Garment traders syndicate says goods worth JD7m delayed in Aqaba terminal

AMMAN — The clearance of 132 containers carrying shoes and clothing worth JD7 million is delayed at the Aqaba Container Terminal (ACT), Garment Traders Association President Sultan Allan said Thursday.

Moreover, another 80 containers will arrive by next week, Allan added, highlighting that Eid Al Fitr, the Muslim feast marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, is getting closer. 

Jordanians traditionally buy new clothes for themselves and their children to celebrate Eid.

Containers that should have been cleared before Ramadan were also delayed although vendors and importers requested them before the fasting month to prepare for the demand, Allan told the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

He held the ACT fully responsible for the issue because of its “slow logistic and administrative work”, and dismissed suggestions that the delay is the fault of the Jordan Standards and Metrology Organisation or the Jordan Customs Department. 

The association, Allan said, is encouraging its members to import goods for Eid Al Adha through other Arab ports because they have been “suffering” with the ACT for years.

Similarly, the Foodstuff Traders Association said earlier this week that it is planning to file a lawsuit against the ACT and the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) for “delays in handling shipments that cause major losses for merchants”.

ASEZA officials recently told The Jordan Times that there are no delays, but the terminal is experiencing increased pressure due to the closure of Syria’s Latakia Port.

ACT is working at 90 per cent of its capacity, with an average of 800 containers entering the Kingdom daily, according to ASEZA.

Customs and inspection procedures on containers last for five days on average, ASEZA Deputy Chief Commissioner Yusuf Mansur told The Jordan Times in a phone interview in late June, refuting “rumours” that containers stay at the terminal for 20-30 days.

“These rumours don’t help anybody and are used as excuses to increase prices of products,” he added.