That economic hardship was amplified by the Trump administration’s imposition, and then sudden suspension, of certain global tariffs in recent days. Jordan, which exported more than $3 billion to the U.S. in 2023, was hit with a 20 percent tariff by its American ally.
“Jordan has been a crucial partner for the U.S. in terms of security, military support, but the U.S., by cutting this aid, has destabilized Jordan directly,” said Kelly Petillo, program manager for the Middle East and North Africa at the European Council on Foreign Relations.
Since its establishment in 1961, USAID has focused on a broad range of humanitarian, peace, governance and economic programs in the Middle East, aiming to exert control and help stabilize a youthful region facing numerous challenges from conflicts to droughts and high unemployment.
“We were really trying to use our influence to build, basically, a more stable, prosperous Middle East,” said Dave Harden, a former USAID official with over 20 years of experience working in the West Bank, Gaza, Yemen and Iraq.
Aid to Jordan is the backbone of U.S. power in the Middle East, particularly in the Levant. In recent years the long-standing partnership has been critical to fighting terrorism, in particular the Islamic State group, as part of the U.S.-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.
POLITICO reached out to the Jordanian government to ask about the impact of U.S. aid cuts but did not hear back.
