Pharmaceutical industry achieves 19% export growth - JFDA

AMMAN — Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA) said on Tuesday that Jordan's pharmaceutical industry in 2023 witnessed a 19 per cent growth in exports, reaching a total value of JD616.3 million for 2480 exported medicinal products, an increase compared with the 2178 medicinal products exported in 2022, valued at JD 514.7 million. 

JFDA Director General Nizar Mhaidat said that the administration issued 2513 certificates of free sale for Jordanian medicines and processed 1110 permits for importing and exporting controlled drugs, psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

He also said that the total registered medicines in the JFDA reached 8589, covering various therapeutic groups with 4476 locally produced and 4113 imported medicinal products. 

The JFDA, in 2023, registered 314 medicinal products, including 160 local and 154 imported ones.  The JFDA also registered 247 natural products, vitamins and infant formula, comprising 80 natural products, 148 vitamins and minerals, and 18 types of infant formula.

Mhaidat said that the total value of traded medicines in both public and private sectors amounted to JD831 million, with locally manufactured medicines valued at JD402.4 million and imported medicines at JD428.6 million.

He added that in the food control domain, the JFDA inspection teams conducted 62078 surveillance rounds on food establishments since the beginning of 2023, resulting in 35798 warnings, suspension of 2235 establishments, closure of 533 food establishments, and referral of 1445 non-compliant food establishments to the public prosecutor. 

Mhaidat also said that, regarding food exports and imports, the statistics revealed that imports amounted to JD2,452 million, exports reached JD 788 million, and re-exported goods amounted to JD 41 million. 

He added that customs violations related to imported food products led to 194 violations, with a weight of 4123 tonnes, constituting 0.3 per cent of the total imported items and 0.2 per cent by weight.

The JFDA also analysed 7580 pharmaceutical samples and issued 7376 laboratory reports, while the food laboratory conducted 577166 laboratory tests on 53934 samples, with 480092 tests in Amman, 61862 tests in the Amman Customs laboratory, and 35212 tests in the Irbid laboratory, Petra reported.