The Official Gazette of the Prime Ministry has published new instructions regarding the implementation of conformity assessment for electric vehicles. These instructions impose restrictions on the importation of electric vehicles, whether new or used, if they do not meet the specified standards.

The instructions require suppliers to provide a European type-approval certificate or a safety conformity certificate for each model and each supplier. The Standards and Metrology Organization is responsible for verifying the authenticity of these certificates. Additionally, an approval letter from the organization must be presented when licensing the vehicle for the first time with the Drivers and Vehicles Licensing Department.

The instructions also permit the entry of electric vehicles contracted before the current instructions came into effect, provided that the supplier presents documents such as a letter of credit or a bill of lading to prove this.

The instructions specify the technical requirements for used electric vehicles, which include clear vehicle data plates, the integrity of the external body and structural components, the safety of electrical wiring and battery connection points, the condition of the brake system, as well as the results of the dynamic brake test and a State of Health (SOH) test for the vehicle’s battery, which must not be less than 90%.

On the other hand, Jihad Abu Nasser, the representative of the vehicle sector in the Free Zones Investors Association, expressed the traders' discontent with these new instructions. He explained that these instructions, which were issued "without consultation or approval from all parties," have excluded the free zone, which accounts for 90% of vehicle sales, from the buying and selling equation in the local market, which he described as a "crippling blow" to one of the country's key economic centers.

Abu Nasser pointed out that these instructions will limit the ability of free zone investors to import vehicles, leading to a significant increase in their prices, thus adding a burden on the Jordanian consumer and imposing unjustified restrictions on trade in the local market. He stressed that "the new instructions pose a severe threat to the free zone, making trade there futile."

Abu Nasser called on the concerned authorities to reconsider these instructions, emphasizing the need to establish policies that support free trade and protect the interests of all parties, to ensure the continuity of economic activity and enhance competitiveness in the Jordanian market.