Shipping to Jordan From Houston, Texas, USA

Ocean and Air Freight to Jordan from Houston, Texas

You need to move heavy machinery, oil and gas equipment, or project cargo from Texas to Jordan through Aqaba, the kingdom’s only seaport. Texas International Freight books ocean and air capacity from Houston, prepares the export filing, and coordinates clearance so your equipment reaches Aqaba, Amman, or an inland site. We handle the heavy and oversized freight standard carriers cannot move.

Aqaba, the Kingdom’s Only Seaport

Jordan has a single stretch of coast, about 27 kilometers on the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Port of Aqaba sits at its head. The port handles containers, breakbulk, and project cargo and anchors the Aqaba Special Economic Zone, a duty-free, low-tax development zone that covers the whole coastline. Aqaba is also the entry point for cargo moving on to Amman, the Zarqa free zone, and overland into Iraq. Because Aqaba sits at the head of the Red Sea, reached through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, the current Red Sea security situation affects routing and transit times, and some sailings transship or reroute. We plan the routing around that.

The US-Jordan Free Trade Agreement

Jordan is one of the few Middle East markets with a free trade agreement with the United States. The US-Jordan FTA, in force since 2001, lets qualifying US-origin goods enter duty-free, and US exporters self-certify origin rather than filing a formal certificate, though Jordan Customs can request chamber-of-commerce certification. The duty saving is real, but it does not remove Jordan’s 16 percent General Sales Tax, which applies to the CIF value plus any duty. Goods that stay inside the Aqaba Special Economic Zone or another free zone can be exempt from duty and sales tax under the investment rules.

Customs Clearance and Documentation

The Jordan Customs Department clears imports through the ASYCUDA system on the National Trade Window, valuing cargo on the CIF basis. Your Jordanian consignee needs a valid importer card from the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply, or posts a customs bond, and a nine-digit tax number on the bill of lading. Only a licensed Jordanian forwarding agent can file the declaration, and the importer provides an Arabic translation of the commercial invoice. Your document set covers the commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading or air waybill, and the origin information that supports the FTA claim. We line these up before the cargo sails so it clears without sitting at the port.

Export Paperwork on the US Side

Shipments valued above 2,500 dollars or carrying a license requirement need Electronic Export Information filed in the Automated Export System before departure, under the right Schedule B classification. Energy and technology equipment can fall under Bureau of Industry and Security export controls, so screening happens before booking.

Inland From Aqaba and Onward

From Aqaba we arrange road transport up to Amman and across Jordan, and the port’s position makes it a staging point for cargo bound for Iraq and the wider Levant. Drilling packages, transformers, crushers, and crane components move as breakbulk and project cargo, and self-propelled units roll on and off. Our team handles export packing, blocking and bracing, and the lift planning a heavy move needs. The same desk routes regional cargo through Israel, Egypt, Turkey, and the wider Middle East.