Jordan manufacturers are petitioning the authorities to help them access the African export market to bridge the gap opened up by the closure of traditional markets in their home country and unrest in Syria and Iraq.

At a workshop on accessing the African market, organized by the Jordan Chamber of Industry (JCI), industry representatives called for diplomatic representation for Jordan in the continent to ease the transition for manufacturers, and for the government to organize trade missions to explore opportunities and identify the challenges.

Currently exports to Africa represent 2.5 percent of the Kingdom’s international exports in value terms, according to JCI Director, Maher Mahrouq. JCI President Adnan Abul Raghed, meanwhile, said that key opportunities existed for the cosmetics, pharmaceutical and construction industries to expand into the African market.