AMMAN –– The government has not issued any permits for traders to export Jordanian fruits and vegetables through the Israeli Port of Haifa nor has it been notified of such an issue, an agriculture ministry official said on Monday.

The official source, who preferred to remain unnamed, said Jordan exports fruits and vegetables to the Gulf states, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.

“If any shipments have indeed been sent to Israel or from Israel to other countries through Haifa Port, the private sector would have sent them,” the source told The Jordan Times.

Local news websites on Monday quoted an official Israeli news agency as saying that the Jordanian and the Israeli governments have agreed to allow Jordanian cargo trucks heading to Turkey and Europe to use the Israeli Port of Haifa as an alternative transit route instead of passing through violence-hit Syria.

“Such news is completely untrue. Exports continue to flow to Syria; Jordanian trucks have been entering Syria on a daily basis with no hindrance whatsoever,” the source affirmed.

But he said it was possible that some traders sent small shipments to Israel and through Israel to other countries but “the government had nothing to do with such practices”.

The official noted that exports of fruit and vegetables to Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and the Gulf states stood at 800,000 tonnes, at a value of JD500 million, in 2012.

“Figures speak. We face no problems with exports at all to resort to Israel,” he pointed out.

However, the head of a private sector export agency said that some 10-15 trucks transported Jordanian vegetables to Haifa Port, adding that individual traders are involved.

The exporter, who also preferred to remain unnamed, explained that produce exports are dominated by two groups — one is against normalising ties with Israel while the other has no problem with exporting to Israel.

He added that the first group exports around 3,000 tonnes of fruit and vegetables to Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and the Gulf countries.

Some traders belonging to the second group have been sending trucks carrying produce destined for Eastern Europe and Turkey to Haifa, he noted.

“The government has nothing to do with the whole matter,” the exporter said.