Recently, there has been much debate and exchange of information and opinions about cross-border agricultural shipping (transit), especially animal shipments among them, necessitating clarification of the legislative and procedural framework that regulates this type of shipment in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
The process of regulating the movement of agricultural goods, both plant and animal, across borders is one of the most important tools adopted by countries, including Jordan, to protect plant and animal wealth and maintain public health. From this concept, Jordan developed an integrated legislative system including laws, regulations, and instructions issued under the Agriculture Law Number (13) of 2015 and its amendments, in addition to legislation related to agricultural and veterinary quarantine. All agricultural shipments, whether plant or animal, are subjected to control procedures that vary depending on the nature of the shipment and the purpose of its entry into the kingdom. Agricultural shipments are generally classified into shipments imported for local use, shipments exported abroad, or shipments transiting Jordanian territory (transit) en route to a third country.
A transit shipment refers to goods or commodities that enter the territory of the kingdom through a border center and leave from another border center towards a third country, remaining under the customs and technical supervision of the competent authorities, led by the Ministry of Agriculture, without allowing them to enter the local markets or be circulated or used within the kingdom. Examples of plant transit shipments include vegetables, fruits, seeds, seedlings, plant feeds, while animal shipments include live animals, meats and their products, dairy products and their derivatives, animal feeds, eggs, and others.
Imported shipments for local consumption require a prior import license from the Ministry of Agriculture, and the presentation of plant or veterinary health certificates, certificate of origin, shipping and trade documents, in addition to being subjected to visual inspection and sampling for testing before allowing their release and circulation in the Jordanian markets and ensuring their compliance with the technical and health requirements adopted. On the other hand, shipments crossing borders (transit) are subjected to special procedures that align with their legal nature.
Jordanian legislation mandates the examination of animals and animal materials crossing through by a veterinary doctor or animal wealth specialists to ensure their freedom from epidemic diseases before allowing their passage, coordinated with the Jordanian Customs Department and related entities. It is also required that the animals or animal materials be transported in securely sealed means of transport accompanied by official, approved documentation, without allowing their unloading within Jordanian territory. Regulatory procedures begin before the shipments arrive in the kingdom through completing necessary approvals, submitting health certificates required, and entering data into the approved electronic systems. Upon their arrival, documents are verified, and a visual or sensory veterinary inspection is conducted to verify the safety of the shipment and its compliance with approved data, ensuring the integrity of the seals and transportation means as well.
During the transit period, the shipment remains under customs and technical surveillance and adheres to a designated route until it leaves Jordanian territory, with any handling or circulation within the kingdom prohibited. At the exit point from the border center, data and seals are verified, and the transit transaction is closed according to approved norms. The agricultural and veterinary quarantine plays a central role in this control system, aiming to prevent the entry of dangerous plant pests and diseases, while the veterinary quarantine aims to protect the animal wealth from epidemic diseases.
The Ministry of Agriculture has broad powers including visual or sensory inspection and sampling for laboratory testing, imposing temporary quarantine when necessary, and even preventing entry or taking other legal actions when violations are discovered. Some of the measures that may be taken against violating shipments include re-export or destruction, especially in cases of discovering diseases or dangerous quarantine pests, or when forgery or lack of health documents and certificates or violation of license terms and technical and health conditions is found. In these cases, official records are organized, and appropriate decisions are made by competent authorities with retaining the shipment and supervising its re-export or destruction according to legal procedures, ensuring the protection of agricultural and animal wealth and public health.
Plant and animal transit shipments share many regulatory and supervisory requirements, although animal shipments are subject to additional requirements related to veterinary inspection and verification of vaccinations and health status of animals or animal products. The ministry may also impose specific routes or transit durations or veterinary accompaniments for some highly risky shipments.
In all cases, the agricultural transit system in Jordan is based on the principle of balancing facilitating regional and international trade movement with ensuring the highest levels of protection for plant and animal wealth and public health through an integrated control and legislative system that keeps pace with locally and internationally accepted technical and health standards.
In summary
Jordanian legislation has established an integrated control system to regulate the movement of plant and animal agricultural shipments, whether imported, exported, or transiting across borders, achieving a balance between facilitating trade movement with other countries and protecting agricultural and animal wealth and public health. These legislation also grant the Ministry of Agriculture extensive technical and supervisory powers to prevent entry or allow passage or re-export according to safety requirements in agriculture and veterinary fields.
