jordan pulse -

First Vice President of the Amman Chamber of Commerce Nabil Khatib said on Monday an increase in container volumes at the Aqaba Container Terminal in March, despite ongoing regional tensions, reflects Jordan’s growing logistical role and carries positive economic implications.

Khatib told the Jordan News Agency (Petra) that the year-on-year rise in inbound containers in March highlights the resilience of supply chains through the Port of Aqaba and its function as a secure and stable transit corridor serving Gulf markets and Iraq.

He added that stronger domestic demand and precautionary stockpiling contributed to higher import volumes, alongside increased regional transit activity through the Kingdom to Iraq, Syria, and the West Bank.

Data cited by Khatib showed that inbound containers rose by 4.5 percent in March, reaching 39,441 units compared with 37,794 in the same month last year. During the first quarter, inbound volumes increased by 11.3 percent to 122,106 containers, up from 109,616 in the corresponding period last year.

In contrast, container exports declined by 27.4 percent in March, totaling 6,722 containers compared with 9,265 in March 2025. Khatib attributed the to exporters postponing shipments after international shipping lines introduced additional freight surcharges ranging between $2,000 and $3,000 amid regional tensions. He noted that delayed export activity is expected to support a rebound in maritime throughput at Aqaba once conditions stabilize and the war on Gaza ends.

Overall, container exports through the Aqaba Container Terminal fell by 3.5 percent in the first quarter, reaching 24,797 units compared with 25,693 in the same period last year.

//Petra// AJ