Jamal Abdel Mawla, the Jordan Chamber of Commerce's (JCC) construction sector representative, affirmed on Tuesday that unprocessed timber prices in the local market are stable, and said he was "startled" by calls for price ceilings.

The global economic conditions caused by the Corona pandemic, as well as the unusual surge in the prices of raw materials in the countries of origin and sea freight costs, influenced timber prices, according to Abdel Mawla.

He noted that Jordan imports unprocessed timber of all kinds from a number of countries, including Indonesia, China, Germany, Thailand, Sweden, and Finland, which are duty-free but subject to a 16 percent sales tax.

He called the demand for a price ceiling for unprocessed timber "irrational," claiming that the commodity isn't strategic and is governed by supply and demand.