The Government of Jordan (GoJ) is firmly committed to the goals of private-sector led
growth, development, and poverty reduction. As a small country with limited natural
resources, Jordan is highly dependent on trade to sustain its economic development—for
the import of raw materials, intermediate inputs, capital equipment, as well as consumer
goods, and for the export of its agricultural, commodity, and manufactured goods. Trade
opens the Jordanian economy to both competition (both domestically and in third country
markets) and to new opportunities to build economic scale and exploit existing comparative
advantages. A coherent and integrated trade policy strategy will play an important role in
shaping the market signals that will ultimately determine Jordan’s competitive positioning
and its ability to promote sustainable private sector led development.