Jordan
Jordan was the world's second-ranked producer of bromine and pumice
Pictured: a pumice deposit
Statistics and information on the mining industry in Jordan.
Overview
In 2024, Jordan was the world’s (excluding the United States) 2d-ranked producer of bromine after Israel and accounted for 26% of the world’s output; the 2d-ranked producer of pumice after Turkey and accounted for 5.5% (estimated) of the world’s output; the 5th-ranked producer of phosphate rock, and accounted for 4.8% (estimated) of the world’s production; the 8th-ranked producer of potash and accounted for 3.7% of the world’s output; and the 12th-ranked producer of zeolites, and accounted for 0.1% (estimated) of the world’s production. Other mineral commodities produced by Jordan included aluminum fluoride, clays, gypsum, iron and steel, salt, sand and gravel (industrial), stone, sand, and gravel (construction), and sulfur. The mining and quarrying sector including hydrocarbons accounted for 3.1% of the gross domestic production in 2024 compared with 3.0% in 2023. The country exported potash to Europe, the Middle East, Brazil, China, and India, and exported phosphate rock to China, India, and Indonesia.
The Royal Decree No. 19 of 2018, also known as Natural Resources Law of 2018, replaced law No. 12 of 1968, also known as the Organization of Natural Resources Affairs Law. The Natural Resources Law of 2018 entrusted the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR) with the development of natural resources and implementation of policies related to the exploration for and mining of the country’s natural resources. The MEMR oversees the mineral sector and provides services including conducting exploration studies and geologic surveys, identifying natural resources, and promoting resources development locally and abroad. Most mineral commodities were produced by state-owned and domestic private companies. Jordan Bromine Co. Ltd. was the sole producer of bromine in the country, and produced calcium bromide, carbon tetrabromide, hydrogen bromide, sodium bromide, and potassium hydroxide in 2024.
In 2024, Jordan was the world’s (excluding the United States) 2d-ranked producer of bromine after Israel and accounted for 26% of the world’s output; the 2d-ranked producer of pumice and pumicite after Turkey and accounted for 5.5% (estimated) of the world’s output; the 5th-ranked producer of phosphate rock, and accounted for 4.8% (estimated) of the world’s production; the 8th-ranked producer of potash and accounted for 3.7% of the world’s output; and the 12th-ranked producer of zeolites, and accounted for 0.1% (estimated) of the world’s production. Other mineral commodities produced by Jordan included aluminum fluoride, clays, gypsum, iron and steel, salt, sand and gravel (industrial), stone, sand, and gravel (construction), and sulfur. Data on mineral production are in the Production table (formerly table 1). The mining and quarrying sector including hydrocarbons accounted for 3.1% of the gross domestic production in 2024 compared with 3.0% in 2023. The country exported potash to Europe, the Middle East, Brazil, China, and India, and exported phosphate rock to China, India, and Indonesia (Arab Potash Co., Ltd., 2025, p. 17, 87; Central Bank of Jordan, 2025, p. 25; Jordan Phosphate Mines Co. plc, 2025, p. 55; Crangle, 2026; Jasinski, 2026a, b; Merrill, 2026; Schnebele, 2026).
The Royal Decree No. 19 of 2018, also known as Natural Resources Law of 2018, replaced law No. 12 of 1968, also known as the Organization of Natural Resources Affairs Law. The Natural Resources Law of 2018 entrusted the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR) with the development of natural resources and implementation of policies related to the exploration for and mining of the country’s natural resources. The MEMR oversees the mineral sector and provides services including conducting exploration studies and geologic surveys, identifying natural resources, and promoting resources development locally and abroad. In April, the MEMR launched the National Mining Strategy (2024–2033), which aimed to increase mining exports and attract international investments by modernizing regulations and prioritizing the exploration of strategic minerals such as copper, gold, lithium, magnesium, phosphate, potash, rare earth elements, and uranium. Most mineral commodities were produced by state-owned and domestic private companies. The Facilities table (formerly table 2) is a list of major mineral industry facilities. More-extensive coverage of government policies and programs can be found in previous editions of this chapter in the U.S. Geological Survey Minerals Yearbook, volume III, Area Reports—International—Africa and the Middle East, which are available at https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/africa-and-middle-east (Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, undated) (Arab News, 2024; International Trade Administration, 2026).
Commodity Review
Bromine.—Jordan Bromine Co. Ltd. (JBC) was the sole producer of bromine in the country in 2024; its production of elemental bromine and bromine derivatives from the Dead Sea waters decreased to 112,200 metric tons (t) from 116,026 t in 2023. Bromine derivatives produced by JBC included calcium bromide, carbon tetrabromide, hydrogen bromide, sodium bromide, and potassium hydroxide (Production table; Jordan Bromine Co. Ltd., undated).
Phosphate Rock.—In 2024, Jordan Phosphate Mines Co. plc (JPMC), as the country’s sole producer, increased phosphate rock production to about 11.5 Mt compared with 11.45 Mt in 2023. The company also produced 1 Mt of sulfuric acid; 717,000 t of diammonium phosphate; 297,000 t of phosphoric acid; and 10,000 t of aluminum fluoride. The production came from three mines: the Eshidiya Mine, which produced 7.5 Mt of phosphate ore; the Wadi Al Abiad Mine, 2.1 Mt; and the Al Hassa Mine, 1.9 Mt. JPMC’s exports of phosphate rock increased to 7 Mt in 2024 compared with 6.8 Mt in 2023. The major export destinations were India (73%), Indonesia (16%), and China (6%) (Production table; Jordan Phosphate Mines Co. plc, 2025, p. 21–22, 25, 55).
Potash.—In 2024, Arab Potash Co.’s production of potash increased to 2.84 Mt from 2.78 Mt in 2023, which was a record production for the company. The potash produced by the company was categorized as white standard potash (38.3% of total output), white fine potash (35.4%), red granular potash (22.3%), red standard potash (2.0%), and white granular potash (1.6%) (Production table; Arab Potash Co.., 2025, p. 69).
Production table
(Metric tons, gross weight, unless otherwise specified)
| Commodity | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bromine, elemental and derivatives | 112,760 | 115,160 | 119,667 | 116,026 | 112,200 |
| Cement, hydraulic | 3,377,000 | 3,952,000 | 3,760,000e | 3,870,000e | 4,000,000e |
| Clays, dead sea mud | 90 | 113 | 83 | 88 | 80 |
| Clinker | 292,900 | 216,000 | 190,300 | 70,700 | 0 |
| Common clay | 360,000e | 360,000e | 350,000e | 49,900 | 111,300 |
| Fertilizers, diammonium phosphate | 707,000 | 728,000 | 708,000 | 671,000 | 717,000 |
| Fertilizers, unspecified | 929,000 | 1,055,100 | 952,600 | 948,100 | 1,026,400 |
| Fluorspar, products, aluminum fluoride | 10,353 | 11,707 | 11,355 | 10,930 | 10,000 |
| Gypsum, crude | 184,917 | 250,000e | 250,000e | 209,700 | 274,900 |
| Kaolin | 498,703 | 267,965 | 270,000e | 504,600 | 444,600 |
| Phosphate rock | 8,937,952 | 10,015,243 | 11,257,794 | 11,453,898 | 11,517,000 |
| Phosphate rock, P2O5 content | 2,860,000 | 3,205,000 | 3,602,000 | 3,665,247 | 3,685,000 |
| Phosphate, compounds, phosphoric acid | 1,008,000 | 1,114,000 | 1,086,000 | 1,200,000 | 1,090,000 |
| Potash, crude salts | 2,620,000 | 2,563,000 | 2,681,000 | 2,780,000 | 2,840,000 |
| Potash, K2O content | 1,598,000 | 1,563,000 | 1,637,000 | 1,696,000 | 1,732,000 |
| Pumice and related materials, pozzolan, pozzolanic material | 710,707 | 1,005,972 | 1,050,000e | 1,100,000e | 1,100,000e |
| Raw steel | 350,000e | 350,000e | 350,000e | 300,000e | 300,000 |
| Salt, brine | 39,088 | 42,359 | 45,000e | 47,000e | 45,000e |
| Salt, dead sea | 1,619 | 2,221 | 1,683 | 2,693 | 3,386 |
| Sand and gravel, construction, unspecified | 2,500,000 | 1,220,000 | 3,000,000e | 3,100,000e | 3,100,000e |
| Sand and gravel, industrial, unspecified | 212,020 | 68,816 | 70,000e | 70,000e | 70,000e |
| Steel products, semimanufactured | 100,000e | 100,000e | 200,000e | 200,000e | 200,000e |
| Stone, crushed, basalt | 141,000 | 178,192 | 120,276 | 119,451 | 158,180 |
| Stone, crushed, limestone, calcium carbonate | 2,307,105 | 3,133,823 | 3,000,000e | 3,100,000e | 3,100,000e |
| Stone, dimension, granite, slab | 1,820 | 273 | 457 | 8,000 | 121 |
| Stone, dimension, marble | 15,000e | 10,000e | 6,000e | 7,000e | 7,000e |
| Stone, dimension, travertine | 4,297 | 10,781 | 9,105 | 9,593 | 8,731 |
| Stone, size and shape unspecified, calcium carbonate | 900,593 | 1,099,178 | 1,100,000e | 3,466,000 | 3,829,000 |
| Sulfur, byproduct, petroleum, S content | 3,840 | 3,726 | 2,566 | 2,646 | 3,375 |
| Sulfur, compounds, sulfuric acid | 863,0001 | 968,0001 | 983,0001 | 920,0001 | 1,033,0001 |
References Cited
- Arab News, 2024, Jordan’s new mining strategy is set to create a \$2.9bn industry: Arab News [Riyadh, Saudi Arabia], April 14. (Accessed April 30, 2026, at https://www.arabnews.com/node/2492986/business-economy.)
- Arab Potash Co., Ltd., 2025, Annual report 2024: Amman, Jordan, Arab Potash Co., Ltd., 212 p. (Accessed October 15, 2025, at https://www.arabpotash.com/ebv4.0/root_storage/en/eb_list_page/english_annual_report_apc_2024.pdf.)
- Central Bank of Jordan, 2025, Annual report 2024: Amman, Jordan, Central Bank of Jordan, September, 300 p. (Accessed October 15, 2025, at https://www.cbj.gov.jo/EBV4.0/Root_Storage/AR/Research/Annual_Report_2024.pdf.)
- Crangle, Rob, 2026, Pumice and pumicite: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 148–149.
- International Trade Administration, 2026, Jordan critical mineral and mining opportunity: Washington, DC, International Trade Administration, January 27. (Accessed April 30, 2026, at https://www.trade.gov/market-intelligence/jordan-critical-mineral-and-m….)
- Jasinski, S.M., 2026a, Phosphate rock: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 142–143.
- Jasinski, S.M., 2026b, Potash: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 146–147.
- Jordan Bromine Co., Ltd., [undated], Products: Amman, Jordan, Jordan Bromine Co., Ltd. (Accessed October 15, 2025, at https://jordanbromine.com/our-products/.)
- Jordan Phosphate Mines Co. plc, 2025, Annual report 2024: Amman, Jordan, Jordan Phosphate Mines Co. plc, 162 p. (Accessed October 15, 20245, at https://www.jpmc.com.jo/uploads/2025/08/fosfat-2024-english-4-compressed.pdf.)
- Merrill, A.M., 2026, Zeolites (natural): U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 210–211.
- Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, [undated], Law No. 19 of 2018—Natural Resources Law: Amman, Jordan, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, 17 p. (Accessed January 13, 2026, at https://www.memr.gov.jo/ebv4.0/root_storage/en/eb_list_page/law_no__19_….)
- Schnebele, E.K., 2026, Bromine: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 58–59.
Publications
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