The Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Maha Ali Wednesday said Jordan exported approximately 100 million facemasks to other countries in 2020. The importing countries include the United States as well as Arab, European and Asian countries.

Ali said the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply (MIT) is currently forming six 'sector councils,' in cooperation with the private sector, to better understand the current situation in different sectors as well as the challenges they face in local and international markets. The ministry has strategies and procedures that aim to enhance Jordanian exports, as they are vital for most Jordanian industrial and service companies, she added.

The coronavirus crisis introduced challenges to the sector, much like most other economic sectors, due to measures imposed to confront the crisis, she said.

Many companies adapted to the exceptional circumstances and transformed their production lines to produce new products that the demand for is high during the crisis, such as facemasks, disinfectants, medical supplies, pharmaceutical products and food goods.

Ali pointed out that the government launched a sustainability program, which is part of the social protection package program that aims to support establishments that were badly affected by the pandemic. The program will contribute to covering part of the company costs and employee salaries to enable companies to continue operating.