RAMALLAH, West Bank — A joint Palestinian-Jordanian team of customs administrations, in coordination with the Ministries of Industry, Economy and Transport of both countries, is set to begin consultations over the coming days and weeks to discuss details of the establishment of a logistics zone for trade exchange between the two sides.

On the sidelines of the meetings of the Joint Jordanian-Palestinian ministerial committee held in Amman on July 6-7, the two sides agreed to establish the logistics zone on the Jordanian side of the border in Shouneh area. The objective is to expand activity and trade between Palestine and Jordan as well as encourage import and export through the Jordanian crossings to and from Palestine.

This step is complementary to a number of issues and memoranda of understandings agreed upon during the visit of former Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah to Jordan on Sept. 17, 2018. The most important of these agreements are the increase in trade between the two countries, the increase of imports from Jordan to match a value of $0.5 billion and the establishment of the logistics zone.

Palestinian Economy Minister Khaled al-Asaily told Al-Monitor that the joint logistics zone with a capital of 30 million Jordanian dinars ($42 million) was agreed upon by the two governments to facilitate imports and exports between them.