Shipping from China to Zarqa
China → Zarqa · via AMM air / Aqaba sea · clearance by Jordan Customs Department
Freight from China into Zarqa clears through AMM air / Aqaba sea. Zarqa is the main industrial city, and allow +1 day for the inland leg on top of clearance.
The clearing authority is Jordan Customs Department. Historical dwell on this gateway is around 3–8 days, and it lengthens in Sep–Nov.
Duty, tax and clearance into Zarqa
Imports into Jordan are cleared by Jordan Customs Department. The headline position is: General sales tax 16%; customs duty 0–30%. 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.
Routing and transit on this lane
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 | 3–6 business days |
| Sea gateways used | Aqaba |
| Sea transit, China to gateway | 20–28 calendar days |
| Gateway serving Zarqa | AMM air / Aqaba sea |
| Inland leg to Zarqa | +1 day from the gateway |
| Typical clearance / dwell | 3–8 days |
| Peak season to plan around | Sep–Nov |
Pre-shipment checklist for Zarqa
- Book earlier than the transit time suggests during Sep–Nov, when space on this lane tightens.
- Put the Zarqa delivery address, contact name and phone number on the invoice, not just the packing list.
- Budget for the inland leg: +1 day beyond gateway clearance to reach Zarqa.
- Ask for the HS code in writing from your supplier and verify the Jordan duty rate against it yourself.
- Confirm the consignee in Zarqa can act as importer of record — 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 Zarqa?
| Mode | Transit to gateway | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| ✈️ Air Freight | 3–6 business days | time-critical, high-value and low-volume cargo |
| 🚢 Sea Freight | 20–28 calendar days | volume cargo where cost per kilo matters more than speed |
Transit shown is China departure to the Jordan gateway and excludes the +1 day inland leg to Zarqa and 3–8 days of clearance.
Mode guides for Zarqa
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China to Zarqa take?
China to the Jordan gateway is 3–6 business days by air, 20–28 calendar days by sea. On top of that, allow 3–8 days of clearance with Jordan Customs Department and a +1 day inland leg to Zarqa.
What duty and tax will I pay importing into Zarqa?
Jordan Customs Department applies: General sales tax 16%; customs duty 0–30%. 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 Zarqa.
Can you ship batteries or sensitive cargo to Zarqa?
Yes. Battery cargo by air follows IATA PI 965–970 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.
How is the chargeable weight calculated for Zarqa?
We compare actual gross weight against volumetric weight — length × width × height in centimeters divided by 6000 for air — and bill the greater of the two, rounded up to the next kilogram. Light, bulky cargo is almost always billed on volume.
Which port or airport does cargo for Zarqa clear through?
Cargo for Zarqa is routed via AMM air / Aqaba sea. Sea gateways for Jordan are Aqaba; air gateways are AMM (Amman Queen Alia). We pick whichever gives the shortest total door time for your address.
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.
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 — confirm the current position for your own HS code with Jordan Customs Department or your broker before you ship.
- Jordan Customs
- WTO — Tariff Profiles (applied MFN duty by country)
- IMO — IMDG Code for dangerous goods by sea
- IATA — Lithium battery shipping guidance (PI 965–970)
- World Bank — Logistics Performance Index
Page data last reviewed: November 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 — these guides cover that by commodity.
- 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
- Aluminum Coils Steel & Metal Materials
- Pipe Fittings Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Generators New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Ceramic Tiles Building Materials & Construction Products
- Paper Packaging Wood, Bamboo & Paper Products
- Packaging Materials Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
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 — 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 — documentation norms, inspection behavior, the paperwork that tends to hold shipments — 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 Zarqa. The video below covers the wider shipping process that sits around it.
The Customs Clearance Process: A Comprehensive Guide — ShipERP by ERP Integrated Solutions. 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 — plus who files the entry.
Jordan clearance requirements →