King starts Canada visit today, accompanied by Crown Prince

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah is due today in Canada for an official visit, accompanied by HRH Crown Prince Hussein, according to a Royal Court statement.

During the visit, the King will meet with Governor General of Canada David Johnston and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to discuss means of enhancing cooperation between Jordan and Canada, and the latest regional and international developments.

HRH Prince Feisal was sworn in as Regent.

Canada and Jordan are bound by a free trade agreement (FTA), which entered into force on October 1, 2012, as Canada’s first FTA with an Arab country. 

The Canada-Jordan FTA “gives Canadians access to new markets, customers and partnerships, as well as creating stronger supply and production chains. It immediately eliminated tariffs — which ran as high as 30 per cent — on over 99 per cent of current Canadian exports to Jordan and will eliminate tariffs on a small number of other products over the next three to five years”, according to the Canadian embassy’s website.

According to the Department of Statistics (DoS), in the first half of 2017, Jordan imported products worth around JD20.3 million, up from nearly JD19.6 million during the same period of 2016.

Exports to Canada stood at nearly JD22.6 million in the first half of the current year, compared with around JD22.3 million in the corresponding period in 2016.

In 2015, imports from Canada were valued at $89.7 million and exports at $77.3 million. Canada’s top merchandise exports to Jordan in 2015 were vehicles, wood, scientific and precision instruments, vegetables and paper and paperboard. Canada’s main merchandise imports in 2015 were knitted or woven apparel, precious metals and stones, inorganic chemicals and vegetables, according to the embassy.