Chambers of industry chief calls for end to trucker strike

AMMAN — Trucker strike and road closures have had a "catastrophic" impact on the industrial sector, President of the Jordan and Amman Chambers of Industry Fathi Jaghbir said on Wednesday.

In press remarks to Al Mamlaka TV, Jaghbir said that all industries have been greatly affected, most notably the sectors that depend on exporting or importing operations at the Aqaba port.

The Kingdom's exports, the majority of which are transported via the Aqaba ports, amount to JD22 million per day, totalling around JD600 million a month. Imports measure around JD50 million per day, coming to nearly JD1.3 billion per month, he said.

Losses have not been restricted to Aqaba-based operations. There are additional losses due to delays in transporting raw materials from the port to factories, as a result of delay fines that are usually imposed at the port.

He called on the government to exempt importers from paying the fines incurred as a result of the strike and the subsequent suspension of transport.

The food industry has been hit hardest by the strike, as it imports highly perishable raw materials that need proper storage or speedy delivery to factories.

"I am pretty sure that the strike will not continue, but if it continues, there will be a disruption in the food chain,” Jaghbir said.

There are four salt factories in Jordan. If the salt factories are disrupted, all dairy factory operations in Jordan will follow suit, he noted, adding that in cooperation with the interior minister, these factories are currently operational, but if the strike continues, “many aspects of life will be interrupted”. Jaghbir called for speedy action to end the strike.

According to Jaghbir, the current situation is more dangerous than the COVID-19 crisis, as during the pandemic, only a few factories stopped, not the entire supply chain. Today, there has been a real suspension of most industries, he said.  

Jaghbir noted that the industrial sector has shown signs of growth since the beginning of the year, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

Citing a survey conducted by the Amman Chamber of Industry, Jaghbir said that 160 industrial companies have 1,200 containers of production inputs that are being held in Aqaba as of Wednesday, adding that nearly 750 export containers are awaiting transport.

He called for securing transport operations, as well as setting up a loading mechanism and distributing it fairly among exporters and importers to ensure the smooth flow of local supply chains.