19.05 Biscuits 
ex 87.03 Used vehicles 
ex 2201.10 Mineral water 
ex 84.18 Refrigerators 
ex 84.18 Freezers 
84.14.30 Compressors 
ex 04.02 Milk for industrial use 
ex 40.12 Used automobile tires 
ex 85 Used electronic equipment 
82. The representative of Jordan said that import lic ences were issued free of charge, and most 
Ministries did not charge fees for the issuance of prior approvals.  Legisl ation on prior approvals, 
which varied from one institution to another, did not  stipulate any time-limit for the issuance of prior WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 30  
 
approvals.  The process could therefore take from one day to one year, provided all required 
documentation had been submitted.  In certain case s (arms, ammunition, explosives and pen knives), 
only licensed importers could apply for prior approvals.   In general, the main determinant in granting 
prior approval was the nature of the product and its  impact on health, safety, the environment, national 
security, public order and morals, and the conserva tion of natural resources.  Imports of chemical 
products were subject to general sa fety conditions, i.e. availability of  appropriate storage facilities and 
proper procedures for the transportation, handling and labelling of products.  Telecommunications 
equipment and toys were checked or subject to laborat ory tests to ensure that they would not threaten 
national security, health, safety, or the environment.   Asked whether Jordan provided an opportunity 
for other countries to comment in writing on new pro cedures, or products to be added to the list of 
goods subject to prior approval, he replied that th ere were no restrictions on other countries providing 
written comments. 
83. Some members noted that Jordan applied quant itative restrictions and import licensing which 
could not be justified as exceptions to the requireme nts of GATT Article XI.  Some of the measures 
also appeared to violate GATT provisions on MFN and national treatment.  Jordan was requested to 
eliminate or amend these measures prior to accession.  The representative of Jordan  stated that Jordan 
intended to conform to Article XI of the GATT 1994 no later than upon accession, and that Jordan 
would eliminate or amend all restrictions which were  inconsistent with Article XI before the end of 
1999.  His Government was reviewing the list of products subject to prior approval, and would 
eliminate those items that could not be justified under WTO rules by the date of accession.  
Legislation to bring the current regime into full conformity with WTO requirements would be enacted prior to accession.  
84. The representative of Jordan provided a re port on import/export licensing in document 
WT/ACC/JOR/28, including a detailed proposal for th e application of a new licensing regime.  He 
proposed to eliminate the current system of li censing and prior approvals and replace it with an 
automatic and non-automatic import licensing regi me in accordance with the WTO Agreement on 
Import Licensing Procedures.  Non-automatic licen ses would be applied in accordance with the 
provisions of Article 3 of the Agreement on Impor t Licensing Procedures, and would be required to 
regulate (i) quantitative restrictions (e.g. quotas) in accordance with the Agreement on Safeguards and 
Article XIX of the GATT 1994, or in accordance with Article XII and Article XVIII of the GATT 
1994, and the Understanding on Balance-of-Payment s Provisions of the GATT 1994;  (ii) importation 
of goods likely to cause threat to safety, envir onment, health, national security, public order and 
moral;  and (iii) goods having an impact on the conser vation of natural resourc es (for example, water).  
Imported used electronic goods would be provided na tional treatment in accordance with Article III of 
the GATT 1994 following customs clearance.  Only  three types of "used" goods (used electrical  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 31 
 
 
equipment, used tires and used photocopiers) woul d be subject to non-automatic import licensing.  
Used goods were usually not accompanied by catalogues or warranties.  The main purpose of non-
automatic licensing on these two types of goods w as to obtain information from the importer on the 
condition of such goods given the health, safety an d environmental concerns associated with these 
products. 
85. Automatic licensing would be applied for admini strative and statistical purposes, such as the 
monitoring of trade flows and collection of statistic s, in accordance with the provisions of Articles 1 
and 2 of the Agreement on Import Licensing Procedur es.  Automatic licences w ould be issued within 
a maximum of ten working days after submission of all relevant documen tation, as required under 
Article 2.2.(a)(iii) of the Agreement.  Automatic import licenses would be required for goods subject 
to the provisions of trade protocols (currently applied to Syria for a specific list of items);  dairy 
products (HS Chapter 4) and fresh fruits and vege tables (Chapters 7 and 8) imported from counties 
with which Jordan has trade agreements;  and for the goods listed in Table 7.  Non-automatic licenses 
would be issued for the protection of health, safet y, environment, national security, public order and 
moral, and the conservation of natural resources fo r products listed in Table 8.  He confirmed that 
importation of such goods were not subject to quantitative restrictions at present. 
 
Table 7:  Goods Subject to Automatic Import Licensing  
 
HS Code Item Line Authority 
Ex 19.05.30 Biscuits Ministry of Industry and Trade (MIT) 
ex 22.01.10 Mineral water MIT 
25.01 Table salt MIT 
10.06 Rice MIT 
11.01 Wheat flour and other wheat 
products MIT 
17.01 Sugar MIT 
10.01 Wheat MIT 
10.03 Barley MIT 
10.05 Corn MIT 
24.02.20 Cigarettes MIT 
Ex 97.05.00 Stuffed wild animals Ministry of Agriculture 
20.02.90 Tomato paste Ministry of Agriculture 
15.09 Olive oil Ministry of Agriculture 
29.03.4 
 Halogenated derivatives of 
hydrocarbons Public Corporation for Protection of the 
Environment 
Ex84 and ex85 New electric equipment MIT 
85.25.10 
85.25.20 Wireless transmitters and receivers;  
transmission and reception stations Telecommunications Regulatory 
Commission (TRC) 
85.25.201 Cellular telephone systems TRC 
85.43.209 85.26.92 All kinds of remote control 
equipment (except those for television and video)  TRC WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 32  
 
 
Table 8:  Goods Subject to Non-Automatic Import Licensing
 
 
HS Code Item Justification Line Authority 
Ex 40.12 Used automobile tires Safety MIT 
Ex 84 and ex 85 Used electric equipment Health, safety 
and environment  MIT 
ex90.09 Used photocopiers (more 
than three years old) Health and safety MIT 
04.02 Milk for industrial use Health MIT 
Chapter 1 Live animals Health Ministry of Agriculture 
0511.10 Frozen animal semen Health Ministry of Agriculture 
Chapter 2 Fresh chilled and frozen 
meat Health Ministry of Agriculture 
Chapter 31 Fertilizers  Environment Ministry of Agriculture 
38.8 Insecticides, fungicides, 
herbicides, disinfectors Health and 
environment Ministry of Agriculture 
12.09 Seed and fruits, used for 
sowing  Plant health Ministry of Agriculture 
30.03 
30.04 Veterinary medicines Animal health Ministry of Agriculture 
Chapter 93 All kinds of arms and 
ammunition National security  Ministry of Interior, Public 
Security Department (PSD) 
36.01 
36.02 
36.03 36.04 All kinds of explosives National security  PSD 
82.11 Pen knives and similar 
articles National security 
Public order  PSD 
95.01 Children automobile toys 
operated with fuel Safety PSD 
95.03.90 Remote control and toy 
airplanes Safety  PSD 
95.04.10 Electrical and electronic 
video games machines Public moral  PSD 
85.43 Self-defense electrical 
equipment National security 
Public order PSD 
Ex 28.34.299 Ammonium Nitrates National security 
Public order PSD 
28.44 Radio-active materials 
and uranium National security 
Health Safety 
Environment Ministry of Energy & Mineral 
Resources 
85.31 Wireless alarm 
equipment National security  
Health TRC 
85.26.91 
85.26.10 Radar apparatus National security  
Safety  Health TRC 
85.17.11 Cordless telephones National security  
Health TRC 
8518.10 Cordless microphones National security  
Health TRC  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 33 
 
 
HS Code Item Justification Line Authority 
85.17 Electrical equipment for 
line telephony and 
telegraphy Safety  
Environment  TRC 
85.43.899  Decoders National security  
Health  TRC 
85.29.101 
85.43.891 Satellites National security  
Safety  
Health TRC 
90.09 Colour photocopying 
machines National security Central Bank of Jordan 
29.41 
30.02 
30.03 
30.04 Medicaments, antibiotics, 
human blood, vaccines Health  Ministry of Health (MOH) 
21.06.90 Food preparations used 
by athletes Health MOH 
28.27.51 Bromides of potassium Health MOH 
33.02 Food colourings Health MOH 
68.11 Sheets and pipes of 
asbestos Health MOH 
04.02 
21.06.90 1901.10 1901.90 Milk and foods for 
children Health MOH 
21.05 Ice cream and other 
edible ice Health MOH 
84.70.90 Postage franking 
machines National security Ministry of Post and 
Communications 
29.03.4 Frion gas Safety 
Environment Public Corporation for 
Protection of the Environment 
84.30.4 Boring machinery for 
water Conservation of 
Natural 
Resources Ministry of Water & Irrigation  
Chapters 61 and 
62 Military clothing National security General Command of the 
Armed Forces 
 
86. The representative of Jordan said that any reason for the refusal of a license would be in full 
conformity with the requirements of the Agreem ent on Import Licensing Procedures, in particular 
Articles 1.6, 1.7 and 1.8, as well as with all other requirements of the WTO Agreement.  The issuing 
authority would be entitled to cancel an import licence and refund the fees if importation of goods 
were to become prohibited, or restricted to a speci fic entity.  However, for the entire period that an 
import or export licence remained in force, the rights of any trader would not be revoked on the 
grounds that exclusive trading rights in relation to the product or products concerned were being 
accorded to another entity.  Licences could also be  cancelled in emergency situations, such as the 
spread of disease in a specific country.  The circ umstances leading to such cancellations would be 
defined more closely in the implementing regulatio ns to the Law on Imports.  He confirmed that WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 34  
 
Jordan's amended legislation, regulations and in structions would be notified to the Committee on 
Import Licensing procedures for examination, toge ther with the questionnaire on import licensing 
procedures, in accordance with the notification time table presented in document WT/ACC/JOR/31. 
87. A member sought clarification of the objective of the import licensing requirements applied to 
milk for industrial purposes.  The representative of Jord an replied that such requirements were applied 
to prevent deceptive practices and cons idered the measure to be in conformity with Article 2.2 of the 
WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade.  The member rejoined that th e risks associated with 
the non-fulfilment of this objective were not clear , and hence it was not clear how such a measure 
should be considered necessary to prevent deceptive practices and why it was in conformity with 
Article 2.2.  This member also stated that the meas ure appeared to be used to  provide protection to the 
domestic dairy industry, and considered that such  a measure could not be in conformity with 
Articles III:4 and XI:1 of GATT 1994, as well as with Article 2.2 of the WTO Agreement on 
Technical Barriers to Trade
 
88. The representative of Jordan confirmed that Jordan would, from the date of accession, 
eliminate and shall not introduce, re-introduce or ap ply quantitative restrictions on imports, or other 
non-tariff measures such as licensing, quotas, bans, permits, prior authorization requirements, 
licensing requirements and other restrictions having equivalent effect that cannot be justified under 
the provisions of the WTO Agreement.  Any furthe r amendments to the import licensing regime after 
accession would be fully in accordance with all re levant provisions of the WTO, including the 
Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures.  Jord an would replace non-automatic import licensing 
with automatic import licensing for "milk for industrial use" within 3 years from the date of accession.  
He further confirmed that the legal authority of the Government of Jordan to suspend imports and 
exports or to apply licensing requirements that could be  used to suspend, ban, or otherwise restrict the 
quantity of trade will be applied fro m the date of accession in conformity with the requirements of the 
WTO, in particular Articles XI, XII, XIII, XVIII, XIX, XX and XXI of the GATT 1994, and the 
Multilateral Trade Agreements on Agriculture, Appli cation of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, 
Import Licensing Procedures, Safeguards and Technical Barriers to Trade.  The Working Party took 
note of these commitments. 
Customs valuation  
89. A member stated that it considered the Customs Valuation Agreement a fundamental 
component of the Uruguay Round Agreement.  This member encouraged Jordan to incorporate the WTO Customs Valuation Agreement into its legisla tion as soon as possible and certainly no later than 
the date of accession.  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 35 
 
 
90. The representative of Jordan said that the 1998  Customs Law, which was based on the WTO 
Customs Valuation Agreement, included provisions on customs valuation in its Articles 28 to 32.  The 
Law required valuation based on self-declaration by importers, and stipulated that the transaction 
value, rather than the "normal" value be used for customs valuation purposes.  Customs duties were 
calculated on the basis of the c.i.f. value of imports  on the registration date of the customs valuation 
form.  In mid-1996, a reference price database for valuation of goods had b een initiated by customs, 
but this database no longer existed. 
91. The Customs Law No. 20 of 1998 conformed largely to the WTO Customs Valuation 
Agreement.  The Law contained a definition of relate d persons similar to that of Article 15.4 of the 
Customs Valuation Agreement, except that Jordanian Law limited family relation to third degree.  He 
confirmed that the Customs Law incorporated the Article 5.2 valuation method, and that customs 
practices would comply with Article 5.2 of the Cust oms Valuation Agreement.  The right of further 
appeal (beyond the Customs Court) was guaranteed by Law, and he considered Article 80 of the 
Customs Law, which stipulated that a decision of the Director General of the Customs Department 
could be contested at the Customs Court within 15 days, would meet the requirements of Article 11.3 
of the Customs Valuation Agreement.  He consider ed the confidentiality provision in Article 10 of the 
Agreement to be covered by Article 175 of the Cust oms Law.  A provision on the valuation of lost or 
damaged goods would be addressed in instructions of the Minister of Finance, which would also be 
issued to incorporate the interpreta tive notes in Jordanian legislation. 
92. A member requested that Jordan provide th e regulations implementing the Interpretative 
Notes to the WTO Valuation Agreement, stressing that Article 14 of the WTO Valuation Agreement 
which incorporated the Interpretativ e Notes as an integral part of the Agreement and the Articles of 
the Agreement could not be read and applied without reference to the respectiv e Interpretative Notes.  
This member also sought verification of Jordan's implementation of Decisions  3.1 (software) and 4.1 
(treatment of interest charges) of the Committee on Customs Valuation and confirmation by Jordan 
that (i) Articles 1(d) and 1.2(a) of the WTO Valu ation Agreement concerning related parties had been 
fully implemented in Jordan's Customs Law;  (ii) Jordan would eliminate the inconsistency identified 
in their deductive value provision in the Amendmen ts to the Customs Law;  (iii) Article 31C(i) 
concerning implementation of other provision w as designed to cover the regulations, i.e. the 
Interpretative Notes, software decision and interest decision;  and (iv) that Jordan would implement a 
provision to cover fully the confidentiality requi rement of Article 10 of the WTO Valuation 
Agreement. 
93. The representative of Jordan replied that a review of the Customs Law No. 20 had been 
completed in March 1999, and Jordan had prepared  draft amendments to address these points and WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 36  
 
ensure full conformity with the WTO Customs Valuat ion Agreement (to be submitted to Parliament in 
November 1999).  He confirmed that Article 1(d) and Article 1.2(a) of the Agreement concerning 
related parties had been fully implemented in Jo rdan's Customs Law, and Article 31C(i) concerning 
implementation of other provision was designed to c over the regulations, i.e.  Interpretative Notes, 
software decision and interest decision.  Jord an was preparing "Instructions on Implementing 
Customs Valuation", addressing the interpretative not es and the valuation of software and interest 
charges.  These instructions would be adopted upon enactment of the Amendments to the Customs 
Law. 
94. The representative of Jordan confirmed that Jordan would fully apply the WTO provisions 
concerning customs valuation from the date of accession without recourse to a transition period, 
including the Agreement on the Implementation of Ar ticle VII of the GATT 1994.  In this regard, the 
Customs Law and its implementing regulations in corporated Annex I (Interpretative Notes) and 
provisions for the Valuation of Carrier Media Bearing Software for Data Processing Equipment 
(Decision 4.1).  The Working Party took note of these commitments. 
Rules of origin
 
95. The representative of Jordan said that the 1998 Customs Law (Articles 24-27) provided the 
legal framework for the application of rules of or igin.  A certificate of origin indicating the initial 
origin was required for imported products from all c ountries.  The certificate should be issued by an 
authorized body in the exporting country.  The authorized body, for example a Ministry, Chamber of 
Commerce or Chamber of Industry, should be acknowledged by the World Customs Organization. 
96. For products exported from Jordan, the Chamber of  Industry issued certificates of origin for 
licensed factories.  The Industria l Development Directorate in the Ministry of Industry and Trade 
checked the certificate, i.e. whethe r the factory existed and the products  were made in the factory, and 
whether the local manufacturing percentage complied with the minimum stipulated in the bilateral 
agreement. 
97. Jordan's preferential rules of origin depende d on the bilateral agreement with each country, 
and were essentially based on the value added or local  content.  The principle of minimum 40 per cent 
value added was applied in trade arrangements with  Arab countries, and 35 per cent in trade with 
Israel.  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 37 
 
 
98. The representative of Jordan sai d that Jordan planned to adopt the Harmonized Rules of 
Origin once finalized by the WTO in co-operation with the World Customs Organization.  Jordan 
would ensure conformity with the Agreement on Rul es of Origin as soon as the Harmonized Rules of 
Origin had been finalized. 
99. Having reviewed Jordan's existing legislation, a member  said that Articles 24-27 of the 
Customs Code were inadequate in addressing the pr ovisions of the Agreement on Rules of Origin.   
Jordan was requested to develop legislation establis hing rules of origin based on international norms.  
In reply, the representative of Jord an said that Jordan was preparing draft amendments to the Customs 
Law No. 20 to ensure conformity with the WTO Rul es of Origin (to be submitted to Parliament in 
November 1999).  
100. The representative of Jordan stat ed that, from the date of accessi on, Jordan's preferential and 
non-preferential rules of origin would comply fully  with the WTO Agreement on Rules of Origin.  
The requirements of Article 2(h) and Annex II, Para graph 3(d) of the Agreement would also be fully 
implemented prior to accession.  He also stated that  in any event, from the date of accession, Customs 
would provide an assessment of the origin of the import upon the request of an exporter, importer or 
any person with a justifiable cause.  Any request for such an assessment would be accepted even 
before trade in the goods concerned began.  Any such assessment would be binding for three years.  
The Working Party took no te of these commitments. 
Other customs formalities  
101. The representative of Jordan said that the G overnment had implemen ted a scheme permitting 
ISO 9000 certified industries to benefit from a "Green  Channel" for imports of materials, equipment 
and components used in the production of expor ts.  The green channel involved acceptance of 
invoices presented by exporters on the basis of tr ust, with reliance on ex-post random auditing of 
factory premises.  A feasibility study had been unde rtaken to prepare the implementation of x-ray 
inspection services on all border crossing points to facilitate the inspection of lorries, trucks and 
tankers. 
Preshipment inspection  
102. The representative of Jordan said that Jordan did not have a system of preshipment inspection, 
and did not intend to establish such a system in the foreseeable future. 
103. The representative of Jordan stated  that if Jordan in the future engaged the services of a pre-
shipment inspection service provider Jordan would en sure that the requirements of the Agreement on WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
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Preshipment Inspection were implemented in full.  He confirmed that Jordan would ensure that the 
operations of any such preshipment inspecti on firm would meet WTO norms, including the 
establishment of charges and fees consistent with  Article VIII of the GATT 1994, observance of due 
process and the transparency requirements of the re levant WTO Agreements, in particular Article X 
of the GATT 1994, the Agreement on Preship ment Inspection and the Agreement on the 
Implementation of Article VII of the GATT 1994, as well as the substantive provisions of these 
Agreements.  The Working Party t ook  note of these commitments. 
Anti-dumping, countervailing duties, safeguard regimes
 
104. The representative of Jordan said that Jordan  had enacted the National Production Protection 
Law ("the Law on Safeguards") on 1 October 1998 (a  detailed comparison between the provisions of 
the Law and the Agreement on Safeguards is provide d in document WT/ACC/JOR/18, pp.33-42).  He 
added that, in order to implement the Law, Article  14 of the Law required the Council of Ministers to 
issue a regulation covering the (i) fees to be collect ed from petitioners for protection;  (ii) conditions 
to be fulfilled by protection petitioners, as well as de tails about the evidence and documents to be 
submitted with the petition;  (iii) procedures for investigating the petitions and the scope of the 
investigations;  (iv) matters to be addressed by the report including the recommendation to the 
Minister regarding the protection petition;  and (v) the maximum period for applying the protection measures as well as the procedures and conditions pe rtaining to any extension or re-imposition of 
such measures.  Jordan was in the process of drafting these regulations.  He added that 17 petitions 
had been filed with the Ministry of Industry an d Trade since the Law had entered into force in 
December 1998.  No decisions had been  taken regarding any of these cases. 
105. A member was concerned that Jordan's Sa feguard Law might not fully reflect WTO 
provisions concerning safeguards, anti-dumping, and countervailing duties, and sought a commitment 
from Jordan not to apply any such measures until WTO- consistent legislation had been put in place.  
Should Jordan be unable to complete the implementati on of WTO-consistent legislation by the date of 
accession, this member requested the Government of  Jordan to commit to refrain from imposing any 
anti-dumping, countervailing or safeguard measur es until WTO-consistent legislation had been 
enacted and properly notified to the appropriate WTO Committees. 
106. In reply, the representative of Jordan said that the National Production Protection Law had 
been enacted, published in the Official Gazette and forwarded to the WTO Secretariat.  Jordan was 
preparing regulations to implement the Agreemen t on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures and the 
Agreement on Implementation of Article VI of the GATT 1994 (anti-dumping).  Jordan was 
reviewing the National Production Protection Law an d the draft anti-dumping and countervailing duty  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 39 
 
 
legislation to ensure their conformity with th e provisions of the relevant WTO Agreements. 
107. The representative of Jordan said that Jordan would not apply any anti-dumping, 
countervailing or safeguard measure to impor ts from WTO Members until it had notified and 
implemented appropriate laws in  conformity with the provisions of the WTO Agreements on the 
Implementation of Article VI, on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures and on Safeguards.  He 
confirmed that Jordan would ensure that such legisl ation would be in full conformity with the relevant 
WTO provisions, including Article VI and XI X of the GATT 1994 and the Agreement on the 
Implementation of Article VI, the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures and the 
Agreement on Safeguards.  After such legislation was implemented, Jordan would only apply any 
antidumping duties, countervailing duties and safeguard measures in full conformity with the relevant 
WTO provisions.  The Working Party took note of these commitments. 
2. Export regulation  
Customs tariffs, fees and charges for services rende red, application of internal taxes to exports  
108. The representative of Jordan said that a certifi cate of registration of the enterprise was the 
only requirement for engaging in exporting. 
109. Asked to list all charges on exports - whether called fees, taxes or tariffs – the representative 
of Jordan said that exports to Syria and Iraq were licensed and subject to JD 2 stamp duty, collected 
by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.  The Cust oms Authority collected a fee of JD 25 per ton on 
exports of scrap and waste of iron, brass and aluminium.  Export fees collected by the Natural 
Resources Authority are listed in Table 9, and fees  on exported agricultural products collected by the 
Ministry of Agriculture are listed in Table 10.  The Jordan Export Development Corporation (JEDCO) 
also charged fees for services provided to exporters under the trade agreements with Lebanon, Libya 
and Saudi Arabia.  JEDCO charged 1 per cent on a ll transactions with Libya, and on certain goods 
traded with Lebanon (1 per cent) and Saudi Arabia (0.25 per cent). WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 40  
 
Table 9:  Export fees on mining and quarry products
 
Product Fee (JD per ton) 
Crushed stones 0.2 
Building stones 0.3 
Marble and granite 1.0 
Travertine and marble crushes 0.5 
Crude xyolite 1.0 
Clay, clay derivatives and kaolin 0.5 
Tripine biototite and diatomite 0.3 
Silicate, gypsum, pure limestone, feldspar, volcanic turf and 
bituminous mineral oil 0.2 
Dolomite and basalt 0.1 
 
Table 10:  Fees on exports of agricultural products  
Type of fee Amount (fils) 
1. Fumigation of consignments 250f/ton 
2. Inspection and checking 250f/ton 
3. Inspection of live animals:  
 Bovines, camels and pigs 50 f/head 
 Horses 50 f/head 
 Sheep, goats and deer 20 f/head 
 Cats, dogs and wild animals 100 f/head 
 Birds 20 f/bird 
4. Animal interdiction fees/quarantine  
 Bovines, camels and pigs 80 f/head 
 Horses 90 f/head 
 Sheep, goats and deer 20 f/head 
 Cats, dogs and wild animals 100 f/head 
 Birds 20 f/bird 
5. Animal watering  
 Camels, horses, bovines and big animals 10 f/head/day 
 Sheep, goats and small animals 5 f/head/day 
6. Disinfection fees:  
Ships transport 1-100 head JD 2 
Ships transport 1,000 tons. JD 3 
Ships transport 4,000 tons. JD 5 
Ships transport more than that JD 7 
Any other vehicles JD 0.5 each 
110. A 2 per cent inspection fee, which the representa tive of Jordan considered a fee for services 
rendered, was levied on re-exporte d foreign goods.  For imported goo ds undergoing some additional 
processing in Jordan, the value added would need to  be 40 per cent or more for a product to be 
considered a Jordanian export.  Exempt from the fe e were exports by diplomatic missions and their 
staff;  personal belongings;  articles exempt from import customs duties;  used household furniture;  project machinery and equipment imported on a tempor ary basis;  foreign goods re-exported directly  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 41 
 
 
from stores and warehouses;  and any item exempt by decision of the Council of Ministers upon 
recommendation from the Minister of Finance.  Re -exported goods were also subject to customs 
overtime fees (0.2 per cent of the declared value). 
111. The representative of Jordan said that the 2 per cent fee on re-exported foreign goods would 
be eliminated upon enactment of amendments to  the Law on Unifying Taxes and Duties No. 7 of 
1997 in January 2000.  In the future, Customs woul d charge a flat fee of JD 15 per transaction for 
export processing, and JD 20 per transaction for goods in transit.  In his view, these fees equalled the 
approximate cost of the services rendered.  The over time fee would be converted into a JD 15 export 
processing fee through the Amendments to the Cust oms Law No. 20 of 1998.  The mining fee was 
considered an export duty and would continue to apply.  In response to questions by a member, the representative of Jordan confirmed that all imports and exports would be subject to import and export 
processing fees, respectively, and that the revenues fr om these fees would only be used to support the 
overall customs operations and infrastructure conn ected with customs processing of imported and 
exported goods in accordance with Article 161D of the Customs Law. 
Export restrictions
 
112. The representative of Jordan said that products of  Jordanian origin generally did not require 
export licenses.  A licence was required for exports to  protocol trade countries for consignments of a 
value exceeding JD 1,000 irrespective of origin, i. e. Jordanian or foreign.  Export licences were 
required in trade with Syria and Iraq as Jordan was committed to certain banking arrangements in 
transactions with these countries.  Exports to ot her countries were exempt from the export licence 
requirement by virtue of by-law No. 74 of 1993 fo r Exports and Imports.  A licensing requirement for 
re-exported foreign goods of a value ex ceeding JD 1,000 had been abolished. 
113. Some products were subject to prior approval before exportation (Table 11).  These approvals 
were in themselves considered export licences. 
Table 11:  Exports subject to prior approval (prior to accession)  
Product Institution granting approval 
Wheat Ministry of Industry and Trade 
Wheat flour and other wheat products (semolina, bran, 
broken wheat) " 
Sugar " 
Rice (ordinary brand) " 
Milk for industrial use " 
Ewes and cows Ministry of Agriculture 
Precious metals, including gold and silver bullion and coins Central Bank of Jordan 
Marble slabs Natural Resources Authority WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 42  
 
Product Institution granting approval 
Broken marble " 
Mineral ores " 
Radioactive materials and sour ces, and exhausted uranium " 
Fresh fruit and vegetables destined to protocol trade 
countries Agricultural Marketing Organization 
114. Some members questioned whether the prior approval system was consistent with GATT 
Article XI.  In reply, the representative of Jordan  said that most of the products subject to such 
approval prior to exportation were strategic food products.  The system was being phased out, and 
would with time be brought in line with the require ments of GATT Article XI.  Prior approvals had 
been eliminated for Halibuna (milk) and precious meta ls (including gold and silver bullion and coins). 
115. The representative of Jordan outlined a new export licensing regime in his report on 
import/export licensing (document WT/ACC/JOR/28).  Ex isting prior approvals of exports would be 
eliminated and replaced by automatic export licensing for the items listed in Table 12.  Jordan planned 
to eliminate sugar, macaroni and vermicelli, and ri ce from export licensing.  In addition, Jordan would 
maintain automatic export licence requirements on a ll products exported to Iraq and Syria from the 
date of accession. 
Table 12:  Goods Subject to Automatic Export Licensing  
 
HS Code Item Line Authority 
10.01 Wheat MIT 
11.01 Wheat flour and other wheat products (semolina, 
bran, broken wheat) MIT 
17.01 Sugar MIT 
19.02.111 
19.02.191 Macaroni and vermicelli  MIT 
10.06.10 
10.06.20 Rice (ordinary brand) MIT 
25.15 Marble slabs Natural Resources 
Authority (NRA) 
25.17.41 Broken marble NRA 
Chapter 26 Mineral ores NRA 
Ex Chapter 25 The argillaceous ma terial extracted from the Dead 
Sea NRA 
28.44 Radioactive materials and sources, and exhausted 
uranium NRA 
15.09 Olive Oil Ministry of Agriculture 
Chapters 7 and 8 Fresh fruit and vege tables destined to protocol trade 
countries Ministry of Agriculture 
  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 43 
 
 
116. The representative of Jordan confirmed that any export control requirements remaining in 
place on the date of accession would be fully c onsistent with WTO provisions, including those 
contained in Articles XI, XVII, XX  and XXI of the GATT 1994.  The Working Party took note of this 
commitment. 
Export subsidies  
117. The representative of Jordan said that the Cent ral Bank had operated an export promotion 
facility since 1980.  The Central Bank refinanced expor t credits charging interest at 2 percentage point 
below the prevailing discount rate.  Such refinancin g was available to any company registered in the 
Jordanian Official Registry of Companies, thus an y exporter, regardless of sector, could benefit from 
the interest rate subsidies on loan s granted by the Central Bank of Jordan.  The main objective of this 
arrangement was to encourage banks to meet e xporters' demand for credit.  The Central Bank 
provided advances to authorized banks, i.e. all ba nks licensed to operate in Jordan, against export 
letters of credit and bills for collection.  The maximum duration of advances extended against such 
documentation was 9 months.  The maximum limit on pre-shipment credit amounted to 75 per cent of the exporter's letter of credit, while post-shipment cr edit could be extended for up to 90 per cent of the 
value of bills of lading and drafts.  Exported prod ucts were required to satisfy a local value added 
criterion (minimum 25 per cent) to be covered by the scheme.  The interest and commission charged on advances extended by licensed banks and financ ial institutions to exporters should not exceed 
9.0 per cent annually.  The estimated total value of  the subsidy facilities had declined from a high of 
nearly JD 40 million in 1994 to less than JD 10 m illion in 1995.  A financi ng facility operated by the 
Industrial Development Bank for commodities stored  for export purposes had been discontinued on 
1 January 1997. 
118. The Jordan Export Development and Commercial Centres Corporation (JEDCO), originally 
founded to execute trade protocols with Arab c ountries on behalf of the Government, had been 
reorganized in 1995.  JEDCO - an autonomous no n-profit organization owned by the Ministry of 
Industry and Trade, the Jordan Federation of Ch ambers of Commerce and the Amman Chamber of 
Industry - received no budgetary assistance from the Government.  The Board of Directors, comprising senior government officials, principa ls of the Kingdom's business organizations and 
leading industrialists, appointed the General Manage r.  The current functions of JEDCO were of 
technical and promotional nature, principally assis ting industrialists in upgrading products, adapting 
to international standards and developmen t of marketing and technical capabilities. 
119. Firms manufacturing for exports were grante d duty exemptions under a temporary entry 
scheme.  The scheme applied to direct impor ts as well as to wholesale purchases from bonded 
commercial warehouses.  A duty drawback arrangement  allowed exporters to be refunded duty paid WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 44  
 
on imported materials subsequently used in the pr oduction of exports.  The refund was calculated 
according to a specific formula for each product.  The temporary entry and duty drawback systems 
had been improved during 1996 through the introduction of computerization. 
120. The representative of Jordan did not consider  the import duty exemptions accorded to 10 
companies (see "Tariff rate quotas, tariff exempti ons") prohibited subsidies under the Agreement on 
Subsidies and Countervailing Measures.  The bene ficiaries were share holding companies with 
significant private participation, thus item (d) of A nnex I (Illustrative List of Export Subsidies) of the 
Agreement did not apply in this case.  He acknow ledged that although the import duty exemptions 
might be considered actionable subsidies under the Agreement, the purpose of these subsidies was to 
encourage production and they were not intended to cause adverse effects to the interests of other 
countries.  Moreover, the import duty exemptions were not contingent upon export performance or 
import substitution.  Jordan would be ready to  take appropriate acti on, including immediate 
elimination or reduction of such subsidies, if other countries could prove in accordance with the 
Agreement that such subsidies were causing injury to their industry. 
121. The representative of Jordan said that, as a result of the negative effects of the Gulf War on 
Jordan's economy and exports, his Government had decided in 1993 to encourage Jordanian producers 
to diversify production and focu s on non-traditional markets.  The Council of Ministers had 
accordingly decided (Decision No. 3394 of 1994) to ex empt from income tax profits of exports to 
non-protocol countries and territories - i.e. all countries and territories except Israel, Lebanon, 
Palestinian Authority and Saudi Arabia - exclud ing traditional Jordanian export items such as 
phosphates and potash.  The Arab countries trading w ith Jordan under bilateral and protocol trade 
agreements, thus excluded from the tax-exempti on scheme, accounted for around 45 per cent of 
Jordan's exports. 
122. The legal basis for exempting profits earned from exportation wholly or partly from income 
tax was Article 3(c) of the Income Tax Law No . 57 of 1985 and its amendments.  The decision was 
taken by the Council of Ministers upon recommendation of  the Minister of Finance.  The income tax 
exemptions were accorded to en terprises which could provide official documentation (e.g. customs 
declarations) to the Income Tax Departments provi ng their export earnings.  He added that the Higher 
Council for Investment had approved the establishmen t of Jordanian Export Companies specialized in 
exportation of national products a nd goods.  These companies were also exempt from payment of 
income tax.  According to Decision No. 12/11/4 of 30 December 1997 of the Council of Ministers, all companies with a minimum paid capital of JD 2 m illion, registered in accordance with the Jordanian 
Company Law and specialised in "external marketin g, advertising and expor ting local products" were 
eligible to become Jordanian Export Companies.  The functions of these companies should be limited  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 45 
 
 
to exportation, marketing, and promotion of Jordan ian products abroad.  The companies were required 
to buy from local producers, and could not act as a paid agent only. 
123. Some members noted that Jordan maintained m easures which were not in conformity with the 
WTO Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measur es.  Jordan’s interest rate subsidies for 
loans to promote exports and the income tax exem ption for profits from exports, including for the 
establishment of Jordanian Export Companies, would appear to be prohibited subsidies within the 
meaning of Article 3 of the SCM Agreement.  These members sought the immediate elimination or 
revision of the export subsidies programme.  Jordan  was requested to provide a notification of the 
remaining subsidies in place from previous use of the programme, and a specific commitment to terminate all remaining such subsidies prior to 31 December 2002. 
124. The representative of Jordan said that Jordan recognized that its income tax exemption on 
export sales was not in conformity with WTO requireme nts.  At present, Jordan maintained two types 
of export subsidies.  The Income Tax Law No. 57 of 1985 and its amendments authorized the Council 
of Ministers to grant partial or total exemptions  from income tax for profits on certain exports.  
Pursuant to this Law, a Decision (No. 3394 of 1 994) had been issued exempting from income tax 
profits on all exports (except phospha te and potash) to non-protocol countries and territories, i.e. all 
countries and territories except Israel, Lebanon, Pal estinian Authority and Saudi Arabia.  The other 
form of export subsidy was the scheme whereby th e Central Bank discounted commercial documents 
to finance Jordanian exports at be low-market interest rate.  Jordan  had evaluated the Jordanian Export 
Companies programme to determine whether or  not it would fall under Article 3 of the SCM 
Agreement, and the Council of Ministers had decided to eliminate the legal authority for establishing 
Jordanian Export Companies in November 1999.  He added that no such companies had been established.  Jordan planned to seek transition fo r phasing out prohibited subsidies (as defined in 
Article 3 of the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measu res) under Article 27 of the 
Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures.   Prohibited subsidies, granted prior to 
repealing the laws authorising them, would remain  valid for the duration agreed upon when they had 
been granted.  A member held the view that Jo rdan was not automatically entitled to any phase-out 
period for such subsidies, or to leave any provis ions of them in place for the duration agreed upon 
when they were granted after accession. 
125. The representative of Jordan stated that th e following programmes were export subsidies, 
which met a definition of a prohibited subsidy within  the meaning of Article 3 of the Agreement on 
Subsidies and Countervailing Measures:  (i) the Inco me Tax Law No. 57 of 1985 and its amendments, 
which authorized partial or total exemptions fro m income tax for profits on certain exports, and 
Decision No. 3394 of 1994 pursuant to this Law,  which exempted from income tax profits on all WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 46  
 
exports (except phosphate and potash) to non-protocol  countries and territories, i.e. all countries and 
territories except Israel, Lebanon, Palestinian Aut hority and Saudi Arabia;  and (ii) the discount 
facility below the going interest rate for commerc ial documents operated by  the Central Bank of 
Jordan.  He confirmed that Jordan had taken a ppropriate legal measures in September 1999 (Council 
of Ministers Decision No. 12-9-76) to eliminate these export subsidies by 31 December 2002. 
126. The representative of Jordan confirmed that Jordan would eliminate the export subsidies 
described in paragraph 125 by 31 December 2002.  He further confirmed that from the date of 
accession, Jordan would not maintain nor intr oduce any other prohibi ted subsidies.  The 
representative of Jordan stated that, in accord ance with Article 28 of the WTO Agreement on 
Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, these two export subsidy programs would be notified upon 
accession. 
 The Working Party took note of these commitments. 
3. Internal policies affecting foreign trade in goods  
Industrial policy, including subsidies  
127. The representative of Jordan said that industrial policy in Jordan had become market oriented, 
rather than development oriented, since 1988.  Th e Government had reduced its involvement in and 
supervision of industrial organizations.  The Minist ry of Industry and Trade assisted the development 
of industry by (i)  helping to develop a business services sector responding to the increasing needs of 
the industrial sector;  (ii) strengthening ups tream and downstream industrial linkages;  
(iii)  encouraging "package contracts" which foster ed full capacity utilization at existing enterprises 
and increasing trade opportunities in local and export markets;  and (iv)  promoting industrial 
subcontracts and partnerships. 
128. The Central Bank had allocated JD 10 million in 1994 and a JD 5 million credit ceiling in 
1995 to finance new industrial projects and expansion of existing enterprises.  The loans were granted 
through the Industrial Development Bank as medium te rm credit (maximum 5 to 7 years) at low rate 
of interest (6 per cent).  The Industrial Devel opment Bank charged the lenders an annual interest 
margin and commission of 2.5 per cent for its services. 
129. Concerning adjustment measures in the energy sector, the representative of Jordan said that 
the Jordan Electricity Authority (JEA) had been  transformed into a public share holding company 
(NEPCO) in 1996.  The company was 100 per cent owned by the Governme nt and operated on a 
commercial basis.  Private sector investment in elec tricity generation was permitted.  The Ministry of 
Energy and Natural Resources (MEMR), assisted by an international consulting firm, was studying 
the establishment of the first Independent Power Proj ect in Jordan.  An independent and transparent  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 47 
 
 
regulatory commission would be established to regulate the power sector, including electricity 
pricing. 
130. In the oil and gas sector, the National R esources Authority (NRA) had been partly 
transformed into a national company for explora tion and drilling in 1995.  The National Petroleum 
Company, formed in part with assets separated fro m the NRA, held a concession on the gas-producing 
Risha area.  NPC's drilling operations had been separ ated into a new private company in conformity 
with the Council of Ministers' Resolution of 4 Oc tober 1997.  The NRA was authorized to negotiate 
joint ventures with international companies to generate investment. 
131. The representative of Jordan confirmed that  upon accession any subsidy programmes with the 
exception of those noted in paragraph 125 of this Re port would be administered in conformity with 
the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures.  All necessary information on such 
programmes would be notified upon accession to th e Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing 
Measures in accordance with Article 25 of the Agre ement.  The Working Party took note of this 
commitment. 
Technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phytosanitary measures  
(a) Standards and certification  
132. The representative of Jordan said that the Jo rdan Institution for St andards and Metrology 
(JISM) was the official body for the preparation and publication of Jordanian Standards.  JISM had 
been established in 1995 by virtue of the Standa rds and Metrology Law No. 15 for 1994, and was the 
legal and actual successor of the Jordanian Dir ectorate of Standards (founded in 1972).  The main 
tasks of JISM were to (i) prepare, approve, re vise and amend Jordanian mandatory or voluntary 
standards and monitor their application;  (ii) main tain a national system for metrology and supervise 
its implementation;  (iii) grant quality marks and certif icates of conformity;  (iv) control, test and 
hallmark the approved fineness of precious metals an d jewellery;  (v) adopt and approve standards of 
other countries and of Arab, regional and internati onal organizations, provided that such standards 
were issued in Arabic or English;  and (vi) to  cooperate and coordinate with Arab, regional and 
international institutions in the area of standardi zation and metrology.  JISM was a participating 
member of the Arab Organization for Industrial Development and Mining (AIDMO), a corresponding 
member of the International Organization for Sta ndardization (ISO), a corresponding member of the 
International Organization for Legal Metrolog y (OIML), and a contact point for the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission.  The Jordan Quality Ma rk was a voluntary certification system, granted 
upon request.  Products for which the quality mark  was sought were tested for compliance with 
relevant Jordanian Standards.  The programme covere d foodstuff, feeds, chemicals, soaps, detergents, WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 48  
 
cosmetics, paints and varnishes, adhesives, pesticides, fertilizers,  petroleum products, electrical and 
electronic appliances, batteries, cables, telecomm unication equipment, construction materials and 
other consumable goods.  JISM was updating the curre nt Quality Mark System to comply with the 
requirements of ISO/IEC Guide 65. 
133. Standards were elaborated in technical committees.   JISM circulated draft standards by mail 
to interested parties such as the Chamber of I ndustry, the Chamber of Commerce, the Consumer 
Protection Association, research institutions and t esting laboratories, and relevant ministries, and 
allowed a period of 60 days for comment (accordi ng to the draft instructions on Preparation of 
Jordanian Standards, to replace Instructions No . 4:1995).  As of early 1998, JISM had begun 
publication of a quarterly newsletter ("Standards and Metrology News") describing the status of 
ongoing work on standards.  Interested parties coul d obtain copies of the standards work programme 
from the JISM Information Centre (the TBT Enqui ry Point from the date of accession).  Jordanian 
standards, titles, numbers or bibliographic informat ion were published in Arabic and English in the 
Jordan Standards Catalogue.  Jordan was working constantly on harmonising its standards with 
international standards. 
134. Domestic and imported goods were required to  meet national standards and technical 
regulations applied to protect the health and ensure the safety of consumers.  The Ministry of Health 
was responsible for technical regulations regardi ng drugs, including vaccines and sera for human use 
and food, while technical regulati ons for veterinary medicines, ser a, vaccines, pesticides, meat, 
fertilizer, animal feed, and seedlings fell under the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture.  
Inspections of food and agriculture products at the border were carried out by a committee comprising 
officials from JISM, the Ministry of Health, the Mini stry of Agriculture and the customs department.  
Samples were tested at Ministry laboratories or ot her accredited laboratories to ensure they met the set 
standards before being released from customs.  Jo rdan applied internationa lly recognized standards 
when these were available.  He emphasized that only consignments contai ning products subject to 
Jordanian mandatory standards were tested. 
135. Asked whether Jordan had any automatic r ecognition procedures for imported products 
manifestly conform to accepted international standa rds where Jordanian standards did not exist, the 
representative of Jordan said that samples of im ported products, for which there was a Jordanian 
mandatory standard, were subject to verification th rough laboratory testing in Jordan.  Testing was 
conducted by laboratories accredited by JISM at the request of JISM.  Certificate of conformity was not required.  No verification procedures were a pplied on imported goods if Jordanian standards did 
not exist.  Jordan had no standards for medicine s or medical equipment;  importers of such goods 
provided documentation indicating ci rculation of the imported medical  equipment in the country of  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 49 
 
 
origin.  Importers of medicines were required to register the imported product at the Ministry of 
Health (MOH).  Registration was based on manufactu rer's specification and/or international standards 
(e.g. USP, BP, EP, etc.).  Imported medicine was subject to laboratory an alysis by MOH to ensure 
conformity with the information provided at the time of registration.  No certification was required for  
importation of medicine or medical equipment.  Ho wever, medicine containing materials of human 
origin required certification from the health author ity that each donor be tested free of HIV (1,2), 
HBs Ag and Hbc.  As for shelf-life requirements fo r drugs and vaccines, these were determined by the 
Ministry of Health case-by-case in accordance with  the stability study submitted by the manufacturer 
of the product. 
136. The representative of Jordan said that existing legislation and practices would need to be 
changed to comply with the WTO TBT Agreement in  respect of the elaboration and implementation 
of standards and mandatory requirements, border in spections and the establishment of a TBT enquiry 
point.  The current Standards and Metrology La w addressed only standards, and did not cover 
international guides and recommendations, although th e Jordan Institute for Standards and Metrology 
used such guides and recommendations as reference in the preparation of its regulations.  At present, 
JISM issued both voluntary and mandatory standard s.  The mandatory standards would need to be 
replaced by technical regulations based on the protec tion of health, safety and environmental aspects.  
Most current Jordanian standards were based on desc riptive characteristics rather than performance.  
Article 11 of the Draft Law on Standards and Metrol ogy stipulated that the Director General would 
appoint a technical committee to revise existing standa rds.  Proposed drafts would be submitted to the 
Board for adoption as standards or technical regu lations.  Jordanian Standards were reviewed 
continuously for the need to be updated according to  the policy of the Standardization Department.  
All standards published before 199 5 were mandatory.  As per November 1999, JISM had published 
more than 210 voluntary standards (of a total 1,3 20 existing standards) since the enactment of the 
Standards and Metrology Law No. 15 of 1994.  The current number of mandatory standards was 
1,110.  The objective of JISM was to replace cu rrent mandatory standards with voluntary ones, or 
with mandatory technical regulations consistent w ith the provisions of the WTO TBT Agreement, and 
JISM would need extensive technical assistance from WTO Members and other sources to accomplish 
this goal as soon as possible.  JISM was at present assi sted by the German GTZ project in this regard, 
and had adopted the ZOPP methods for annual planning. 
137. The representative of Jordan stat ed that Jordan's Standardization Department was gradually 
reviewing the remaining 1,110 mandatory standards to  replace them with voluntary standards or with 
technical regulations, consistent with  Article 2 of the TBT Agreement.  No less than one quarter of the 
remaining standards would be converted each year after accession, and Jordan intended to complete 
the process of conversion by 31 December 2003.  The Working Party took  note  of this commitment. WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 50  
 
138. Inspection procedures at the border would ne ed to be streamlined.  Currently, each 
consignment was tested to ascertain compliance wi th Jordanian mandatory standards regardless of 
whether the product had already been subjected to any conformity assessment procedure.  JISM had 
prepared a plan for product inspection to ensure that procedures would be simplified and no more 
restrictive than necessary, and shortening the time period for inspection, sampling and testing.  According to this plan, JISM intended to (i) consolid ate testing activities;  (ii) reduce the time needed 
for border inspection by 30 per cent by the end of  2001.  Customs centres would send samples taken 
directly to the testing laboratories, and samples ta ken at the border would be given priority by the 
testing laboratories;  (iii) accept foreign certificates of conformity, if issued by bodies recognized or accredited by JISM;  (iv) establish sampling procedur es in accordance with international standards;  
(v) improve coordination between di fferent inspection bodies in Jordan to avoid overlapping;  and (vi) 
improve the capability of the inspection system in the Control Department of JISM by training of 
staff, acquisition of international refere nces on acceptable inspection procedures, and 
computerization.  The TBT inquiry point would be established as a division within the information centre at JISM.  The inquiry point would collect all regulations affecting international trade from 
other government institutions, and a mechanism w ould need to be devised to strengthen the 
communication channels between the inquiry point a nd these institutions.  JISM had started work on a 
survey of governmental institutions to strengthe n communication between the inquiry point and these 
institutions.  In addition, JISM was preparing a we b site for the Enquiry Po int, providing access to the 
relevant government institutions fo r their contributions.  Moreover, Article 21 of the draft Law on 
Standards and Metrology required all official bodies  to respond within five days to requests from 
JISM for all necessary information concerning technical regulations, conformity assessment procedures and copies of such, thereby allowing JISM to respond to inquiries promptly. 
139. The representative of Jordan sai d that Jordan was reviewing its current legal regime for 
conformity with the TBT Agreement.  An overvie w of the existing regime and an action plan for 
implementation of the TBT Agreement were pr ovided in document WT/A CC/JOR/22 (Attachments A 
and B).  Law No.15 on Standards and Metrology wo uld be replaced by a new draft Law on Standards 
and Metrology, to be adopted by Parliament  during its Ordinary Session November 1999-
February 2000, to address TBT and SPS requirements (except seed control).  Jordan was ready to 
implement fully the TBT Agreement upon accession prov ided that technical assistance and support 
(including financial means) would be provided by WTO Members with regard to modernization of 
testing laboratories in Jordan, border inspection, sampling procedures as well as training of personnel.  
The Jordanian Institute of Standards and Metrolog y would act as TBT enquiry point.  He added that 
Article 18 of the draft Law on Sta ndards and Metrology, to be enacted by the end of 1999, provided 
for publication of a notice in JISM's newsletter of all proposed technical regulations and conformity  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 51 
 
 
assessment procedures prior to adoption to permit reasonable time for comments to be considered 
before adoption of the final rule, as required in Ar ticle 2.9 of the TBT Agreement.  He added that 
when adopting standards, Jordan would adhere to  the Code of Good Practice (Annex 3 of the TBT 
Agreement), incorporated by reference in Article 11.10 of the draft Law on Standards and Metrology, 
which meant, in practice, that notice of a standard  would be published at le ast 60 days prior to its 
planned enactment to allow interested parties opportunity to comment in JISM's newsletter.  
Article 18.b of the same draft Law stipulated th at all adopted technical regulations, conformity 
assessment procedures and standards be published pr omptly in the official gazette.  Technical 
regulations, conformity assessment procedures and sta ndards came into effect after their publication. 
140. The representative of Jordan confirmed that Jo rdan would comply with all obligations under 
the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trad e from the date of accession without recourse to 
any transition period.  The Working Pa rty took note of this commitment. 
(b) Sanitary and phytosanitary measures  
141. The representative of Jordan said that the Minist ries of Agriculture and Health maintained 
sanitary and phytosanitary technical regulations to  ensure that locally-produced and imported foods, 
plants, plant parts and by-products, animals and anim al by-products, agricultural chemicals, fertilizer, 
and veterinary medicine were safe and did not endanger human, animal or plant health and life, or the 
environment.  In Jordan, samples were collected at local markets and tested for pesticide residue, 
animals were examined before slaughter, and carcas ses were examined to determine their suitability 
for human consumption.  All sanitary and phytosan itary regulations were published in the Official 
Gazette, and traders could consult this information at the Chambers of Comme rce in Jordan.  Jordan 
was a member of the Codex Alimentarius Commi ssion, Prior Informed Consent (PIC), the 
International Office of Epizootics (OIE), the Fo od and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World 
Health Organization (WHO) and the Internationa l Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and worked 
together with these organizations in establishing an d applying sanitary and p hytosanitary measures.  
Jordan was not a member of the International Plant Protection Convention, but adopted and implemented the standards of this organization.  Jordan was a member of the European Plant 
Protection Organization and the Near East Plant Organization. 
142. Import activities were governed by the Agricultu re Law No. 20 for 1973 and other relevant 
regulations and instructions issued by the Ministry  of Agriculture and the Ministry of Health.  A 
health certificate was required for each shipment.  Imported goods not satisfying Jordan's sanitary and 
phytosanitary requirements were re -exported or destroyed.  In 1997,  65 consignments (out of 51,000 
customs transactions) had been re-exported because th ey did not meet Jordanian requirements.  The WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 52  
 
most frequent cause of non-compliance related to shelf-life requirements for foodstuffs.  
Consignments of live animals, frozen and chilled me at, poultry meat, hatching eggs, pesticides, seeds, 
seedlings and plants, animal fodder and organic ferti lizers were subject to inspection or quarantine.  
Control measures applied in Jordan to control p ests included the use of pesticides, soil fumigation 
with methyl bromide and soil solarization, if possible. 
143. Concerning shelf-life requirements for foodstuffs, the representative of Jordan said that these 
were based on Jordan Standard 288/1994 "Shelf Li fe for Foodstuff" and Jordan Standard 401/1997 
"Shelf Life for Infant and Children's Foodstuff", issu ed and administered by the Jordan Institution for 
Standards and Metrology.  The standards had been  prepared by specialised technical committees, 
taking into consideration the climatic and storage conditions in Jordan.  The shelf-life requirements 
applied equally to impor ted and domestic goods. 
144. A member observed that Jordan's  regulations on shelf-life did not conform with international 
norms and were inconsistent with  the provisions of the SPS and TBT Agreements that require the use 
of sound science to establish such requirements.  Th e food safety risk that could be prevented with 
mandatory shelf-life dates had not been specified, nor had Jordan demonstrated what impact non-
fulfilment, i.e. the absence of a shelf-life date, woul d have.  This member also maintained that the 
imposition of mandatory shelf-life terms on an arbitr ary, across-the-board basis on numerous products 
was not an appropriate solution to the concerns ex pressed, and emphasized that it was in the interest 
of both the exporter and the importer to assure that there would be sufficient shelf-life remaining on 
imported products for them to be purchased and co nsumed within the optimum quality period.  This 
member expressed the view that an arbitrary requir ement for half the shelf-life, enforced by the 
Government, was not a useful way to address this c oncern.  He suggested that mandatory shelf-life 
dating should be eliminated for "she lf-stable foods", in the context of adopting the Ministerial Decrees 
that will implement the WTO TBT and SPS Agreem ents in Jordan, and that regulations and 
procedures be established in line with international norms for "highly perishable refrigerated" food 
products to gradually replace these requirements with  a scientific regulatory framework, e.g., within 
one year.  In reply, the representative of Jordan said that the new draft Law on Food did not contain any provision on half shelf-life requirements.  The Draft Law on Food was expected to be enacted in 
December 1999.  Once enacted, all articles in th e Law on Public Health connected with food, 
including half-shelf life requirements, would b ecome inapplicable, including Article 69 (1.b). 
145. The representative of Jordan confirmed that Jo rdan would initiate immediately the process of 
examining its shelf-life standards (JS:401:1977 and JS  288:1994) in light of international scientific 
practices on shelf-stable food products to identify shel f-stable products currently appearing on the lists 
of these two standards.  He further confirmed that Jordan would eliminate shelf-stable products from  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 53 
 
 
the coverage of these two standard s by 30 June 2000.  He added th at Jordan would establish within 
one year regulations and procedures in line with  international norms for "highly perishable 
refrigerated" food products to gradually replace remaining shelf life requirements on these products 
with a scientific regulatory framework by 31 Decemb er 2000.  The Working Party took note of these 
commitments.  
146. The representative of Jordan added that Jord an had conducted an assessment of its SPS 
legislation and determined that new laws would have  to be enacted in order to fully conform to the 
SPS Agreements.  Jordan had prepared a new dr aft Law on Agriculture (to address SPS plant and 
animal provisions) and a Draft Law on Food (covering  SPS food aspects).  The draft laws would bring 
Jordan’s foreign trade regime into full conform ity with the WTO Agreement on the Application of 
Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.  Jordan was ready to implement fully the SPS Agreement upon 
accession provided that technical assistance and s upport (including financial means) would be 
provided by WTO Members with regard to moderni zation of testing laboratories in Jordan, border 
inspection, sampling procedures as well as training of  personnel.  The Ministry of Agriculture would 
act as SPS enquiry point.  
147. A member sought information on Jordan's plan s to reform the activities of four separate 
bodies (the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, JISM and the Greater Amman Municipal authorities) involved in the testing and/or sampling of frozen foodstuffs, which appeared to have had 
negative trade effects.  This member also inquired about measures applied to imported meat, notably 
inspection requirements at the border supplemented by additional inspection within Jordan, which 
appeared to be more trade-restrictive than necessar y.  Moreover, Jordan required imported meat or 
meat from imported animals to be refrigerated sep arately from other meat and sold separately from 
domestically-produced meat, which, in the view of this member, was inconsistent with the provisions 
of Article III of GATT 1994.  Jordan also maintained a prohibition on the use of powdered milk as an 
input in the production of UHT milk and yoghurt.  This member requested the abolition of all 
remaining prohibitions on the use of powdered milk by industrial users of dairy products, as those 
measures were trade distorting and had no valid WT O justification, and a commitment from Jordan 
that guidelines or rules be develope d in relation to the entry into Jord an of live animals, frozen meat, 
milk powder, and frozen butter to ensure full conformity with the requirements of the WTO 
Agreement on the Application of San itary and Phytosanitary Measures. 
148. The representative of Jordan replied that the new Laws on Agriculture, Standards and 
Metrology, and Food Control, all to be enacted befo re the end of February 2000, defined clearly the 
relevant mandates for the Ministry of Agriculture, th e Ministry of Health, and the Jordan Institute of 
Standards and Metrology.  Jordan was evaluating th e process of sampling, inspecting and testing of WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 54  
 
food to streamline and eliminate any redundancies observed with the assistance of the World Bank 
and USAID.  The reform process would be complete d by the end of June 2000, and by then the 
activities of all Jordanian bodies involved in the tes ting and/or sampling of frozen foodstuffs would be 
in conformity with all relevant  provisions of the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures, including those relating to  Control, Inspection and Approval Procedures 
(Annex C).  The refrigeration requirements for meat  were applied to protect consumers against 
deceptive practices in the absence of legislation on consumer protection.  
149. The representative of Jordan confirmed that , as from the date of accession, unnecessary 
inspections of imported meat and meat from impor ted animals would be eliminated, and national 
treatment would be accorded fully to such products as part of Jordan's program for the development 
and adoption of guidelines and/or rules for food in spection and testing procedures.  The new Law on 
Agriculture would include provisions of Annex C of the WTO Agreement on the Application of 
Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.  All instruc tions and testing procedures would be in accordance 
with the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanita ry and Phytosanitary Measures, in particular its 
Annex C.  To address concerns over the lack of national treatment for and the unnecessary inspection 
of imported meat and meat from live animals, he confirmed that Jordan would make a particular 
commitment to abide by the provisions of paragraphs  1(a), 1(e) and 1(g) of Annex C from the date of 
accession.  Jordan would implement the least trad e restrictive requirements possible to prevent 
deceptive practices vis-à-vis  consumers of meat, taking into account the national treatment 
requirements of Article III of GATT 1994.  All rema ining prohibitions on th e use of powdered milk 
by industrial users of dairy products would be abolished as soon as legislatively possible upon accession, and in any event no later than within 12  months from the date of accession.  The Working 
Part took note of these commitments.  
150. Asked whether Jordan was considering worki ng towards the concept of equivalence, the 
representative of Jordan said that Jordan accepted IS O procedures.  His Government also intended to 
issue new regulations for the acceptance of sanitary and phytosanitary measures of other countries.  
The exporting countries would need to demonstrate th at their measures achieved the same level of 
consumer health protection as in Jordan.  Jordan was pr epared to accept inspection certifications from 
other countries based on agreement.  Jordan did not apply stricter sanitary and phytosanitary measures 
than set out by international standards organizations on any product. 
151. The representative of Jordan confirmed that Jo rdan's sanitary and phytosanitary standards 
system would be in compliance with WTO provisi ons under the Agreement on the Application of 
Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures as of the date  of accession to the WTO, and that Jordan would 
apply all measures of the Agreement on the Applica tion of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures in a  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 55 
 
 
least trade distortive manner from the date of accessi on without recourse to any transition period.  The 
representative of Jordan further confirmed that, wi thout recourse to any transition period and in 
conformity with the SPS Agreement, no stricter rules than those laid out by international 
organizations such as OIE will be applied.  The Working Party took note of this commitment. 
Trade-Related Investment Measures (TRIMs)  
152. The representative of Jordan said that Jordan di d not maintain any measures inconsistent with 
the TRIMs Agreement.  His Government applied the principle of national treatment and did not resort 
to performance requirements which could affect trade. 
153. The representative of Jordan said that Jordan would not mainta in any measures inconsistent 
with the TRIMs Agreement and would apply th e TRIMs Agreement from the date of accession 
without recourse to any transition period.  The Working Party took note of this commitment. 
State trading entities  
154. The representative of Jordan said that the government sector was gradually moving out of 
importing food products.  The private sector could now import all products previously subject to 
government monopoly such as rice, sugar, wheat, barley, frozen meat and poultry, and his 
Government had thus far never refu sed to provide prior approval for goods where this was required.  
The Directorate of Internal Trade at the Ministry of Industry and Trade continued to import wheat and one brand of dried milk (Halibuna) in competition w ith the private sector.  He noted that any private 
sector importer could import milk powder into Jordan.  The Directorate of Internal Trade at the 
Ministry of Industry and Trade sold fodder products directly to farmers through its distribution 
outlets. 
155. The Jordan Civil Consumers Corporation (JCCC) was an enterprise organized for the benefit 
of government employees.  JCCC operated on a comme rcial basis and sold imported and Jordanian 
products at its outlets at prices slightly below the regular market prices.  The Agricultural Marketing 
Organization (AMO) was an agricultural marketing board regulating trade in agricultural products 
with other Arab countries in accordance with bilatera l trade agreements or trade protocols.  In this 
regard, AMO issued recommendations to the customs department whether or not to exempt imports 
from customs duties in compliance with the agreemen ts.  AMO also monitored the quality of imports 
to ensure compliance with Jordania n quality standards.  AMO did not engage in actual importation or 
exportation, and did not interfere regarding the prices of products imported or exported.  AMO served 
as an information centre as it collected trade and pri ce statistics and other relevant information.  AMO 
conducted market studies;  researched new export mark ets;  assisted private sector participation at WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 56  
 
international trade fairs and exhibitions;  pub lished brochures, guidebooks  and newsletters for 
producers, exporters and importers ;  and monitored the quality of fresh produce exported from Jordan. 
156. Asked about the activities of the Agricultural  Marketing and Processing Company (AMPCO), 
the representative of Jordan said th at this was a company in the pr ocess of being privatized.  AMPCO 
owned and operated processing plants for tomatoes and citrus fruit, and marketed agricultural produce 
locally and internationally.  The comp any had no exclusive trading rights. 
157. Importation and exportation of some products we re reserved for particular enterprises in 
accordance with their laws.  The products and co mpanies involved are listed in Table 13.  The 
enterprises could also benefit from tariff exempti ons granted by the Council of Ministers upon special 
decision.  All companies, except the tyre manufactur ers, had been granted customs duty exemptions.  
The representative of Jordan added that the exclus ive rights were provided as part of the concession 
packages and agreements w ith these companies, and that the exclus ive rights would continue to be in 
effect for the duration of the concessions. 
Table 13:  Exclusive rights to import or export
 
HS Code Product Enterprise Reason for restriction 
41.01 
41.02 41.03 Natural raw leather Jordan Tanning Co. The Law of the 
Company 
27.09 Petroleum and 
derivatives, excluding 
mineral oils Jordan Petroleum 
Refinery Company 
(JPRC) The Law of the 
Company 
73.11 Gas cylinders for house 
use JPRC The Law of the 
Company 
25.23 Black cement Jordan Cement 
Factories Co. The Law of the 
Company 
28.34 Ammonium Nitrate Jordan Phosphates 
Mining Co. (JPMC) The Law of the 
Company and because it 
is also used as input for 
explosives 
25.10 Raw Phosphates JPMC The Law of the 
Company 
36.01 36.02 
36.03 Gun Powder, salt and 
explosives JPMC The Law of the 
Company and for 
security reasons 
40.12 Used automobile tires Tyre factories For safety and 
ecological reasons 
158. Some members queried whether the enterprises men tioned had the right to restrict trade, in 
which case Jordan was requested to indicate how it would amend this practi ce to bring it into 
conformity with Article XI of the GATT.  Jordan was requested to describe the special or exclusive 
privileges relating to importation and exportation by completing the State trading questionnaire for the  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 57 
 
 
Jordan Tanning Company, the Jordan Petroleum Re finery Company, the Jordan Cement Factories 
Company, the Jordan Phosphates Mining Company,  the Fertilizers Company, the Arab Potash 
Company, and the Arab Company for Manufacturing White Cement.  Some members sought 
confirmation that Jordan was prepared to notify fi rms with special and exclusive privileges as State 
trading enterprises within the meaning of Artic le XVII of the GATT 1994 an d the Understanding on 
the Interpretation of Article XVII, and to observe  the provisions of the WTO, including Article XVII 
of the GATT in their operation. 
159. In reply, the representative of Jordan said that the enterprises listed in Table 13 traded on the 
basis of market demand and their own needs.  The fact that these firms received tariff exemptions did 
not, in his view, make them State trading companies.  Having reviewed Jordan's State trading activities according to the definitio n provided under the Understanding on the Interpretation of Article 
XVII of the GATT 1994, Jordan had identified - in document WT/ACC/JOR/26 - six State trading 
entities, and provided a justification for not including two further activities (Table 14(a) and 14(b)). 
Table 14(a):  State trading entities iden tified by the Government of Jordan
 
 
Entity Name Nature of Exclusiv ity Legal Justification Duration 
Jordan Cement 
Factories Jordan Cement Factories has 
the exclusive right to import cement and its by-products.  Prime Minister Instruction 
dated 10 September 1951 and Concession agreement dated 6 December 1951 Concession is 
for 50 years.  It will expire in 2001 
Jordan Tanning Company Co. Ltd. (JTCL) JTCL has the exclusive rights to 
import and export rawhides and skins. JTCL also has exclusive 
rights to export tanned leather. Law No. 9 of 1962 Concession is 
for 40 years. It will expire 
2002. 
Jordan Phosphate 
Mines Co. Ltd. (JPMC) JPMC has exclusive mining 
rights of phosphates for four 
different mines in Jordan.   Hasa, Rusaifa, and Wadi Al-Abyad locations mining rights are valid from 17 December 1968 to 1998.  
Shaidiah location Mining rights 
are valid from November 1987 to 2017. Based on Law No. 12 of 
Natural Resources 1968 
Mining Rights No.1 and No.2 1968 Prime Minister instructions dated 29 May 1979 (explosives Exclusive right 
for mining (and 
de facto export) of phosphate is for 30 years.  Expiration date is 1998 for 
Hasa, Rusaif, 
and Wadi Al-Abyad and 2017 for Shaidiah. WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 58  
 
Entity Name Nature of Exclusiv ity Legal Justification Duration 
 Mining rights are subject to re-
negotiation and renewal once 
they expire. Although there are no legal restrictions on any persons for exporting phosphate, JPMC de 
facto does not sell phosphate to 
private traders for export purpose. JPMC also has the exclusive rights to import, store and sell explosive materials used for 
mining and quarrying purposes.  Exclusive right 
for the import 
and sale of explosive materials is indefinite 
according to 
Prime Minister Instructions of 1979. 
Jordan 
Petroleum 
Refinery Co. The term of concession grants 
the company the exclusive right 
to refine oil and sell in Jordan. The company has the exclusive right to import oil and Hydrocarbon necessary to the local market.  The concession Law No. 
19 of 1958 was issued to 
approve the concession agreement signed between the Jordanian Government and the Petroleum Refinery Company. The concession 
expires in 2008. 
The Vegetable 
Oil Industries Co. ltd. 
 
 The company has the exclusive 
right to refine and produce margarine of plant origin. 
The company has the exclusive 
right to export margarine as per the concession agreement; however this is not implemented in practice Agreement signed on 
27 March 1956  Concession 
agreement was granted in 1956 
for thirty years 
and extended for another fifteen years. The concession will 
expire in 2001. 
The Ministry of 
Industry and 
Trade Exclusive rights to import 
Wheat Bran for animal feed.  Decision of Ministry of 
Industry and Trade No time limit on 
such rights 
  
Table 14(b):  Entities that do not meet the definition of Article XVII of the GATT 1994 
 
according to the Government of Jordan  
 
Entity Name Justification 
Agricultural Marketing Organization 
(AMO) AMO does not engage in any international trade activities. 
Used tires Used tires may not be imported unless for the purpose of re-
threading. 
Any company may import used tires for re-threading 
purpose if such company has re-threading facilities. There are no restrictions on establishing re-threading facilities in Jordan. Currently , there are eight companies 
engaged in this activity. 
 
160. The representative of Jordan stated that his Government had identified the following six 
entities as State Trading companies:  Jordan Cement Factories, Jordan Petroleum Refinery Co. Ltd.,  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 59 
 
 
Jordan Tanning Co. Ltd., Jordan Phosphate Mines Co . Ltd., the Vegetable Oil Industries Co. Ltd., and 
the Ministry of Industry and Trade.  His Government had identified the trading activities of the 
entities listed above as subject to the provisions of Article XVII of the GATT 1994, and is prepared to 
notify these firms as State trading enterprises w ithin the meaning of Article XVII and the 
Understanding upon accession. 
161. The representative of Jordan confirmed that  after accession to the WTO, Jordan would 
observe WTO provisions, in particular, Article XVI I of the GATT 1994, the WTO Understanding on 
that Article, and Article VIII of the GATS regarding State trading, with respect to the State-owned 
enterprises and other enterprises and entities with special or exclusive privileges identified in 
paragraphs 154-160 of this report,  in particular abiding by the provisions for notification, non-
discrimination, and the application of commercial co nsiderations for trade transactions.  The Working 
Party took note of these commitments. 
Free zones, special economic areas  
162. The representative of Jordan said that four free zones were currently operating in Jordan.  The 
Aqaba Free Zone, occupying an area close to one  million square metres, served transit trade and 
goods imported through the port of Aqaba.  The Zone was fully equipped with infrastructure, goods 
handling equipment, storage warehouses, paved open yards and cold-storage facilities.  The Zarqa 
Free Zone covered an area of some 5.5 million s quare metres, serving industrial and commercial 
investment.  The Sahab free zone covered an ar ea of 62,000 square metres, and the Queen Alia 
International Airport Free Zone an area of 20,000 sq uare metres.  In addition, four livestock/private 
free zones operated in Jordan. 
163. The free zones had been established to encourag e local and foreign investment, introduction 
of new technology, transit trade and export oriented  industries and were open to any local, Arab or 
foreign investor.  Investors registered with the Co mpanies Registrar.  Industrial and services projects 
established in the free zones enjoyed benefits in the form of (i) profits exempt from income tax for a 
period of twelve years;  (ii) the remuneration of non-Jordanian employees was exempt from income 
tax and social services tax;  (iii) goods imported into the free zones were exempt from customs duties and any other taxes and fees;  (iv) no licensing fees or real estate taxes were applied to the buildings 
constructed within the free zones;  and (v) the ca pital invested and profits earned could be freely 
repatriated.  Goods exported from the free zones, other than to Jordan, were also exempt from 
customs duties and any other taxes and fees. 
164. The representative of Jordan confirmed that free zones or free economic zones in Jordan would 
be fully subject to the coverage of the commitments taken in the Protocol of Accession, and that Jordan WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 60  
 
would ensure enforcement of its WTO obligations in thos e zones, including those commitments derived 
from the TRIPS Agreement.  He al so confirmed that, when goods produc ed or imported into the zones 
under the special tax and tariff regi me existing in these areas enter into the rest of Jordan, normal 
customs formalities, tariffs and taxes would be applied.  The Working Party took note of this 
commitment. 
Government procurement
 
165. The representative of Jordan said that governme nt procurement practices were governed by 
several laws and regulations depending on the nature  and purpose of the procurement.  Two public 
departments – the Cooperation Organization and the National Aid Fund – enjo yed autonomy in their 
procurement according to their rules and regulations .  Excluding these two bodies, the overall value of 
goods and services purchased by the public sector  amounted to around JD 145 million annually. 
166. Purchases of supplies for government departme nts were subject to Supplies Regulation 
No. 32 for 1993 and the Tenders Instructions No. (1) of 1994 issued by the Minister of Finance.  The 
General Department of Supplies/Ministry of Financ e were responsible for such procurement, which 
was normally conducted by tende ring through the Central Tendering Committee.  The committee 
comprised three permanent members from the General Supplies Department (GSD), the Ministry of 
Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Finance,  and two members from the government department 
applying for the actual purchase. 
167. Tender notices were published in local news papers for three consecutive days.  The 
announcement included the tender identification numb er, information on the requested product, the 
price and final date of sale of the tender documents , and the closing date and time for the submission 
of offers.  Bids were evaluated according to crite ria depending on the genera l and special conditions 
as well as the technical specifications set out in th e tender documents.  Severa l elements of the offer 
would be considered, including the price, running cost s, the need for spare parts and maintenance, and 
the commercial capability and reputation of the bi dder.  Most procurement was conducted by open 
tender, but in some cases limited tendering would be applied, in which case a shortlist of qualified 
bidders would be drawn up on the basis of technical  merits and experience.  The Secretariat of the 
tenders committee in the General Supplies Depart ment announced the winning bid on a special 
announcing board (at the GSD) or by any other me thod devised by the Director General, allowing 
four days for objections to be submitted by any pa rticipant.  The tenders committee would consider 
the objections and issue its decision.  A supplier wh ich continued to dispute the award of a contract 
could seek redress through the national courts.  P ublic works contracts were tendered through the 
Ministry of Public Works.  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 61 
 
 
168. Local products were given preference over im ported products in government tenders.  A 
15 per cent preferential margin was accorded to Jordanian products provided the terms and conditions 
(including quality) were otherwise equal to impor ted products.  Moreover, a contractor procuring 
imported products should buy these in the local market rather than by direct importation.  Jordan did 
not have any trade agreements with other coun tries covering public procurement.  Offset 
arrangements were infrequent and woul d be handled on a case-by-case basis. 
169. The representative of Jordan said that work w ould be undertaken in November 1999 to table a 
request for observer status in the GPA Committee. 
170. The representative of Jordan confirmed th at, upon accession to the WTO, Jordan would 
initiate negotiations for membership in the Agre ement on Government Procurement by tabling an 
entity offer.  He also confirmed that, if the results of the negotiations were satisfactory to the interests 
of Jordan and the other members of the Agreem ent, Jordan would complete negotiations for 
membership in the Agreement within a year of accession.  The Working Party took note of these 
commitments. 
Transit  
171. The representative of Jordan sai d that Jordan applied the principles of the international 
agreement for road transportation known as TIR.  Transit trade was subject to a toll equal to 
0.3 per cent of the value of the goods in transit (m aximum JD 200).  Transit goods destined to free 
zones were exempt from the fee.  Jordan also charged a diesel fee of JD 80 on transit trade. 
172. Jordan also applied the principles of the Ar ab Transit Agreement signed on 14 March 1977.  
The Arab Transit Agreement was part of the Arab regional trade arrangements within the Arab League.  The agreement was based on the same principles as the TIR, but set ceilings on the transit fees for Arab vehicles. 
173. Some members noted that transit charges on Arab vehicles were lower than for other 
transporters, and asked how Jordan intended to end its discriminatory sy stem of transit charges.  The 
representative of Jordan acknowledged that the fee for goods passing through Jordan in accordance 
with the Arab Transit Agreement amounted to 0.3 pe r cent, as against 0.4 per cent for other goods, but 
did not consider the system discriminatory.  In add ition, trucks registered in countries which were not 
signatories to the Arab Transit Agreement were subject  to some specific fees regardless of the nature 
of the goods they were carrying.  Loaded trucks paid JD 75 for loads not exceeding 30 tons, JD 100 
for loads between 30 and 40 tons, and JD 150 for loads exceeding 40 tons, as well as a fee of JD 15 
for each one-body loaded truck and JD 25 for a loaded  truck and trailer.  Em pty one-body trucks were WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 62  
 
subject to a fee of JD 5, while an empty truck and trailer paid JD 10.  Jordan also charged JD 10 for 
guard and security escort. 
Agricultural policies
 
(a) Imports – description of the typ es of border protection maintained 
174. The representative of Jordan provided detailed information on Jordan's agriculture sector and 
agricultural policies in document WT/ACC/JOR/14.  Concerning measures pertaining to agricultural 
imports, he said that import regulations had change d substantially in recent years in Jordan.  The 
former Ministry of Supply had been the sole im porter of essential foodstuffs until 1997.  The private 
sector could now import almost any agricultural prod uct against payment of prevailing import duties 
and taxes, and provided the imported product met lo cal quality standards.  A ban on imported mineral 
water - to support local production in a disadva ntaged area – had been lifted in April 1999. 
175. Import licences were required for most goods, in pa rticular those originating in, and imported 
from, countries and territories with which Jordan had concluded bilateral trade agreements and 
protocols on trade in agricultural goods (details on the agricultural agenda with Lebanon is provided 
in document WT/ACC/JOR/8, details on the import arrangements with Oman, Yemen and Palestinian 
Authority are found in document WT/ACC/JOR/13).  Prior approval from the Ministry of Agriculture 
was required for importation of live animals;  fre sh, chilled and frozen meat;  and frozen animal 
semen – essentially to ensure that the importe d animals and animal products met local health 
standards.  The Ministry of Industry and Trade issued prior approvals for importation of rice, powder 
milk, wheat and wheat derivatives, sugar, barley, corn, and milk for manufacturing purposes.  The 
Ministry of Industry and Trade monitored the local  market to ensure adequate supply of essential 
foodstuffs, and would make purchases internationally if private sector imports proved insufficient.  
The prior approval system was a temporary measure  which the Government intended to abolish once 
satisfied that the private sector would respond fu lly to price signals in the Jordanian market. 
176. Some members noted import restrictions on live sheep which, in their view, would appear to 
be a violation of Article XI as well as Article III:4 (national treatment).  The representative of Jordan 
replied that Jordan had recently changed its regulations  regarding importation of live sheep.  A 
previous import restriction based on weight had been changed to a requirement that the imported 
sheep should be maximum 1.5 years old, as older sheep were more prone to carry diseases, and 
because Jordan currently did not have the technical capacity to cope with the inspection of imported 
sheep.  However, Jordan was modernizing its vete rinary inspection services.  A technical committee 
formed by representatives of the Ministry of Ag riculture, the Jordan Ins titution for Standards and 
Metrology and the private sector was developing t echnical regulations for live sheep and carcasses.   WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 63 
 
 
The restriction on importation of sheep older than 1.5 years would be eliminated as soon as these 
technical regulations had been adopted (expected  in 1999).  Jordan would also eliminate a 
requirement that the share of imported ewes/year lings could not exceed 10 per cent of the total 
number of imported sheep.  The Ministry of Agriculture conducted periodic and systematic 
inspections of domestic farms to control any disease. 
(b) Exports 
177. Exports of agricultural products were genera lly unrestricted except for some fruit and 
vegetables Jordan exported to Le banon and Israel under bilateral ag reements subject to maximum 
limits (quotas).  Jordanian exporters were obliged to  comply with standards and other requirements in 
the importing country, and export of, for exampl e, horticultural products typically required a 
certificate of origin issued by the Chamber of Commerce and approved by the Agricultural Marketing 
Organization, a health certificate issued by the Plant Protection Department of the Ministry of 
Agriculture, and an EURI certificate for exports to the EU. 
(c) Internal policies – i.e. description of, and th e budgetary expenditure and any revenue foregone 
 involved in each of the domestic support measures in place 
178. The representative of Jordan said that although the direct contribution of agriculture in 
Jordan's GDP was no more than around 5 per cent, it was estimated that about 25 to 30 per cent of 
economic activity was based on agriculture.  The Government supported local producers through a combination of means including procurement of domest ic production, and provision of inputs such as 
seeds, water, credit and livestock feed.  The Governme nt  also financed agricultural extension services 
and scientific research to improve productivity in th e agriculture sector.  The principal institutions 
involved in producer support were the Ministry of Agriculture;  the Ministry of Industry, Supply and Trade;  the Jordan Cooperatives Association (JCA);   the Jordan Valley Authority (JVA);  and the 
Agricultural Credit Corporation (ACC). 
179. In the past - to ensure production of basic f oodstuffs and fodder - the former Ministry of 
Supply had purchased wheat, lentils, chickpeas and barley from farmers at prices announced during 
the planting season.  The Government no longer pur chased commodities from farmers but maintained 
strategic food reserves.  At the end of May 1998, the Ministry of Supply had become a directorate 
within the Ministry of Industry and Trade. 
180. The representative of Jordan said that the Ag riculture Marketing Organization (AMO) was a 
government agency formed in 1987 to organi ze and develop the marketing of processed and 
unprocessed agricultural products.  He stressed that  the Agricultural Marketing Organization had WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 64  
 
never been involved in any commercial activity of im porting, exporting, selling or distribution of any 
goods, and that the AMO had never been involved in  any trading operation on behalf of Jordan's 
Government.  Concerning the importation and exportati on of fresh fruits and vegetables, he noted that 
importation of fresh fruits and vegetables was a llowed year round from all countries without any 
restrictions and subject to pre-set custom duty, except from countries with which Jordan had trade 
protocols.  Imports from member countries of the Ar ab Free Trade Area (AFTA) were subject to Arab 
Calendars set by AFTA, allowing member countries to  charge the full customs tariff on their imports 
of fresh produce from other member countries during time periods agreed upon in the above mentioned calendars.  Imports from some Arab c ountries with whom Jordan had bilateral trade 
agreements were subject to the terms and conditi ons of the signed agreements and their attached 
calendars, which enabled imports to enjoy full exem ption from custom duties during periods set in the 
calendars.  The role of the AMO in this re gard was to manage this process by issuing 
recommendations to the customs department on wh ether or not to exempt imports from customs 
duties in compliance with each of the mentioned ag reements, and to monitor the quality of imports 
and ensure that they complied with Jordanian quali ty requirements and standards.  In addition, the 
AMO was responsible for conducting market studies in local and international markets;  assisting and 
organizing private sector participation in internati onal trade fairs and exhibitions;  introducing new 
high value horticultural products;  publishing guide books, brochures, and ne wsletters on production, 
marketing, handling, backing and exportation of horticultural products;  and monitoring and 
controlling the quality of fresh produce in Jordan, including imported and exported products.  The 
AMO maintained a complete database on local and international prices, and statistics on production, 
imports and exports of fr esh horticultural products. 
181. The Agricultural Marketing and Processing Company (AMPCO) had been established in 
1987 to stimulate production and processing of tomatoes and citrus fruit.  The Government currently 
owned 88 per cent of its shares, but the company w as scheduled for full privatization by the end of 
1999.  AMPCO had paid guaranteed prices to toma to farmers in the early 1990s, but was now 
competing with two other processors for available supplies.  The maximum price paid to tomato 
producers was now set relative to processing costs and international price trends for processed 
tomatoes.  AMPCO had held exclusive rights to im port four primary horticultural crops until 1995, 
when its monopoly rights had been removed.  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 65 
 
 
182. The Jordan Cooperatives Association (JCA) pr ovided farmers with supplies and inputs at 
outlets throughout the country.  Its members could obtain inputs at prices slightly below ordinary 
market prices.  One of JCA's primary current functions was to distribute certified seeds to farmers at 
subsidized prices, but this practice would be abo lished in 1999.  The JCA no longer provided loans to 
members at less than market interest rates, but some of the loans granted before 1989 were still 
outstanding.  The value of forgiven loans amounted to approximately JD 32,000 in 1997. 
183. The Jordan Valley Authority (JVA), operating w ithin the Ministry of  Water and Irrigation, 
supplied water to agricultural producers and monito red development in the Jo rdan Valley to ensure 
that water use would not exceed the available s upply.  JVA had until recently charged horticultural 
producers for water below cost, but this subsidy ha d been virtually eliminated in 1997.  Producers 
elsewhere in Jordan had no access to subsidized water. 
184. The Agricultural Credit Corporation (ACC) provi ded soft loans (6 to 8.5 per cent annual 
interest) to farmers and agribusiness investors.  ACC loans were either operational loans of 
12-24 month duration or development loans to be re paid over a maximum of 15 years.  In 1996, ACC 
had provided JD 8 million in operational loans, pr imarily as seasonal or short-term financing of 
production.  ACC development loans were in st rong demand, not just because of the discounted 
interest rates and lack of commissions and fees, but also because commercial banks generally refused 
to provide loans with maturity beyond three years.  Farmers and processors had outstanding debts totalling JD 181 million at the end of 1997.  The estimated interest subs idy amounted to JD 350,000 
on operational loans and JD 330,0 00 on development loans in 1997.  The agriculture sector also 
benefited from the subsidy component (maximum 1 pe rcentage point) embodied in the rediscount and 
advance rates established by the Central Bank.  
185. The representative of Jordan said that subsidi es had been removed on wheat, sugar, rice and 
animal fodder.  In line with this policy reform, the price of bread had been increased from 85 to 
250 fils per kg, balanced by cash transfers to affected household meeting an income eligibility 
criterion.  In addition, families with monthly in come of less than JD 500 had received coupons from 
the Ministry of Industry and Trade to obtain rice, su gar, and condensed milk (Halibuna) at subsidized 
prices.  The coupon system had been replaced by a cash subsidy programme for government 
employees at the end of 1997.  Selected commodities – fresh cow milk, yoghurt, and imported fresh 
meat – were subject to ceiling prices established in negotiations between the Ministry of Industry and 
Trade and representatives of the private sector. 
186. Agricultural income was exempt from income ta x.  The exemption applied to domestic sales 
as well as to exports. WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 66  
 
187. The representative of Jordan said that Jordan intended to stimulate agricultural growth and to 
improve resource management by directing and en couraging farmers towards growing agricultural 
products with high economic value.  The Minist ry of Agriculture had identified high-value 
agricultural products suitable to Jordan's climat ic and agronomic conditions, but not yet commonly 
produced in Jordan.  The products were suggested to  producers as alternatives to current crops by the 
extension and advisory services of the Ministry of Agriculture.  In addition, the Agricultural 
Marketing Organisation featured the products at in ternational trade fairs a nd supported experimental 
shipments of such products to potential export mark ets.  He considered these measures "Green box" 
policies. 
188. The representative of Jordan said that domestic  support in the agriculture sector was below 
the de minimis  percentage allowed under Article 6 of th e Agreement on Agriculture.  Jordan did not 
grant any export subsidies to agricultural products.  He confirmed that Jordan would bind agricultural 
exports subsidies at zero in its Goods Schedule. 
189. Jordan's commitments on agricultural tariffs , on domestic support and export subsidies for 
agricultural products are in the Schedule of C oncessions and Commitments on Goods annexed to 
Jordan's Protocol of Accession to the WTO. 
Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)
 
1. General  
(a) Industrial property protection  
190. The representative of Jordan said that his Government recognized the importance of 
introducing new laws and amending existing laws pertaining to intellectual property taking into 
consideration the international intellectual property conventions and the conditions for entry into the 
World Trade Organization. 
191. Some members requested Jordan to submit to  the Working Party a plan of action for 
implementation of the WTO TRIPS Agreement by the date of accession.  In their view, Jordan should 
use the period of its accession negotiations to make  the necessary changes in the area of intellectual 
property rights to meet WTO norms, and, as a conseque nce, Jordan was expected to be in conformity 
with the WTO TRIPS Agreement from the date of accession to the WTO, without recourse to any 
transitional period of non-application.  The representa tive of Jordan replied that Jordan had launched a 
major reform of its intellectual property regime  in 1999.  The status of ongoing reforms 
(November 1999) is presented in Table 15.  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 67 
 
 
Table 15:  Status of legislation on intelle ctual property rights in Jordan (November 1999)  
Law Status of Draft Expected approval 
date (Parliament) 
Amendments to the Law on 
Trademarks No. 33 of 1952 Enacted as a Law, entering into force on 
1 December 1999 
  
Law on Patents Enacted as a Law, entering into force on 
1 December 1999  
Amendments to the Law on 
Copyrights No. 22 of 1992 Enacted as a Law, entered into force on 
2 November 1999  
Law on Industrial Design Referred to Parliament January 2000 
Law on Integrated Circuits Referr ed to Parliament January 2000 
Law on Geographical 
Indications Referred to Parliament January 2000 
Law on Trade Secrets and 
Unfair Competition Referred to Parliament November 1999 
Law on Plant Variety 
Protection Referred to the Legislative Bureau at the 
Council of Ministers November 1999 
Regulations/ 
Instructions Status of Draft Expected Adoption Date
Regulations on Border 
Enforcement of Intellectual property Rights Being drafted; submission to the CM is 
expected in December 1999 Upon enactment of 
Amendments to the Customs Law 
Regulations on Copyrights Being drafted; submission to the CM is 
expected in December 1999 January 2000 
Regulations on Integrated 
Circuits Being drafted; submission to the CM is 
expected in December 1999 Upon enactment of the 
Law on Integrated Circuits 
(b) Responsible agencies for polic y formulation and implementation  
192. The representative of Jordan said that vari ous institutions were responsible for the 
formulation and implementation of laws and regulations pertaining to intellectual property rights, 
including the Houses of Parliament, the Council of Mi nisters, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the 
Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Culture, the Courts of Law, the Customs Department, the 
National Library, as well as television and radio stations. 
(c) Participation in internationa l intellectual property agreements  
193. The representative of Jordan sai d that Jordan was a member of the Paris Convention for the 
Protection of Industrial Property and the Arab Agr eement for the Protection of Copyrights.  Jordan's 
accession to the Berne Convention (1886) for the Prot ection of Literary and Artistic Works had been 
approved by the Council of Ministers, and had come into force in July 1999.  The Berne Convention superseded national laws after its publication.  Jord an was considering the po ssibility to accede to the 
Madrid Agreement (1891) concerning the Internationa l Registration of Marks;  the Protocol Relating WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 68  
 
to the Madrid Agreement concerning the Intern ational Registration of Marks (1989);  the Nice 
Agreement (1957) concerning the International Clas sification of Goods and Services for the purposes 
of the Registration of Marks;  the "PCT" Patent Cooperation Treaty (1970);  and the Rome 
Convention (1961) for the Protection of Perform ers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting 
Organizations.  His Government envisaged to accede  to these agreements within 5 to 7 years.  
However, until the time of accession to these agreemen ts, Jordan would comply with the requirements 
of the TRIPS Agreement upon accession to the WTO. 
(d) Application of national and MFN treatment to foreign nationals
 
194. The representative of Jordan said that the current  industrial property laws provided foreign 
nationals with treatment equal to that of Jordania n nationals.  Article 38 of the Copyright Protection 
Law would be amended to ensure that non-depos iting of a copyright work at the Documentation 
Centre would not affect the author's rights as sti pulated in the Law.  International conventions and 
reciprocity conditions would be take n into consideration with respect to the protection of works of 
foreign authors published abroad.  The current Copyright Protection Law (Article 53) provided 
protection only for works published or reproduced in  Jordan by Jordanian and foreign authors, and 
works of Jordanian authors published abroad.  Protection of works published abroad would be 
accorded protection in the near future, as Jordan was joining the Berne Convention.  The Amendment 
Copyright Law had been published on 1 October 1998.   Its Article 45 stipulated that non-filing of a 
work of art would not affect the rights of the author provided for in the Law. 
2. Substantive standards of protection, includi ng procedures for the acquisition and maintenance 
of intellectual property rights  
(a) Copyright protection  
195. The representative of Jordan said that protection of copyright in Jordan was governed by the 
Copyright Protection Law No. 22 of 1992.  Amendments to the Copyright Law had been enacted in 
October 1998 and September 1999.  The Law (Article 3 (a) and (b)) protected original works of 
literature, art and science irrespective of type , importance or purpose, including works of art 
expressed in writing, sound, drawing photography and motion such as books, speeches, plays, musical 
compositions, films, applied art, three-dimensi onal works, and computer software.  The Law 
(paragraph D of Article 3), as amended by the C opyright Amendment Law No. 14 of 1998, provided 
protection to compilations of data.  The exclusive ri ghts of the author were enumerated in Articles 8 
and 9 of the Law and the terms of protection were la id down in Articles 30 to 32.  Works of an author 
were protected for his lifetime and for fifty years afte r his death (or the death of the last surviving co-
author);  protection for 50 years from the date of  publication was provided for cinematographic and  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 69 
 
 
television works, any work whose author or right holder was a legal entity, any work published for the 
first time after the death of its author, and a nonymous and pseudonymous works;  and computer 
programs, translated works, paintings, manuscripts, sculptures, drawings, pictures, architectural and 
geographical maps or topography, surface or three-di mensional maps were protected for 50 years after 
the death of the author. 
196. Article 17 of the Copyright Law permitted the use of published works without the 
authorization of the right holder for educational, vocational training, cultural or religious purposes on 
certain conditions.  The representative of Jordan cons idered this provision to be in full conformity 
with Article 10(2) and (3) of the Berne Convention.   Regarding compulsory licensing, he said that 
Jordan's rules concerning the granting of licences fo r translation or copying had been amended to be 
compatible with the regulations of the Annex to the Berne Convention relating to developing 
countries.  Article 11 of the amended Copyright Pr otection Law allowed any person, upon obtaining a 
licence from the Ministry of Culture, to translate a work into Arabic, provided three years had lapsed 
since the date of first publication. 
197. The Copyright Amendment Law No.14 had b een enacted in October 1998 to ensure 
compliance with the TRIPS Agreement.  Changes ha d been required to meet the obligations with 
respect to compilations of data (Article 10 of  the TRIPS Agreement);  terms of protection 
(Article 12);  limitations and exceptions (Article  13);  protection of performers, producers of 
phonograms and broadcasting organizati ons (Article 14);  and enforcemen t (Articles 41 to 61).  Rental 
rights were provided according to Article 3(b) and 9 of the Copyright Protection Law, but the Law 
would be amended to give all prod ucers of sound recordings the right to allow or prohibit direct and 
indirect copying of their sound recordings, or rental of the original copies of recordings.  Jordan would also provide retroactive protection for sound recordings in accordance with Article 14 of the 
TRIPS Agreement and Article 18 of the Berne Convention. 
198. Some members requested, with respect to protecti on of copyrights, that Jordan clarify through 
regulations the meaning of Article 27 of the La w on the Protection of Copyright (1992), as amended 
by Article 7 of the Law Amending the Copyright Protection Law (1999), and its intention to apply 
this provision in very narrow circumstances.  The re presentative of Jordan stated that the meaning of 
the referenced provision would be clarified in regulations that will provide that the authority in 
Article 27 applies only in the situation in which th e author of a work is deceased and the work has 
never been published in the author's lifetime.  In such circumstances, the Mini ster shall first seek the 
permission of the author's heirs or successors to publish the work, and if such permission is not 
granted within six months, the Minister shall have  the right to publish only the work's substance. WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 70  
 
199. Some members also requested clarification regarding the meaning of the phrase "for financial 
gain" in Article 9 of the Law on the Protection of Co pyright (1992), and, in particular, whether Jordan 
intended to limit the author's exclusive rights in this manner, given that doing so would be 
inconsistent with the Berne Convention and TRIPS Agreement.  The representative of Jordan replied 
that no such limitation was intended.  Regulations  under this law would be issued to clarify the 
meaning of the phrase, and would provide that the te rm "for financial gain" in Article 9 would not 
preclude the ability of the author or right holder from engaging in, authorizing or prohibiting any non-
commercial exploitation of his work;  except fo r those non-commercial exploitations explicitly 
permitted by the law without the authorization of th e author or right holder, provided that such 
exploitations were limited to certain special cas es, and provided that such exploitations did not 
conflict with a normal exploitation of the work  and did not unreasonably prejudice the legitimate 
interests of the right holder. 
(b) Trademarks, including service marks
 
200. The representative of Jordan said that prot ection was afforded under the Trademarks Law 
No. 33 of 1952, effective since 1 July 1952.  Jord an followed the international classification of goods 
according to the Nice Agreement, and the Tradem arks Law did not provide protection of service 
marks in classes 35 to 42 of the Nice Agreement.  Sepa rate application should be filed with respect to 
each class of goods. 
201. The Jordanian authorities could refuse registrati on of a mark on grounds outlined in Article 8 
of the Trademarks Law.  Applications accepted by the Trademark Registrar were published in the 
Official Gazette, allowing a three-month period for f iling of opposition by any interested party.  All 
decisions of the Trademark Registra r could be appealed to the Highe r Court of Justice.  A published 
trademark was registered, and the certificate of registration was issued, in the absence of opposition.  A registered trademark was valid for 7 years from the date of filing of the a pplication, and could be 
renewed indefinitely for periods of 14 years (the re gistration periods would be changed to 10 years in 
the amended Trademarks Law).  Proof of use was not a prerequisite for renewal of a registered 
trademark, and Jordanian law did not recogni ze the non-use of a trademark due to special 
circumstances in trade as valid grounds for cancella tion due to non-use.  Among the justifications for 
non-use of a trademark, he mentioned commercia l circumstances (such as recession), and special 
commercial circumstances including force majeure  due to war, floods, Law of God, or Law or action 
of Government.  Any person, including the owner of an unregistered trademark, had the right to object 
to the initial request for registration within three months of its publication in the Official Gazette, 
could demand cancellation of the mark registration, but could not file a civil court case demanding 
compensation for damages and losses.  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 71 
 
 
202. The current law did not allow the registration of identical or similar trademarks for the same 
goods or any other protected related goods.  No prov ision in Jordanian law prohibited the licensing of 
trademarks.  The recordation of an assignment w as mandatory according to the law.  Concerning 
protection of well-known marks, the representative of Jordan said that Article 8, paragraph 6 of the 
1952 Trademark Law had been used in courts to  protect well-known marks.  Article 25 of the 
Trademark Law provided for invalida tion of trademarks registered in  contradiction of Articles 6, 7 
and 8 of the Trademark Law.  Well-known marks fo r goods and services could not be registered in 
Jordan except in the name of  the legitimate proprietor. 
203. The representative of Jordan said that the ex isting Trademarks Law had been amended to 
comply with obligations under the TRIPS Agreem ent in September 1999.  The changes included 
introduction of protection for service marks, well-know n marks and collective trademarks;  extension 
of the grace period for non-use of a trade mark from 2 to 3 years;  introduction of punishment for 
infringement of well-known marks;  and allowing as signment of a trademark with or without good 
will.  
(c) Geographical indications, including appellations of origin  
204. The representative of Jordan said that Jordan ha d no specific legislation covering the subject 
yet.  Geographical names were protectable in acco rdance with Article 8 (paragraphs 6 and 7) of the 
Trademarks Law, and this provision had been used in courts to protect geographical indications.  
Jordan had prepared a draft law to protect geogra phical indications.  The draft law had been submitted 
to Parliament in November 1999.  In his view, th e draft law complied with the requirements of the 
TRIPS Agreement. 
(d) Industrial designs  
205. The representative of Jordan said that industria l designs were protected under the Patents 
Designs Law No. 22 of 1953, effective since 17 Fe bruary 1953, and the Patents and Designs Order 
No. 1 of 1953.  Industrial designs were registered with the Patents and Industr ial Design Office at the 
Ministry of Industry and Trade.  An industrial design was not subject to novelty examination for 
registration purposes, but the industrial design re gistrar would determine whether the design had a 
certain degree of novelty and qualit y, and was useful with disti nguished design and arrangement.  
Designs could be registered under 15 classes, base d on the materials the goods were made from, under 
the Patents Designs Law.  A design could be re gistered for more than one class, but a separate 
application was required for each class.  Textile d esigns were protected under Jordanian legislation. WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 72  
 
206. A design registration was valid for five years as of  the date of filing the application, and could 
be renewed twice, each time for a period of five year s.  Rejections by the Registrar could be appealed 
to the High Court of Justice within one month.  Any infringement or non-authorized use of a 
registered design was punishable under the current design law.  The Patents Designs Law contained 
no provision for compulsory working or licensing. 
207. The draft Industrial Design Law had been referred to Parliament in November 1999. 
(e) Patents
 
208. The representative of Jordan said that patent s were granted under the Patents Designs Law 
No. 22 of 1953 and the Patents and Designs Order No. 1 of 1953.  Once filed, the patent application 
was examined with respect to compliance with th e formalities and patentability provided for under the 
Patents Designs Law.  Jordan's Patent Office c ould stipulate any amendment necessary to bring the 
application into conformity with the Law.  Formal examination was conducted only on patents 
belonging to Jordanians and those filed for the firs t time in Jordan.  There were no examiners at the 
Patent Office.  In all, 1,935 patents had been issu ed in Jordan by the end of January 1997.  Foreign-
owned patents had mainly been issued for pharmac euticals, chemicals, solar energy, construction 
materials, machinery and mechanics, while patents i ssued to Jordanian nationals were mostly related 
to public safety, solar energy, electrical equipment, chemicals and mining. 
209. The patent owner's rights were set out in Article  4 of the Law, and there were no restrictions 
on the owner's rights to assign, transfer, or licence rights under a patent except for patents of military 
significance.  However, Jordan required the workin g of patents in Jordan, although the current law 
contained no definition of "working of patents".  A patent would be subject to compulsory licensing 
under the provisions of the Law if the owner of a patented invention did not satisfy the working 
requirement within three years of the date of granting the patent.  A decision to revoke a patent could be reviewed by the High Court of Justice.  Infringe ments of the right of a patentee were punishable 
under the provisions of the current Patents Designs Law. 
210. The representative of Jordan said that the exis ting patent legislation would need to be 
modified in view of Article 31 of the TRIPS Agreem ent to put more stringent conditions on the use of 
a patented invention without the authorization of  the right holder.  The new Law adopted TRIPS 
criteria for compulsory licensing.  Existing legislatio n also did not provide the owner of a patent the 
exclusive right to prevent a third party from making, offering for sale, selling or importing a product or the process resulting in that product without hi s consent as required under Article 28:1(a) and (b) of 
the TRIPS Agreement.  The patent legislation w ould also be revised to provide for a term of  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 73 
 
 
protection of 20 years from the date of filing, as ag ainst 16 years under present legislation.  Moreover, 
the Patents Law No. 8 of 1986 limited the patentability  of chemical products, and would be amended 
to extend patent protection to pharmaceuticals and ag ricultural chemical products.  He added that the 
new Patent Law provided protection to patents in respect of pharmaceutical products, but entrusted 
Cabinet with the authority to implement these provisi ons.  Article 36/E/2 stated that "The provisions 
of paragraphs(C) and (D) of this Article shall co me into force one month after the issuance of a 
decision to the effect by Cabinet during a period which does not exceed three years from the date of 
Jordan's accession to the World Trade Organization." 
211. Some members requested that Jord an clarify whether use of a patent without the authorization 
of the right holder could be authorized to permit the exploitation of a pate nt which could not be 
exploited without infringing another patent, and, if  such use could be authorized, to explain the 
consistency of the Jordanian Patent Law with Article 31(1) of the TRIPS Agreement.  The 
representative of Jordan replied that the Patent La w of 1999 provided no authority to the Government 
to authorize the use of a patent without the au thorization of the right holder for the purpose of 
exploiting a patent which could not be exploited without infringing anot her patent.  He added that, for 
the sake of transparency, this clarification will al so be reflected in any implementing regulations 
issued under the Patent Law. 
212. Some members also requested that Jordan clar ify when the Cabinet would issue the decision 
referenced in Article 36(E) of the Patent Law (1999 ) to ensure that the provisions of Article 36(C), 
specifically, the availability of product patent prot ection for "chemicals related to medications, or 
pharmaceutical or food final products," should come into  effect.  In reply, the representative of Jordan 
confirmed that the necessary steps would be taken by  the Cabinet to ensure that the provisions of 
Article 36(C) would come into force no later than 2 April 2000, and that product patent protection for 
chemicals related to medications, and pharmaceutical and food products , would be available from that 
date. WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 74  
 
213. Some members also requested Jordan to clarif y how it would ensure that, before Jordanian 
regulatory authorities approve the marketing of a pharmaceutical or agricu ltural chemical product, 
those authorities would coordinate with the Patent  Office to ensure that such marketing approvals 
would not conflict or interfere with the enjoyment of patents on that product.  The representative of 
Jordan replied that this question would be clarified through a Cabinet decision issued prior to Jordan's 
accession, which would require that, prior to issuance of marketing approval of any pharmaceutical 
and agricultural chemical products, the relevant Minist ries in Jordan must determine the existence of a 
patent covering a product for which an application for marketing approval had been filed by a party 
other than the patentee, and must not approve such application for marketing approval until the date of 
the expiration of such patent. 
214. Some members also requested that Jordan clar ify the meaning of the term "unfair commercial 
use" in its draft Unfair Competition Law to ensure pr otection of undisclosed test data submitted to the 
government as a condition for obtaining marketing approval of pharmaceutical and agricultural 
chemical products utilizing new chemical entiti es, as required by TRIPS Article 39.3.  The 
representative of Jordan replied that Jordan w ould amend its draft Unfair Competition Law as 
follows:  "Jordan will protect against unfair comme rcial use of undisclosed test or other data 
submitted in support of applications for marketin g approval of pharmaceutical or of agricultural 
chemical products which utilize new chemical entiti es, by providing that no person other than the 
person that submitted such data may, without the perm ission of the latter person, rely on such data in 
support of an application for prod uct approval for a period of at least five years from the date on 
which Jordan granted marketing approval to the pers on that produced the data."  The representative of 
Jordan added that this amendment to the Unfa ir Competition Law would be applicable to any 
application for marketing approval pending on or f iled after the date of enactment of that law. 
215. The representative of Jordan said that the draf t Patent Law (DPL) satisfied the requirements 
of Article 27 of the TRIPS Agreement as its Article  6 provided protection for inventions which were 
new, involved an inventive step, and were capable of  industrial application.  Article 30 of DPL stated 
expressly that pharmaceutical and chemical final pr oducts would be patentable.  The rights of the 
patent owner were regulat ed under Article 21 of DPL and allowe d him/her to prevent third parties 
from exploiting, commercially using, selling, offering to  sell, or importing products or - in the case of 
a patented process - to prevent third parties from using without authorisation the process, selling, 
offering to sell, or importing a product produced by th e process, as well as the right to dispose of the 
patent inter vivos , in succession, or to licence the patent. 
216. Concerning the filing of patent applicati ons containing claims for medical drugs, 
pharmaceutical compositions and food products, a member noted that Article 70.8 of the TRIPS  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 75 
 
 
Agreement stipulates that Members shall provide a m eans by which applications for patents for such 
inventions can be filed as from the date of entry into force of the WTO Agreement.  In reply, the 
representative of Jordan said that the filing of patent  applications containing claims for medical drugs, 
pharmaceutical compositions and food products would be accepted as from the date of entry into force 
of the Law (Mail Box Requirement), i.e. one mont h after its publication in the Official Gazette. 
217. Some members requested Jordan  to clarify whether importation of a patented product would 
qualify as exploitation and use of a patent within  the meaning of the second sub-paragraph of 
Article 22 of the Patent Law (1999).  The represen tative of Jordan replied that importation of a 
patented product would be consider ed exploitation and use of the pate nt, such that the situation would 
not satisfy the criteria of Article 22, second sub- paragraph.  He added that, for the sake of 
transparency, this clarification would also be refl ected in any implementing regulations issued under 
the Patent Law.  In case WTO Members in the futu re should adopt an interpretation of the TRIPS 
Agreement pursuant to Article IX of the Agre ement Establishing the WTO contradicting the 
aforementioned, Jordan reserved the right to abide by this interpretation of the TRIPS Agreement. 
218. Some members also requested th at Jordan clarify the meaning of the condition in Article 37 
of the Patent Law concerning "if the importation w as legal", and to clarify whether the situation 
involving a breach of contract would render such  importation illegal, and whether administrative 
procedures and regulations were available to patent owners to assist in the control of unauthorized 
importation of patented products.  Th e representative of Jordan replie d that in situations in which 
there had been a breach of a contract with respect  to imported products, such  products would not be 
considered to be legally imported within the me aning of Article 37 and their importation would be 
prohibited.  He noted, however, that the patent hol der was required to notify the appropriate Jordanian 
customs authorities of the identity of parties authori zed to import the patented product into Jordan, in 
which case measures would be available to prevent the entry into the Jord anian market of such 
unauthorized imports.  He added that, for the sake of  transparency, this clarification would also be 
reflected in implementing regulations issued under the draft Customs Law.  In case WTO Members in 
the future should adopt an interpretation of the TRIPS Agreement pursuant to Article IX of the 
Agreement Establishing the WTO contradicting the afor ementioned, Jordan reserved the right to abide 
by this interpretation of the TRIPS Agreement. 
(f) Plant variety protection  
219. The representative of Jordan said that Jordan had no existing legislation covering the subject.  
A draft New Plants Variety Law had been referre d to the Legislative Bureau at the Council of 
Ministers in November 1999. WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 76  
 
(g) Layout designs of integrated circuits
 
220. The representative of Jordan sai d that Jordan had referred the Layout Designs Draft Law, 
which covered Articles 35-38 of the TRIPS Agre ement, to Parliament in November 1999. 
(h) Requirements on undisclosed information, including trade secrets and test data  
221. The representative of Jordan said that Jordan had no specific legislation covering the subject.  
However, the Jordan Civil Code of 1976 provid ed protection for trade secrets in employment 
contracts.  Jordanian legislation also allowed compensation for damages and losses if the owner of a 
trade secret could prove that damage had been inf licted on him.  He considered existing legislation 
fulfilled the requirements of Article 10 bis of the Paris Convention, incorporated by reference in 
Article 39 of the TRIPS Agreement. 
222. Asked specifically about impl ementation of Article 39.3 of the TRIPS Agreement, which 
provides for a special protection regime for data submitted for registration of new pharmaceutical and 
agrochemical products, the represen tative of Jordan said that Article 39.3 of the TRIPS Agreement 
would be implemented through the Trade Secrets a nd Unfair Competition Draft Law, which had been 
referred to Parliament in November 1999. 
3. Measures to control abuse of intellectual property rights  
223. The representative of Jordan said that the Copy right Law No. 22 of 1992 included provisions 
(Articles 42, 46, 47 and 51) on the control of abuse of copyright.   Article 36 of the draft amended copyright law would give copyright office staff in th e Department of the National Library the status of 
judiciary officers in implementing the provisions of the Law.  Article 22/3 of the Patents Designs Law 
stipulated the conditions under which the owner of a patent could be or dered by a court of law to grant 
a licence for use of his patent.  Regulations to control abuse also existe d under the Trademarks Law 
and the Patents Designs Law.  The amended trademarks law would address the issue of contractual licensing of trademarks. 
4. Enforcement
 
(a) Civil judicial procedures and remedies  
224. The representative of Jordan said that the Jordanian Civil Code, the Code of Civil Procedure, 
the Merchandise Law, and the Trademark Law cont ained provisions relating to civil judicial 
procedures and remedies.  A detailed comparison of Jordanian legislation with Articles 42-48 of the 
TRIPS Agreement was provided in document WT/A CC/JOR/18 (pp.66-69).  Damages for injury in  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 77 
 
 
infringement cases could be claimed with reference to Articles 256 and 257 of the Jordan Civil Code. 
(b) Provisional measures  
225. The representative of Jordan said that procedures invoked in accordance with the Jordanian 
Code of Civil Procedure (Articles 32 and 115)  corresponded to the conditions, effects, and 
requirements mentioned in Article 50 of the TRIPS Agreement.  His Government was taking steps to 
ensure systematic applicability of these pr ovisions to intellectual property rights. 
(c) Administrative procedures and remedies  
226. The representative of Jordan said that no ad ministrative procedures and remedies were 
available at present. 
(d) Special border measures  
227. The representative of Jordan said that the 1998 Customs Law contained provisions providing 
for the prohibition of importation of goods contradic ting the provisions of intellectual property laws.  
The copyright law, trademark law and draft patent law contained provisions regarding the prohibition 
of importation of infringing goods.  However, cu stoms control and enforcement of intellectual 
property laws needed further elaboration, and his Government was currently revising these provisions.  
The Cabinet of Ministers was expected to appr ove new regulations on border enforcement of 
intellectual property rights upon enactment of Amendments to the Customs Law. 
(e) Criminal procedures  
228. The representative of Jordan said that Jordanian legislation contained no  special procedures 
beyond those laid down in the Tr ademarks Law and the Mercha ndise (Commodities) Marks Law 
No. 19 of 1953.  The actions considered unlawful and the penalties for trademark infringement were 
defined in Article 38 of the Trademarks Law.  Vi olations were punishable by imprisonment ranging 
from three months to one year and/or a fine ranging from JD 100 to JD 3,000.  With respect to patent 
violations, any person imitating or  using a patent without the perm ission of the patent holder, or 
giving false indication of a patented article, w ould be liable to imprisonment ranging from three 
months to one year and payment of a fine rangi ng from JD 100 to JD 3,000 according to the new draft 
amended patent law.  
229. The representative of Jordan stat ed that Jordan would apply fu lly all the provisions of the 
Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights from the date of accession to the 
WTO, without recourse to any transitional period.  The Working Party took note of this commitment. WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 78  
 
Policies affecting trade in services
 
230. The representative of Jordan said that trade in  services was regulated under various laws and 
regulations, the most important of which were th e Investment Promotion Law No. 16 for 1995, the 
Companies Law No. 1 for 1989, the Foreign Invest ment Regulation No. 39 for 1997, the Central Bank 
Law No. 19 for 1979, the Foreign Exchange Law No. 95 for 1966, the Banks' Law No. 24 for 1971, the Money Exchange Dealings Law No. 37 for 1992, the Labour Law No. 37 for 1988, and the 
Residency and Foreigners Affairs Law No. 5 for 1991. 
231. The banking system in Jordan consisted mainly of the Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ), banks 
licensed by the CBJ, and specialized credit institu tions.  The licensed banks comprised fourteen 
commercial banks (including five branches of foreig n banks), five private i nvestment banks, and two 
Islamic banks.  In addition, Jordan had five speci alized credit institutions.  There were no numerical 
limitations on the establishment of branches of fore ign banks.  Under the current banking law, the 
minimum capital of a licensed bank should not be less than JD 5 million.  This minimum capital requirement had been raised by CBJ to JD 20 m illion for national banks.  In the meantime, foreign 
banks were being urged to increase their capital to JD 10 million.  In practice, no limitations were 
imposed on licensed banks regarding the number or total value of their operations.  The CBJ had 
drafted a new banking law consistent w ith international banking standards. 
232. Insurance services were regulated by the Insu rance Law No. 30 for 1984 and its amendments 
on the control of insurance activities, and Regulati on No. 33 of 1995 regarding insurance companies.  
Insurance companies were supervised  by the Office of the Controller of Insurance in the Ministry of 
Industry and Trade.  Jordan operated its insura nce supervisory system in accordance with GATS 
commitments, including Article VI and the obligati ons of the Financial Serv ices Annex.  In 1998, 27 
insurance companies - with a total capital of JD 65.5 million - operated in Jordan.  The minimum 
capital for a Jordanian (domestically constituted) insurance company was JD 2 million, or JD 4 
million for a branch of a foreign company or its  accredited agent.  The capital requirement for a 
Jordanian (domestically constituted) reinsura nce company was minimum JD 20 million.  The 
limitation that non-Jordanian investors could own up to 50 per cent of the capital of an insurance 
company was being removed in accordance with sch eduled commitments.  All insurance companies 
registered in Jordan were required to be member of a Federation.  Before commencing operations, an 
insurance company was required to deposit with a commercial bank an amount to protect the holders 
of insurance policies against any default on its part. 
233. Concerning telecommunication services, the represen tative of Jordan said that the sector was 
regulated by the Telecommunications Law No. 13 fo r 1995.  The sector was in the process of  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 79 
 
 
restructuring.  An independent Telecommunicati ons Regulatory Commission had been established, 
while policy formulation and development was carri ed out by the Policy Department within the 
Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.  The national operator – the Jordan Telecommunication 
Company (JTC) had been transformed into a State-owned company as a first step towards privatization.  The JTC held a monopoly on the pr ovision of basic telephone services, while licences 
had been issued to private suppliers of cellular mobile telephone, data, pagi ng and pay-phone services. 
234. Tourism activity was essentially private-sector oriented.  In the past, the Government had 
owned a substantial stake in the Jordan Hotels and Tourism Company, but the shares had been sold to 
a private company.  The sector was expanding rapidly, and new hotels were built with private Jordanian and foreign capital.  Tourist bus tran sportation had been a monopoly held by a private 
company until 1994, but this sector was now open to other service providers. 
235. The representative of Jordan said that Arab economic agreements contained some provisions 
on facilitating the movement of workers among th e countries.  The Agreement on Facilitating and 
Developing Commercial Exchange  between Arab States (AFTA) aimed at providing special 
facilitation to services related to commercial excha nge between member states.  Article 18 of the 
Agreement referred to transport services, stati ng that members should cooperate in facilitating 
transportation between each other, and tran sit trade of Arab goods among member states. 
236. Jordan's Schedule of Specific Commitments on Se rvices is annexed to its  draft Protocol of 
Accession reproduced in the Appendix to this Repor t (see paragraph 248 below).  This Schedule of 
Specific Commitments on Services contains the lega lly binding market access commitments of Jordan 
in respect of services. 
Transparency
 
Publication of information on trade  
237. The representative of Jordan said that the Constitu tion of Jordan provided that laws should be 
published in the Official Gazette.  According to pr ovision No. 93 (ii) of the Constitution, a law came 
into force after its promulgation by the King, thirty  days from the date of publication in the Official 
Gazette, unless the law specifically stated another date of entry into force.  The date of entry into 
force was stipulated in the first article of each law. 
238. The representative of Jordan said that from the date of accession all laws, regulations, 
decrees, judicial decisions and administrative rulings  of general application re lated to trade would be 
published in a manner that fulfils the WTO requireme nts.  As such, no law or regulation related to WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 80  
 
international trade would become effective prior to  such publication in the official Gazette.  He 
further stated that all laws which were amended to comply with the WTO Agreements contain 
provisions which require such publication.  Decrees which affect international trade will be published 
either in the Official Gazette or in the bulletin of Chamber of Indust ry and Commerce.  Final judicial 
judgements of the highest courts will be published in the Journal of Jordanian Bar Association.  
Jordan's Constitution and other laws currently in place or listed in document WT/ACC/JOR/32 as 
slated for near-term enactment would implement fully Article X of the GATT 1994 and the other 
transparency requirements in WTO Agreements requiring notification and publication. 
Notifications
 
239. The representative of Jordan said that, at the latest  within six months of the entry into force of 
the Protocol of Accession, Jordan would submit a ll initial notifications required by any Agreement 
constituting part of the WTO Agreement.  Some no tifications, as provided for in WT/ACC/JOR/31, 
will be made immediately after accession.  Any re gulations subsequently enacted by Jordan which 
gave effect to the laws enacted to implement an y Agreement constituting part of the WTO Agreement 
would also conform to the requirements of that Ag reement.  The Working Party took note of these 
commitments. 
Trade agreements  
240. The representative of Jordan sai d that Jordan was a member of several multilateral economic 
organizations which aimed at promoting trad e and economic cooperation among its members, 
including the International Monetary Fund, the International Bank for Reconstruction and 
Development, the Multilateral Investment Gu arantee Agency, the World Intellectual Property 
Organization and the International Labour Organiza tion.  Among the regional institutions, Jordan was 
a member of the Arab Monetary Fund, the Isla mic Development Bank, the Arab Fund for Economic 
and Social Development, and the Arab Council for Economic Unity. 
241. Jordan had concluded bilateral trade agreements  with many countries (listed in Annex 7 of 
document WT/ACC/JOR/3).  These agreements were generally based on the MFN principle, although 
some agreements with Arab countries included trade preferences.  Preferentia l treatment was accorded 
to specific goods included in protocols annexed to these agreements.  However, Jordan had terminated 
all trade protocols, except with Lebanon, in 1995.  The representative of Jordan said that the bilateral 
agreements did not include countertrade and barter arrangements.  In the past, trade with Sudan had 
been subject to countertrade and barter, but these arrangements had not been renewed.  The trade agreement with Iraq essentially provided Iraqi oil in exchange for Jordanian exports.  Previously, the 
agreement had a credit arrangement component, but this was no longer the case (since 1997).  Jordan  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 81 
 
 
had concluded bilateral investment promotion a nd protection agreements with Germany, France, 
Turkey, Switzerland, Malaysia, Romania, United Kingdom, Tunisia, Yemen, Egypt, Italy, Algeria, 
Indonesia, the United States, the Czech Repub lic, Poland, the Netherlands and Morocco. 
242. Jordan was a member of the Arab Common Mark et Agreement (ACM) together with Egypt, 
Iraq, Mauritania, Libya, Syria and Yemen.  Jo rdan was also a member of the Agreement for 
Facilitating and Developing Trade Exchange among Arab States.  Members of the Agreement – 
Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, 
Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates a nd Yemen – exempted various products from customs 
duties and taxes, including agricultural and livestoc k products;  raw materials;  goods and products 
with at least 40 per cent value added in the expor ting country (or minimum 20 per cent value added if 
all inputs were imported from Arab countries);  a nd goods and products produced by joint Arab 
enterprises.  Further products could be added to the preferential arrangement (the current product 
coverage is provided in document WT/ACC/JOR/8 pp.75-76).  The Agreement also eliminated all 
non-tariff measures (quotas, bans and other quantitative  restrictions);  however, the agreement had not 
functioned as envisaged.  In June 1996, the Arab League/Economic and Social  Council had decided to 
replace the Agreement with a new free-trade area agre ement.  Jordan signed the Arab Free Trade Area 
Agreement (AFTA) on 1 January 1998, activated in  March 1998, and implemented the first round of 
tariff cuts on that date, but on a reciprocal basis, i. e. the reductions were only effective for other Arab 
League members implementing the same reductions.  Tariffs between member countries would be 
eliminated over a ten-year period.  Pursuant to full implementation of the Agreement, Jordan would 
eliminate import duties on approximately 94 per cent of its (six digit) tariff lines, and AFTA would 
cover about 21 per cent of Jordan's trade.  The A FTA Agreement itself did not include provisions on 
the application of non-tariff measures, but the AFTA implementation prog ramme prohibited the use 
of non-tariff measures such as quantitative restri ctions and import licensing for non-exempt and non-
prohibited products.  Although the implementati on programme did not cover non-tariff measures 
applied to prohibited and exempted products, Jordan  did not intend to use non-tariff measures except 
where non-tariff measures were applied by other Parti es to the agreement (recipr ocal treatment).  The 
AFTA Agreement did not cover services. WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 82  
 
243. Jordan had concluded an agreement with Egypt to create a free-trade area among them by 
2005.  Customs duties and other equi valent taxes were reduced by 10 per cent annually.  Some 48 
products, representing 1,450 tariff lines at the six-di git level, were temporarily excluded from the 
agreement.  Agricultural products also benefited fro m the tariff reductions, except for certain fruit and 
vegetables which were subject to seasonal restricti ons.  The agreement was not yet effective as Egypt 
had not ratified the agreement.  Jordan had signed a free trade area agreement with Algeria.  Further 
details concerning Jordan's regional trade relati ons with neighbouring countries are described in 
Table 16. 
Table 16:  Preferential treatment gran ted under Jordan's bilateral agreements
 
Bilateral agreement 
with: Preferences granted: 
Bahrain Full free-trade area agreement 
Egypt Free-trade area by 2005 
Israel 10 per cent tariff reduction for 66 products originating in Israel 
Kuwait Free movement for agricultural a nd livestock products.  Customs duties and 
equivalent taxes reduced by 20 per cent annually for specific industrial 
products 
Libya Free movement for all products originating in both countries 
Oman Free movement for agricultural, livestock and fish products 
Palestinian Authority Duty free access for 60 products origin ating in the Palestinian Territories 
Qatar Mutual exemptions from customs du ties for agricultural products and natural 
resources.  Lists of duty free industr ial products to be established. 
Saudi Arabia Duty free treatment for 166 products 
Sudan Customs duties exemptions for agri cultural, livestock and industrial products 
Syria Customs duties exemptions for agri cultural, natural resources and industrial 
products 
244. In 1977, Jordan had signed a cooperation agr eement with the EC which offered Jordan 
seasonal preferential treatment (tariff cuts) for so me of its agricultural exports.  Jordan had 
subsequently negotiated a new agreement within the Euro-Mediterranean partnership agreements, 
leading to a free-trade area to be reached after 12 years from the date of entry into force of the 
partnership agreement.  The partnership agreement also covered services, social and cultural affairs, 
and financial cooperation.  Jordan  ratified the agreement in late Summer 1999.  All industrial products 
and natural resources originating in Jordan woul d enter duty free in the EC, while EC industrial 
products benefited from annual dut y reductions over the 12 year implementation period.  The 
agreement excluded some products originating in th e EC from preferential treatment.  The agreement 
contained specific import procedures and safeguards w ith respect to trade in agricultural products.  
Tariff rates applied by Jordan are detailed in docu ment WT/ACC/JOR/18, page 74.  Jordan expected 
that about 65 per cent of the goods imported from the EC would receive preferential treatment.  The 
trade-weighted average tariff applicable to  imports from the EC was 24.51 per cent.  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 83 
 
 
245. Some members asked Jordan to provide details  of its Agreement with the United States on 
duty free areas.  The representative of Jordan replie d that the United States had proposed the concept 
of Qualified Industrial Zones (QIZ), extending duty  free status to products of the West Bank, 
Gaza Strip and Qualified Industrial Zones.  Thus fa r, only the Irbid (Al-Hassan) Qualifying Industrial 
Zone had been established in Jordan.  The QI Z provided non-reciprocal duty free access to the 
United States' market, provided the products fulfilled certain conditions.  The direct cost of producing 
operations performed in the QIZ should account for at  least 35 per cent of the appraised value of a 
product at the time of entry into the United States.  Th is could result either by (i) at least one-third (or 
11.7 per cent) being contributed by the Jordanian ma nufacturer in the QIZ, one third by an Israeli 
manufacturer(s), and the remainder by production at the QIZ, the West Bank/Gaza Strip, in Israel or in the United States;  or (ii) by Jordanian and Is raeli manufacturers maintaining at least 20 per cent of 
the total production cost of QIZ-produced good(s), including originating materials, wages and 
salaries, design, research and development, deprec iation of capital investment, overhead expenses, 
including marketing expenses, etc. 
246. The representative of Jordan stated that his G overnment would observe the provisions of the 
WTO including Article XXIV of the GATT 1994 and Ar ticle V of the GATS in its trade agreements, 
and would ensure that the provisions of these WT O Agreements for notification, consultation and 
other requirements concerning free trade areas and customs unions of which Jordan was a member were met from the date of accession.  The Working Party took note of these commitments. 
Conclusions
 
247. The Working Party took note of the explanations and statements of Jordan concerning its 
foreign trade regime, as reflected in this report.   The Working Party took note of the commitments 
given by Jordan in relation to certain specific matte rs which are reproduced in paragraphs 32, 43, 53, 
58, 63, 72, 76, 88, 94, 100, 103, 107, 116, 126, 131, 137, 140, 145, 149, 151, 153, 161, 164, 170, 229, 
239 and 246 of this report.  The Working Party took note that these assurances and commitments had 
been incorporated in paragraph 2 of the Pr otocol of Accession of Jordan to the WTO. 
248. Having carried out the examination of the foreign trade regime of Jordan and in the light of 
the explanations, commitments and concessions made  by the representative of  Jordan, the Working 
Party reached the conclusion that Jordan be invited to accede to th e Marrakesh Agreement 
Establishing the WTO under the provisions of Article  XII.  For this purpose, the Working Party has 
prepared the draft Decision and Protocol of Accessi on reproduced in the Appendix to this report, and 
takes note of Jordan's Schedule of Specific Co mmitments on Services (document WT/ACC/JOR/......) 
and its Schedule of Concessions  and Commitments on Goods (doc ument WT/ACC/JOR/.....) that are WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 84  
 
annexed to the Protocol.  It is proposed that these texts be adopted by the Ministerial Conference 
when it adopts the report.  When the Decision is  adopted, the Protocol of Accession would be open 
for acceptance by Jordan which would become a Member  thirty days after it accepts the said Protocol.  
The Working Party agreed, therefore, that it had co mpleted its work concerning the negotiations for 
the accession of Jordan to the Marrak esh Agreement Establishing the WTO. 
  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 85 
 
 
ANNEXES 
ANNEX 1 
Laws, Regulations and Other Information Provided to the Working Party by Jordan  
- Companies Law No. 22 of 1977; 
- Customs Law No. 16 of 1983; - Law No. 20 on Customs (1998); 
- A Law Amending the Customs Law - Law No. (__) of the Year 1999; 
- Law No. 14 for 1992 - Import and Export Law; - Regulation No. 74 (1993) - Import and Export Regulation; - Law No. 7 on Unifying Other Taxes and Fees (1997); - Draft Law Amending the Unification of Fees and Taxes Imposed on Imported and Re-
Exported Goods Law for the Year 1999 (11 October 1999); 
- Law No. 6 (1994) – General Sales Tax Law; - Draft Law Amending the Gene ral Sales Tax Law – Law No. (__) of the year 1999 
(30 September 1999); 
- Income Tax Law No. 57 of 1985, Law No. 2 of 1992 and Law No. 14 of 1995; - National Production Protection Law No. 4 of 1998 (Safeguards Law); 
- Investment Promotion Law No . 16 of 1995 and Regulations; 
- Regulation No. 39 (1997) – Non-Jordan ian Investments Promotion Regulation; 
- Law No. 15 of Standards and Metrology, effec tive 16 January 1995 (unofficial translation); 
- Draft Law on Standards and Metrology Law No. (__) of the Year 1999 (11 October 1999); 
- Instructions No. 4 for the Year 1995 – Preparation of Jordanian Standards; 
- Quality Mark Regulations No. 49 for the year 1996; 
- Quality Mark Institutions; - TBT Conformity Table (11 October 1999); - Jordanian Standards Nos. 288 and 401; - Agricultural Law No. 20/1973; - Draft Law on Agriculture (30 September 1999); 
- Draft Law on Food Control Law No. (__) of the Year 1999 (11 October 1999); 
- SPS Conformity Table – Food (11 October 1999); 
- SPS Conformity Table – Agriculture (11 October 1999); - Regulation No. 32 (1993) – Gove rnment Procurement Regulation; 
- Tenders Regulation No.1 of 1994; 
- Commodities' Marks Act No. 19 of 1953; 
- Patents and Designs Law and Rules (1953); - Draft Law No. (…) for the year 1999 Patent Law (as adopted by Parliament in September 
1999); 
- Trade Mark Law and Regulations in  Hashemite Jordan (1 July 1952); 
- Draft Law No. (…) for the year 1999 Amending The Trademarks Law (as adopted by 
Parliament in September 1999); 
- Draft Amended Copyright Law No. 22 of 1992; - Draft Law No. (…) for the year 1999 - A Law Amending The Copyright Protection Law (as 
adopted by Parliament in September 1999); 
- TRIPS Copyright Conformity Table (11 October 1999); 
- TRIPS Trademarks Conformity Table (11 October 1999); 
- TRIPS Geographical Indications C onformity Table (11 October 1999); 
- TRIPS Industrial Designs and Models  Conformity Table (11 October 1999); 
- TRIPS Unfair Competition and Trade Secr ets Conformity Table (11 October 1999); 
- TRIPS Patents Conformity Table (11 October 1999); WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 86  
 
- TRIPS Layout Designs of Integrated Circ uits Conformity Table (11 October 1999); 
- Selected articles from specific Laws related to the implementation of the TRIPS Agreement: 
- Code of Civil Procedure - No. 24 of 1988; 
- High Court of Justice Law - No. 11 of 1989; 
- Criminal Procedure Law - No. 9 of 1961; 
- Evidence Law - No. 30 of 1952; 
- Criminal Law - No. 16 of 1960; 
- Civil Code - No. 43 of 1976. 
- Banking Legislation in Jordan (1994); - Law No. 9 Amending the Law on the Control of the Insurance Business and Regulation 
No. 33 of the year 1995 on Insurance Companies (unofficial translation); 
- Telecommunications Law No. 13 of 1995;  and - Securities Law of 1997 (unofficial translation).   
  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 87 
 
 
APPENDIX 
ACCESSION OF THE HASHEMITE KINGDOM OF JORDAN  
Draft Decision  
Ministers,  Having regard
 to the results of the negotiations di rected towards the establishment of the 
terms of accession of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jord an to the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the 
World Trade Organization and having prepared a Protocol for the Accession of the Hashemite 
Kingdom of Jordan, 
 Decides , in accordance with Article XII of the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World 
Trade Organization, that the Hashemite Kingdom of  Jordan may accede to the Marrakesh Agreement 
Establishing the World Trade Organization on the terms set out in the said Protocol. 
 WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 88  
 
PROTOCOL OF ACCESSION OF THE HASHEMITE KINGDOM OF JORDAN 
TO THE MARRAKESH AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING 
THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION 
DRAFT 
 The World Trade Organization (hereinafter referred to as the "WTO"), pursuant to the 
approval of the Ministerial Conference accorded  under Article XII of the Marrakesh Agreement 
Establishing the World Trade Organization (hereina fter referred to as "WTO Agreement"), and the 
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (hereina fter referred to as "Jordan"),  
 Taking note
 of the Report of the Working Party on th e Accession of Jordan to the WTO in 
document WT/ACC/JOR/... (hereinafter referre d to as the "Working Party Report"), 
 Having regard  to the results of the negotiations on the accession of Jordan to the WTO, 
 Agree  as follows: 
Part I - General  
1. Upon entry into force of this Protocol, Jordan accedes to the WTO Agreement pursuant to 
Article XII of that Agreement and thereby becomes a Member of the WTO. 
2. The WTO Agreement to whic h Jordan accedes shall be the WTO Agreement as rectified, 
amended or otherwise modified by such legal inst ruments as may have entered into force before the 
date of entry into force of this Protocol.  This Protocol, which shall include the commitments referred 
to in paragraph 247 of the Working Party Report, sh all be an integral part of the WTO Agreement. 
3. Except as otherwise provided for in the para graphs referred to in  paragraph 247 of the 
Working Party Report, those obligations in the Multilateral Trade Agreemen ts annexed to the WTO 
Agreement that are to be implemented over a period of  time starting with the entry into force of that 
Agreement shall be implemented by Jordan as if it had accepted that Agreement on the date of its 
entry into force. 
4. Jordan may maintain a measure inconsistent  with paragraph 1 of Article II of the GATS 
provided that such a measure is recorded in the list of Article II Exemptions annexed to this Protocol 
and meets the conditions of the Annex to the GATS on Article II Exemptions.  WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
 Page 89 
 
 
Part II – Schedules  
5. The Schedules annexed to this Protocol shall become the schedule of Concessions and 
Commitments annexed to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (hereinafter referred to 
as the "GATT 1994") and the Schedule of Specific Commitments annexed to the General Agreement 
on Trade in Services (hereinafter referred to as "GATS") relating to Jordan.  The staging of 
concessions and commitments listed in the Schedu les shall be implemented as specified in the 
relevant parts of the respective Schedules. 
6. For the purpose of the reference in paragraph 6(a) of Article II of the GATT 1994 to the date 
of that Agreement, the applicable date in resp ect of the Schedules of Concessions and Commitments 
annexed to this Protocol shall be the date  of entry into force of this Protocol. 
Part III - Final Provisions   
7. This Protocol shall be open for acceptance, by signature or otherwise, by Jordan until 
[31 March 2000]. 
8. This Protocol shall enter in to force on the thirtieth day following the day of its acceptance. 
9. This Protocol shall be deposited with the Director-General of the WTO.  The Director-
General of the WTO shall promptly furnish a certifie d copy of this Protocol and a notification of 
acceptance thereto pursuant to paragraph 7 to each member of the WTO and Jordan. 
10. This Protocol shall be registered in acco rdance with the provisions of Article 102 of the 
Charter of the United Nations. 
11. Done at Geneva this ... day of  .... one thousand nine hundred a nd ninety ....., in a single copy 
in the English, French and Spanish languages eac h text being authentic, except that a Schedule 
annexed hereto may specify that it is authen tic in only one or more of these languages. WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/7/Rev.1 
Page 90  
 
ANNEX  
 
 
SCHEDULE – HASHEMITE KINGDOM OF JORDAN  
  
Part I – Goods 
 
[document WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/9] 
 
 
 
Part II – Services 
 
[document WT/ACC/SPEC/JOR/8] 
 
 
__________