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Peace with Israel Brings Dividends to Jordan
(AP-Orlando Sentinel) Jamal Halaby - The Century Standard Textile plant in Irbid, Jordan, one of several that manufacture clothing for top brands like Calvin Klein, Victoria's Secret, Nike and Reebok, is a sign of the success of a key economic prize from Jordan's peace with Israel. The factory is one of dozens in Jordan's Qualified Industrial Zones, where companies that use a percentage of Israeli inputs can export duty-free to the U.S. The QIZs have become the strongest engine for Jordan's economic growth. "Peace with Israel has paid off," says manager Rami Kurdi. QIZ firms provided jobs for 9,000 Jordanians so far, and thousands more are being trained, said Elias Farraj, an adviser at the Jordan Investment Board. Exports from the Jordanian QIZs to the U.S. have shot up 100-fold, from $15 million in 1997 to peak at $1.5 billion in 2006, or roughly 20% of Jordan's gross domestic product.