Shipping Arabia, September 19, 2026 – Jordan has approved a new package of measures to ease operational pressure across Aqaba’s port and logistics system, including doubling the free period for national exports at Aqaba Container Terminal from seven to 14 days for six months, as the kingdom moves to strengthen supply chain resilience and maintain cargo flows.
The measures were approved by the Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Dr. Jaafar Hassan, and build on earlier steps to expand storage capacity, develop logistics centers and supporting infrastructure, accelerate customs clearance and provide alternative sea-land multimodal corridors.
The government also reduced the charge associated with the destruction of cargo from JOD 450 to JOD 50 per tonne or part thereof for three months, subject to specified conditions and coordination with the Ministry of Finance.
Operational measures already introduced include transferring part of customs clearance activity to Amman Customs, exempting transit truck movements through border crossings from existing trip limits for three months and increasing the permitted number of daily container-truck trips to nine.
Trucks meeting technical and safety requirements are also being permitted to carry two 20-foot containers on a single vehicle, while priority in handling, clearance and gate-out is being given to food cargo, imports destined for the domestic market and Jordanian exports.
The measures are already being reflected in port performance. Average dwell time for transit containers has fallen from around 15 days to 12 days, while inbound local containers are averaging around eight days. Daily container gate-out capacity has increased from approximately 900 to 1,200 containers, helping reduce pressure on the port and accelerate cargo movement.
The latest measures reinforce Aqaba’s role as Jordan’s principal maritime gateway and an increasingly important regional transit corridor, with the government seeking to increase port capacity and logistics flexibility while limiting additional costs caused by shipping delays and regional supply chain disruption.
Source: Alghad
