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Summary of Jordan FTA Textiles

Summary of the U.S. - Jordan Free Trade Agreement

The information presented on this website is meant to serve as a guide. Only the agreement text and the customs regulations issued to implement the agreement are definitive.

If you have any questions about this Agreement, please contact Pam Kirkland, Office of Textiles and Apparel, (202) 482-3587.

Status: Entered into force on December 17, 2001.

 

How U.S. Textile and Apparel Companies Benefit

The U.S.-Jordan Free Trade Agreement (USJFTA) entered into force on December 17, 2001. Duties and commercial barriers to bilateral trade in goods and services originating in the United States and Jordan have been eliminated. The FTA also obliges Jordan to adopt stronger protection and enforcement provisions for copyrights, trademarks, patents, and trade secrets.

These changes, among others, provide U.S. and Jordanian businesses with a market base that is more accessible and easier to navigate.

 

Tariff Elimination

Under the USJFTA, all textile, apparel, footwear, and travel goods traded between the U.S. and Jordan is duty-free, provided that such goods meet the Agreement’s rules of origin.

Also see the FTA Tariff Tool  for the duty-free status or reduced duties that apply to products eligible under U.S. free trade agreements.

 

Rules of Origin

In order to take advantage of the duty elimination, products must qualify as “originating” goods under the terms of the agreement. In general, the product must have sufficient U.S. or Jordanian content or processing to meet the criteria. The FTA’s rules of origin are not substantially different from standard rules of origin.

For U.S. goods to qualify for duty-free treatment in the Jordanian market, they must satisfy the following requirements:

  • Goods must be made entirely in the United States
  • If any third-country materials are used, they must be “substantially transformed” by manufacturing or processing into a U.S. product
  • Goods must contain at least 35% U.S. content. (Note: If this product also has Jordanian content, up to 15% of the Jordanian content can count toward the requirement of 35% US content.)
  • Goods must be imported into Jordan directly from the United States

 

Documentation Requirements

The documentation requirements for goods shipped under the FTA are identical to requirements for goods shipped outside the Free Trade Agreement.

For shipments to Jordan, exporters are required to provide:

  • Maritime or air bill of lading.
  • Commercial invoice indicating value, weight, freight and insurance charges etc. Invoices should be notarized by the Jordanian embassy or consulate in the U.S. Certification by the local chamber of commerce is sufficient in cases where a Jordanian consulate is not available.
  • A notarized certificate of origin issued by the relevant authority, usually a chamber of commerce, in the exporter’s local area.
  • Value declaration form for shipments exceeding JD 2,000 ($2,820).

Invoices do not have to be written in Arabic, but if an invoice is written in English or another language, the importer is required to provide an Arabic translation. Typically, this is done in handwriting on the actual invoice. The U.S. Commercial Service in Jordan can provide translation services.

Commercial invoices for all shipments from the United States must bear a notarized affidavit: I, (name, title, and name of company), hereby swear that the prices stated in this invoice are the current export market prices for the merchandise described, that the products being shipped are of U.S. origin, and that they have been manufactured in the United States. I accept full

responsibility for any inaccuracies therein. (Signature) [If the products being shipped contain any foreign components, the country of origin and percentage of foreign content in the goods must be indicated on the invoice.]

 

Intellectual Property Rights

The FTA incorporates the most up-to-date international standards for copyright protection. Under the FTA, Jordan is obligated to adopt stronger protection and enforcement provisions for copyrights, trademarks, patents, and trade secrets.

 

Qualifying Industrial Zones (QIZs)

In 1996, the U.S. Congress established the Qualifying Industrial Zone (QIZ) initiative to support the peace process in the Middle East. This initiative allows Egypt and Jordan to export products to the United States duty-free, as long as these products contain inputs from Israel. The QIZ legislation authorizes the President to proclaim elimination of duties on articles produced in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and qualifying industrial zones in Jordan and Egypt. In order to obtain duty-free access to the U.S. market under the initiative, the goods must be produced in designated QIZ factories and meet specific rules of origin requirements.

The QIZ initiative for Jordan can provide a comparative advantage for certain products over those entered into the United States under the FTA as the rule of origin under the QIZ initiative requires a lower level of Jordanian inputs. See the OTEXA web page on QIZs for more information.

 

Supporting Documentation

Full Text of the Agreement

U.S.-Jordan Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (Public Law 107-43)