The Amman Chamber of Commerce (ACC) has called on merchants and importers to boycott Israeli seaports in solidarity with the people of Gaza, and use the port of Aqaba instead.

The call was a direct result of Israel's operation "Protective Edge" in the Gaza strip. Amman Chamber of Commerce Vice President Ghassan Kharfan urged importers to give priority to Aqaba Port despite the higher costs compared to regional ports, calling on the government and Aqaba Container Terminal (ACT) officials to work on boosting the competitiveness of Jordan’s only port by not hiking handling and service fees.
 

It seems, however, that a complete boycott of Israeli ports is unlikely.
Searching for competitive alternative routes is not a new idea. All previous efforts failed because it would significantly increase costs.
 

The leading private sector representative complained that recent measures by ACT to increase service fees have forced local traders to use other regional harbors, citing the Port of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia as a “much cheaper” shipment venue for goods coming to the Jordanian domestic market.