AMMAN, Oct. 19 (Petra) – Jordan’s leather and garment manufacturing
sector is expanding its production capacity, investment portfolio,
and export reach in alignment with the goals set out under the
Economic Modernization Vision.

Ehab Qadri, Sector Representative at the Jordan Chamber of Industry
(JCI), told the Jordan News Agency (Petra) that technical evaluations
and site-selection studies are currently underway in collaboration
with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to establish a
state-of-the-art integrated textile cluster. The project aims to
drive vertical integration, localize raw material sourcing, and
attract foreign direct investment across yarns, fabrics, and
specialized garment accessories.

The sector accounts for nearly 2 percent of Jordan’s Gross Domestic
Product (GDP), generating a total gross output exceeding JOD 3
billion (USD 4.23 billion) in 2025–including JOD 850 million in
value-added processes (a 42 percent value-added ratio).

Exports rose 3.2 percent during the first seven months of 2026 to
reach USD 1.5 billion, following a total export volume of USD 2.4
billion in 2025 across 80 international destinations. The United
States remains the primary market, absorbing 77.3 percent of sectoral
exports, alongside expanding trade footprints in Canada, the United
Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Mexico.

Data compiled by the International Trade Centre (ITC) identifies
approximately USD 918 million in untapped export potential for
Jordanian textile products across non-traditional global markets.

Operating through 818 industrial units with a registered capital of
JOD 138 million, the sector employs 99,000 workers–representing 38
percent of the national industrial workforce. Jordanian labor within
the sector expanded by over 130 percent over the past decade to
exceed 31,000 national employees, supported by 30 operational
satellite production units (productive branches) across rural
governorates, with three new branches scheduled to open this year.

To streamline delivery timelines and supply chains, new specialized
fabric manufacturing facilities and logistics hubs were recently
established in Mafraq and Aqaba.

On the sustainability front, the sector is aligning its operational
frameworks with global environmental directives, including the
European Union’s ecodesign standards, supply chain traceability, and
Digital Product Passports (DPP). Furthermore, the JCI is coordinating
with the Ministry of Investment to draft a national roadmap for
industrial textile waste recycling and circular economy
infrastructure.

The Economic Modernization Vision sets high-level targets for the
sector, aiming to attract USD 3.1 billion in cumulative investment,
raise annual exports to USD 5.5 billion, increase annual value-added
by 10 percent, and create 149,000 direct opportunities for Jordanian
nationals over the coming decade.

//Petra// AA