Today, Thursday, Jordan announced a ban on the export and re-export of basic food commodities, amid a rise in the cost of imported shipping to the Jordanian market, due to the Red Sea crisis.
A statement issued by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply, Youssef Al-Shamali, said that his country banned the export and re-export of a group of goods, after a recommendation from the Food Security Council, due to the high shipping costs resulting from tensions in the Red Sea.
According to the government decision, the ban includes rice, sugar, and vegetable oils (corn oil, sunflower oil, palm oil, and soybean oil), without specifying a date for stopping the decision.
Navigation through the Red Sea is witnessing tensions, due to the Yemeni Houthi group launching attacks on ships linked to Israel, which prompted shipping companies to suspend navigation since mid-December.
About a month after the Houthis began targeting Israeli ships or those transporting goods to and from Israel, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced, on the 18th of this month, an initiative to form multinational forces from 10 countries under the name “Guardian of Prosperity,” with the aim of “deterring attacks in the Red Sea.” “.
“Industry and Trade” prohibits the re-export of food commodities
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply, Youssef Al-Shamali, decided to ban the export and re-export of a group of goods.
According to the government decision, the ban includes rice, sugar, and vegetable oils (corn oil, sunflower oil, palm oil, and soybean oil).
– Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply (@MIT_GOV_JO) December 28, 2023
Last November 19, the Houthi group announced the seizure of the “Galaxy Leader” cargo ship, owned by an Israeli businessman, in the Red Sea and taking it to the Yemeni coast.
The Houthi group has vowed, on more than one occasion, to target ships owned or operated by Israeli companies, “in solidarity with Palestine,” and called on countries to withdraw their citizens working on the crews of these ships.
Shipping companies’ routes have shifted from entering the Red Sea in recent weeks. Because of the Houthi threat, “support for the Gaza Strip,” which is subjected to continuous aggression from the Israeli occupation.
This led to large-scale operations being diverted to a longer route around the Cape of Good Hope, adding up to 3 weeks to the journey time. Among the affected ships are ships carrying goods from producers in the Mediterranean and North Sea, as they travel through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea on their way to Asia.