The first direct shipping line between America and Jordan has been opened, authorities announced Sunday.

The line aims to cut shipping times between Aqaba and the East Coast of the US from 35 days to 23 days, according to Hussein al-Safadi, executive president of the Aqaba Development Corporation.

Safadi predicted that the line would save time and effort for the Jordanian industrial and commercial sectors, and help businesses benefit from the US-Jordanian free trade agreement.

Fathi Jaghbir, head of the Jordan and Amman Chambers of Industry, had called on industrialists to take advantage of the new freight service in a statement Wednesday.

He noted that 22 percent of all Jordanian exports, worth Usd 1.7 billion per year, are sent to the US.