American Companies → Jordan

The most under-exploited fact in the relationship is asymmetry: Jordanian goods enter the U.S. essentially duty-free under the 2001 FTA, Jordan has a 2004 tax treaty with Washington, a 5% corporate-tax zone on the Red Sea, and engineering costs at roughly one-third of U.S. levels — yet U.S. FDI stock in Jordan was just $190M in 2022, the latest published figure. The existing footprint is dominated by Asian garment manufacturers; the reverse lane — U.S. companies using Jordan — has no standing promoter in the United States. No permanent U.S. representative office of Jordan's Ministry of Investment could be verified.

Instead of broadcasting 'invest in Jordan,' the program proactively screens U.S. mid-market companies ($10M–$500M revenue) whose own triggers — engineering cost pressure, tariff exposure, Arabic-market ambitions, RCM staffing shortages — make Jordan the rational business answer. A five-stage funnel: 5,000 screened from import records, hiring pain and tariff exposure, down to 300 shortlisted with two or more verified signals, 100 with quantified business cases, then engagement through diaspora and chamber introductions, targeting one-to-two pilots per 24 months. Every case is built on graded evidence with sources attached, never on country branding.

Jordan: diversified, higher-value FDI and engineering employment beyond the apparel enclave. The U.S.: mid-market companies lowering delivered cost or entering Arabic-speaking markets through a duty-free origin. The diaspora: professionals inside U.S. firms as the warm-introduction layer that makes proactive outreach credible.

The Bridge runs the screening and business-case layer and feeds qualified, packaged cases to the Ministry of Investment, site selectors and zone authorities — a function none performs systematically. The strongest segments are ICT and outsourced engineering, healthcare BPO, and pharma, nutraceutical and cosmetics manufacturing for duty-free re-export. Success-factor evidence from small countries that won specific U.S. investments (Costa Rica, Estonia) supports exactly this: narrow sector targeting, proactive outreach and aggressive aftercare.

Not yet authorized

The funnel is the plan: a 1–2% ultimate conversion of engaged targets is the honest planning number, and no conversion is claimed before it happens. Cost data are graded ranges with sources (U.S. engineers roughly $165–175K fully loaded versus about $11–39K in Jordan); tariff and zone figures come from official texts. All salary and arbitrage claims appear as labeled ranges, never point promises.

Scenario estimate — not a commitment, not a forecast.

Economic impact scenarios

Phase 0 (months 0–3): build the 5,000→300 screen and ten sample business cases. Phase 1 (3–12 months): engage 100 targets with three-to-five due-diligence visits and at least one pilot signed. Discontinue if the meeting rate stays below 5% after 200 quality contacts, zero due-diligence visits occur by month 12, the Ministry and embassy decline cooperation, or salary inflation erodes the arbitrage below 30%.

Share of shortlist with at least two verified signals (target above 80%); outreach meeting rate (10–15% target); due-diligence visits; pilots and announced investments with dollar and job figures when they exist; cost per engaged prospect; aftercare satisfaction.

English proficiency — prioritize written-English services and never claim native-voice parity. Rules-of-origin abuse optics — categorical refusal of transshipment-style structures and an independent legal read before any manufacturing pitch. Overpromising — all cost claims as graded ranges with sources. Institutional free-riding — a working relationship with the Ministry secured before Phase 2.

• concept — not funded
• Not yet authorized

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