Shipping from China to Aqaba
China โ Aqaba ยท via AMM air / Aqaba sea ยท clearance by Jordan Customs Department
Freight from China into Aqaba clears through AMM air / Aqaba sea. Aqaba is the only seaport and a special economic zone, and the inland leg is same-day, so the clearance date is effectively the delivery date.
Clearance itself is handled by Jordan Customs Department, and typical dwell at the gateway runs 3โ8 days.
What you will pay on arrival in Jordan
Imports into Jordan are cleared by Jordan Customs Department. The headline position is: General sales tax 16%; customs duty 0โ30%. The de-minimis threshold is JOD 200 for personal consignments.
Conformity is the part most first-time importers underestimate: JSMO conformity for regulated goods; Arabic labeling for consumer products. Getting this wrong is expensive because it usually cannot be fixed after the cargo has landed.
Restrictions and known friction points for Jordan: Aqaba Special Economic Zone rules differ from the rest of the country. Transit cargo to neighboring markets needs bonded documentation. Arabic labeling required for retail goods.
How this lane actually runs
Aqaba is Jordan's only seaport and also the transit gateway for cargo continuing to Iraq and, historically, the wider Levant. The Aqaba Special Economic Zone offers reduced duty for goods consumed inside it, which is worth checking before assuming standard rates apply.
| Air gateways used | AMM (Amman Queen Alia) |
|---|---|
| Air transit, China to gateway | 3โ6 business days |
| Sea gateways used | Aqaba |
| Sea transit, China to gateway | 20โ28 calendar days |
| Gateway serving Aqaba | AMM air / Aqaba sea |
| Inland leg to Aqaba | Same day from the gateway |
| Typical clearance / dwell | 3โ8 days |
| Peak season to plan around | SepโNov |
What to sort out before the cargo leaves China
- Get the conformity paperwork moving early: JSMO conformity for regulated goods; Arabic labeling for consumer products.
- Use ISPM-15 treated pallets. Untreated wood is the most common reason otherwise-clean cargo gets held.
- Book earlier than the transit time suggests during SepโNov, when space on this lane tightens.
- Budget for the inland leg: same-day delivery beyond gateway clearance to reach Aqaba.
- Confirm the consignee in Aqaba can act as importer of record โ Jordan Customs Department will not release cargo to an unregistered party.
- Check the de-minimis position (JOD 200 for personal consignments) against your invoice value before you decide how to split the shipment.
Air, sea or overland into Aqaba?
| Mode | Transit to gateway | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| โ๏ธ Air Freight | 3โ6 business days | time-critical, high-value and low-volume cargo |
| ๐ข Sea Freight | 20โ28 calendar days | volume cargo where cost per kilo matters more than speed |
Transit shown is China departure to the Jordan gateway and excludes the same-day inland leg to Aqaba and 3โ8 days of clearance.
Mode guides for Aqaba
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China to Aqaba take?
China to the Jordan gateway is 3โ6 business days by air, 20โ28 calendar days by sea. On top of that, allow 3โ8 days of clearance with Jordan Customs Department and a same-day inland leg to Aqaba.
What duty and tax will I pay importing into Aqaba?
Jordan Customs Department applies: General sales tax 16%; customs duty 0โ30%. The de-minimis position is JOD 200 for personal consignments. Under a DDP arrangement these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival in Aqaba.
Can you ship batteries or sensitive cargo to Aqaba?
Yes. Battery cargo by air follows IATA PI 965โ970 depending on how the cells are packed, and moves on certified channels via AMM (Amman Queen Alia). Surcharges apply and the declaration has to be made before booking.
What documents does Jordan Customs Department require?
A commercial invoice with HS codes, a packing list, the bill of lading or air waybill, a certificate of origin where it lowers duty, and any product certification (JSMO conformity for regulated goods; Arabic labeling for consumer products). We prepare and file these as part of the service.
What certification do I need for Jordan?
For regulated goods, plan for: JSMO conformity for regulated goods; Arabic labeling for consumer products. Missing conformity paperwork is the single most common cause of a hold, and in most cases it cannot be remedied once the cargo has arrived.
How is the chargeable weight calculated for Aqaba?
We compare actual gross weight against volumetric weight โ length ร width ร height in centimeters divided by 6000 for air โ and bill the greater of the two, rounded up to the next kilogram. Light, bulky cargo is almost always billed on volume.
Other delivery cities in Jordan
References & official sources
Duty rates, thresholds and conformity requirements for Jordan change by ministerial decision, sometimes mid-year. The figures on this page are buyer-planning references, not a customs ruling โ confirm the current position for your own HS code with Jordan Customs Department or your broker before you ship.
- Jordan Customs
- WTO โ Tariff Profiles (applied MFN duty by country)
- IMO โ IMDG Code for dangerous goods by sea
- IATA โ Lithium battery shipping guidance (PI 965โ970)
- World Bank โ Logistics Performance Index
Page data last reviewed: 10 ๆ 2026.
Shipping by industry
This page covers the route and clearance picture for the destination. Packing, classification and the compliance step that actually holds a shipment depend on what you are sending โ these guides cover that by commodity.
- Flexible Packaging Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
- Home Decor Furniture & Home Products
- Technical Textiles Textiles, Apparel, Footwear & Leather
- Outdoor Products Toys, Sports, Outdoor & Leisure
- Fasteners Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Electric Motors General Machinery & Industrial Equipment
- Wire & Cable New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Wall Panels Building Materials & Construction Products
- Injection Molded Parts Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
- Furniture Furniture & Home Products
- Home Storage Products Furniture & Home Products
- Exhibition Display Equipment Retail, Display & Commercial Fixtures
Checking the Jordan duty position yourself
Duty and tax figures on this page are planning estimates. The binding assessment is made by Jordan Customs Department against your declared HS code at the time of entry; where the amount is material, verify the current rate through ITC Market Access Map before committing to an order.
If you want to sanity-check a duty figure yourself, start from the heading rather than the product name โ the WCO Harmonized System is the underlying nomenclature, and the WTO Tariff & Trade Data portal holds the applied rates by country pair.
For ocean cargo, restricted commodities move under the IMO's IMDG Code, and the container has to be declared and stowed accordingly. Batteries, flammables and corrosives all have a compliant ocean path; what causes rolled bookings is finding out about them after the container is packed.
On the origin side, export declaration and any commodity inspection requirement fall under China Customs (GACC); we handle that filing as part of the service, but the requirement is theirs, not ours.
For a wider view of how importing into Jordan actually works โ documentation norms, inspection behavior, the paperwork that tends to hold shipments โ the U.S. ITA guide to Jordan customs regulations is a useful independent read alongside our own lane notes.
Watch: the process behind this route
This guide covers routing and clearance for Aqaba. The video below covers the wider shipping process that sits around it.
How to Ship Internationally via Ocean Freight | Step-by-Step Process, Documents & Cost Explained — 10 Min For Supply Chain. Published on YouTube by a third party; we link it because it explains the process well, not because we produced it or endorse the provider.
Customs clearance in Jordan
Duty and tax position, certification, typical port dwell and what actually holds shipments at this border โ plus who files the entry.
Jordan clearance requirements →