Traffic at the al-Karameh crossing between Jordan and Iraq is slowly picking up as numerous agreements signed in recent months go into effect, the Jordan Times reported Monday (April 8th).
Jordan Truck Owners Association president Mohammad Dawood said "more concessions" have been made since the two sides eased entry regulations for trucks in November.
Until then, trucks had been permitted to transport goods back-to-back only, he said, adding that an additional condition had required at least 200 trucks to queue at the border before being allowed entry to Iraq.
The new regulations allow any number of trucks to cross into Iraq directly.
A number of trade agreements also have been signed, including a February agreement to exempt 393 exported Jordanian commodities from customs duty.
On the Jordanian side, the government decided to exempt Iraqi goods exported through the Aqaba Port from 75% of the handling fees, Dawood said.
The most recent agreement, signed in April, was to allow transit land passage for Iraqi and Jordanian trucks, to deliver cargo not only inside the country but to their final destination.
