Amman  - Jordan's trade gap widened to 2.26 million dinars (3.19 billion dollars) in the first four months of 2008, a 39 per cent increase over the same period a year ago, according to official figures released Wednesday.

The state-run Department of Statistics attributed the increase mainly to a 31 per cent growth in imports to 3.854 billion dinars. Exports rose 21.3 per cent to 1.594 billion dinars.

Jordan's oil bill ballooned to 751 million dinars between January and April, an increase of 88.7 per cent over the same period of 2007. (dpa)