U.S.-Jordan Free Trade Agreement

Tariff Elimination Schedule

The U.S.-Jordan FTA will eliminate tariffs on U.S. and Jordanian goods over a ten-year period. However, most products will become duty-free much sooner.

To determine when your product can enter Jordan duty-free:

1) It is first necessary to obtain the appropriate HS/Schedule B number for your product.

2) With this number it is possible to check the Jordanian Tariff Schedule (Chapters 1-27, 28-49, 50-69, 70-98) to find out at what rate the duties on your product will be reduced. The FTA tariff schedules code each line item with a letter (A through M), indicating the staging by which the current tariff for each item is reduced and ultimately eliminated. Consult the tariff schedule below to determine what staging category applies to your product.

Staging Categories

Except as otherwise noted in the headnotes section to each tariff schedule, the codes are generally defined as follows:

Category A: Duties will be eliminated in two equal annual stages beginning on January 1 of year one (2001), and shall be duty-free effective January 1 of year two (2002).

Category B: Duties will be eliminated in four equal annual stages beginning on January 1 of year one (2001), and shall be duty-free effective January 1 of year four (2004).

Category C: Duties will be eliminated in five equal annual stages beginning on January 1 of year one (2001), and shall be duty-free effective January 1 of year five (2005).

Category D: Duties will be eliminated in ten equal annual stages beginning on January 1 of year one (2001), and shall be duty-free effective January 1 of year ten (2010).

Category E: Duties will be eliminated in accordance with existing WTO duty-elimination commitments (WTO Schedule XX for the United States, and WTO Schedule CXLVII for Jordan).

Category I: Duties will be eliminated in eight equal annual stages beginning on January 1 of year one (2001), and shall be duty-free effective January 1 of year eight (2008).

Category J: Duties will be reduced by one percentage point annually beginning upon January 1 of year one (2001), for the first five years of implementation (2005). Thereafter, the rates of duty will be eliminated in five equal annual stages beginning on January 1 of year six, and shall be duty-free effective January 1 of year ten (2010).

Category K: Duties will be reduced by one percentage point annually beginning upon January 1 of year one (2001), for the first two years of implementation (2002), and remain unchanged for the next three years (2005). Thereafter, the rates of duty will be eliminated in five equal annual stages beginning on January 1 of year six, and shall be duty-free effective January 1 of year ten (2010).

Category L: Duties will remain at base rates for the first three years of implementation (2003). Beginning on January 1 of year four (2004), rates will be reduced by five percent; by ten percent in year five (2005); by ten percent in year six (2006). Thereafter, the rates of duty reduced in equal annual stages, and the duty on such goods shall be 44.5 percent of the base rate effective on January 1 of year ten (2010).

Category M: Duties will remain at base rates for the first four years of implementation (2004). Beginning on January 1 of year five (2005), the rates of duty reduced in six equal annual stages, and the duty on such goods will be eliminated effective on January 1 of year ten (2010).

Sample Calculation:

Tomato Juice (HS 2009.50.0000): According to the Jordanian tariff schedule, this product has been designated Category D staging with a base rate of 30 percent. Upon entry into force of the FTA, the duty will be eliminated in ten equal annual stages. The duty will be reduced by 3 percent of the base rate annually from year one through year ten (e.g. 27 percent on January 1 of year one, 24 percent on January 1 of year two, 21 percent on January 1 of year three, 18 percent on January 1 of year four, 15 percent on January 1 of year five, 12 percent on January 1 of year six, 9 percent on January 1 of year seven, 6 percent on January 1 of year eight, 3 percent on January 1 of year nine, and eliminated on January 1 of year ten (i.e., 2010)).

Prepared by the International Trade Administration
Trade Information Center