WT/TPR/G/359 /Rev.1  
10 November  2017 
(17-6081) Page: 1/20 
Trade Policy Review Body  Original: English  
 
TRADE POLICY REVIEW  
REPORT BY  
JAMAICA  
Revision  
Pursuant to the Agreement Establishing the Trade Policy Review Mechanism (Annex 3 of the 
Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization), the policy statement by Jamaica  
is attached.  
 
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  Contents  
1   INTRODUCTION  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  3 
2   VISION 2030 JAMAICA – NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT  PLAN ("VISION 2030 
JAMAICA")  ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................  3 
3   MACRO -ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT  ................................ ................................ .............  4 
3.1   The Economic Reform Programme  ................................ ................................ .................  6 
3.2   Economic  Growth Council  ................................ ................................ .............................  6 
4   TRADE AND SECTORAL P ERFORMANCE  ................................ ................................ ........  7 
4.1   Trade performance  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 7 
4.2   Sectoral performance  ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 8 
4.3   Impact of global economic developments on Jamaica's trade performance  ..........................  9 
4.3.1    Slow recovery from the global economic recession  ................................ ........................  9 
4.3.2    Lack of progress in the Doha Round negotiations and rising protectionism  .......................  9 
4.3.3    De-risking and the loss of correspondent banking relationships  ................................ .....10 
4.3.4    Brexit  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................... 10 
4.4   Economic growth -inducing poli cies and strategies to promote competitiveness  ................... 10 
5   TRADE POLICY AND INS TITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK  ................................ ...................  13 
5.1   Elements of Jamaica's fore ign trade policy  ................................ ................................ .....13 
5.2   Institutional framework for Jamaica's foreign trade policy regime  ................................ .....13 
5.3   Regional integration – the es tablishment of the CARICOM Single Market and 
Economy (CSME)  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 14 
6   BILATERAL/HEMISPHERI C AND PREFERENTIAL T RADE ARRANGEMENTS  .................  14 
6.1   CARICOM bilateral agreements  ................................ ................................ ..................... 14 
6.2   CARIFORUM -EU Economic Partnership Agreement  ................................ .......................... 14 
6.3   CARIBCAN  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 14 
6.4   CARIBBEAN Basin Initiative (CBI)  ................................ ................................ ................. 15 
7   MULTILATERAL FRAMEWO RK – THE WTO  ................................ ................................ .. 15 
7.1   Implementation of the Uruguay Round Agreements  ................................ ........................ 15 
7.2   Implementation of the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation  ................................ ........... 18 
7.3   Aid for t rade ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 18 
7.4   Technical assistance and capacity building  ................................ ................................ .....19 
8   CONCLUSION ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  19 
 
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  1  INTRODUCTION  
1.1.  For the 2011 -2016 period under review, the focus of the Government of Jamaica was on 
economic growth and development; creating employment an d maintaining fiscal prudence. 
Jamaica 's macro -economic policies and strategies continued to operate within the framewor k of 
Vision 2030 Jamaica – National Development Plan, which seeks to put the country on a path to 
achieving developed country status by 2030. Progress has been made in the implementation of the 
Plan, which is currently in its ninth year.  
1.2.  Several policies a nd strategies have been implemented, inter alia , to assist Jamaica to: 
(i) recover from the effects of the 2008 -2009 global financial and economic crises, which had a 
negative impact on the productive and export sectors; (ii) implement reforms to reduce th e high 
debt burden and lay the foundation for sustained, robust economic growth; (iii) improve the 
business environment and increase the competitiveness of firms; and (iv) develop and implement 
strategic investment projects, such as the Global Logistics Hu b Initiative, the establishment of 
Special Economic Zones (SEZs), and information communications technology/business process 
outsourcing (ICT/BPO), to spur further growth.  
1.3.  To facilitate Jamaica 's further integration into the multilateral trading system, p rogress was 
made in key policy areas and strategies, including the launch of a National Aid for Trade Strategy 
in 2011; the implementation in 2015 of the National Export Strategy 2 (NES 2); reforming the 
trade facilitation regime; and the continued impleme ntation of obligations under bilateral and 
regional trade agreements as well as under the World Trade Organization (WTO).  Work also 
continued on the revision of the Foreign Trade Policy.  To ensure an inclusive approach to trade 
policy formulation and imple mentation, these initiatives were mainstreamed into the national 
development plan, Vision 2030 Jamaica, which is aligned to the United Nations Sustai nable 
Development Goals (SDGs).  
1.4.  There was a change in political administration in March 2016. The emphasis of the current 
administration is to pursue inclusive private sector -led economic growth and broad and sustained 
job creation.  A Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation (MEGJC) was established with the 
overarching mandate of managing the development an d implementation of Jamaica 's economic 
growth strategy.  The Prime Minister of Jamaica has portfolio responsibility for this Ministry.  The 
new Government is placing emphasis on three pillars of economic management: (a) the effective 
execution and monitoring  of monetary policy; (b) the development of Jamaica 's capacity to 
manage the implementation of a sustainable fiscal policy; and (c) public sector reform to support 
effective and efficient implementation of economic growth policies. There has also been a th rust to 
streamline government operations, including through the merger of ministerial responsibilities. An 
example of this is the establishment of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and 
Fisheries (MICAF), which is a merger of the Ministry of A griculture and Fisheries and the Ministry of 
Industry, Investment and Commerce.  The investment portfolio has been transferred to the MEGJC . 
1.5.  Trade and investment are considered critical components of the economic growth agenda. 
Jamaica is leveraging the val ue of its global brand to penetrate new markets; expand exports in 
existing markets and to integrate further into global value chains.  This is being done through 
addressing supply -side constraints; improving quality standards; the application of science, 
technology and innovation (STI) to improve productivity; and fostering entrepreneurship, including 
through the internationalization of micro, small and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs).  
1.6.  Jamaica continues to pursue effective integration into the global econ omy; however, global 
developments, such as de -risking and increasing tendencies towards protectionism in some 
markets, present threats to the country 's ability to do so.  
2  VISION 2030 JAMAICA – NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT  PLAN ("VISION 2030 J AMAICA")  
2.1.  Vision 2030 Ja maica, Jamaica's national development plan co vering the 21 -year period, 
2009–2030, presents a strategic roadmap for Jamaica to achieve developed country status by 
2030.  Vision 2030 Jamaica is now in its 9th year of implementation. The document is built on a 
results -based management framework, comprising 4 goals, 15 national outcomes and a strategic 
and operational framework geared towards the achievement of specific goals and outcomes as WT/TPR/G/359 /Rev.1  • Jamaica  
 
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  embodied in the Vision Statement, " Jamaica, the place of choice to liv e, work, raise families and 
do business ". 
2.2.  The three -year Medium Term Socio -Economic Policy Framework (MTF) is the implementation 
mechanism for Vision 2030 Jamaica. Since 2009, there have been three MTFs. In the plan for 
2017/18, focus will be placed on the  development of the fourth  medium term framework, which 
would rely on participatory mechanisms for its development and review. It is envisaged that there 
will be about 800 to 1,000 people/organizations providing strategic direction to define the priorities  
to 2021.  
2.3.  The overall progress of implementation of Vision 2030 Jamaica under the successive MTFs 
(2009 -2012, 2012 -2015 and 2015 -2018) has been mixed. A summary of the progress made under 
the framework of national outcome indicators and targets for the Pla n indicates that , of a total of 
67 indicators, 64.2 % have shown improvement over the baseline year 2007, based on results to 
2015/16, while 34.3 % showed no improvement or worsened relative to the baseline year of 2007.  
2.4.  This can be further broken down as fo llows:  
 25.4% of the Vision 2030 Jamaica targets were met or exceeded the 2015/16 period. This 
compares to 23.4 % over the 2014/15 period;  
 38.8% of indicators showed some improvement over the baseline year 2007 compared to 
31.9% over the 2014/15 period;  
 34.3% of indicators showed no improvement or worsened compared to 42.6 % over 
2014/15; and  
 one (1) indicator each for 2014/15 and 2015/16 could not be compared in this way, due to 
lack of agreed targets for the relevant period.  
3  MACRO -ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT  
3.1.  Growt h in the Jamaican economy accelerated to an estimated 1.5 % in 2016, following an 
increase of 0.8 % in 2015. The expansion in 2016 was largely influenced by increased consumer 
and investor confidence and a stable macroeconomic environment.  GDP growth reflect ed the 
impact of increased investments in infrastructure, business process outsourcing, tourism and agro -
processing , given improvements in external competitiveness facilitated in part by structural 
reforms.  The Jamaican economy is projected to grow in 2017  at a faster rate than in 2016. This 
forecast envisages expansions in agriculture, forestry and fishing ; manufacturing, electricity and 
water supply;  mining and  quarrying ; and hotels and restaurants.  
3.2.  The current account balance for the 201 6 calendar year i mproved by US$ 327.1  million to a 
deficit of US$103.0  million (0.7 % of GDP), relative to the previous calendar year (Figure  17). This 
represents a continuation of the improvements observed for the last four years. The improved 
outturn emanated from all sub -accounts, except for the primary income sub -account. The goods, 
services and  secondary income sub -accounts improved by US$220.9 million, US$153.1  million and  
US$83.1 million, respectively, while the primary income sub -account reflected a deterioration of 
US$130.0 million. The improvement in the combined goods a nd services balance of 
US$374.0  million, or  16.3%, reflected a fall in goods and services imports primarily due to lower 
mineral fuel prices.  
3.3.  The net international reserves (NIR) of the Bank of Jamai ca (BOJ) increased by 
US$282.4  million to US$2 ,719.4 million at end -2016. Gross reserves amounted to 
US$3 ,291.5  million and represented 24.7 weeks of projected go ods and services imports at 
end-2016, relative to 23.5  weeks at end -2015.  
3.4.  BOJ continued its ac commodative monetary policy stance in 2016. For the year, the Bank 
reduced its signal interest rate, the rate payable on its 30 -day Certificate of Deposit (CD), by 
25 basis points (bps) to 5.00 %. Related rates were adjusted accordingly. The lowering of the  
signal rate reflected the generally favourable outlook for inflation over the near - to medium -term 
amidst improved macroeconomic fundamentals. During the year, the Bank raised the cash reserve 
and liquid asset reserve requirements for deposit -taking insti tution 's foreign currency liabilities in 
incremental steps to equal those for domestic currency liabilities while discontinuing the WT/TPR/G/359 /Rev.1  • Jamaica  
 
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  remuneration of foreign currency reserve holdings. This adjustment was intended to curb the 
growing trend in dollarization. The Bank continued to manage Jamaica Dollar liquidity through 
issues of regular sterilization instruments and repurchase operations.  
3.5.  The year 2016 brought positive developments in Jamaica 's inflation experience. The calendar 
year inflation outturn of 1.7 % was not only lower than in 2015 but was the lowest rate for a 
calendar year since 1964. The deceleration in inflation for the year reflected the impact of weak, 
albeit improving, domestic demand conditions, declining inflation expectations and favourable 
weather conditions. Annual inflation was 4.1 % at March 2017, relative to 3.0 % for the 
corresponding period in 2016. The outturn was marginally below the lower end of the Bank 's 
forecast range of 4.5 % to 6.5 % for FY2016/17 and largely reflected higher costs for energy and 
transport, domestic agriculture commodities and processed foods. Annual core inflation was 2.3 % 
at March 2017, attributable to the lower exchange rate pass -through to domestic prices coupled 
with continued fiscal restraint. For FY2017/18, in flation is projected within the range of 4.0 % to 
6.0%. 
3.6.  The Government of Jamaica has remained resolute in its effort at maintaining fiscal prudence 
and achieving continued success under its economic reform programme. In November 2016, the 
Government record ed its thirteenth consecutive positive review under the IMF 's Extended Fund 
Facility (EFF) programme. It also successfully negotiated a new precautionary three -year Stand -By 
Arrangement (SBA) with the IMF. The SBA replaced the EFF in the penultimate quarte r of 
FY2016/17. The frequency of the formal reviews of the quantitative performance criteria (QPCs) 
and the structural benchmarks under the SBA has been adjusted to semi -annual from quarterly. 
Under the precautionary SBA, Jamaica has access to ap proximatel y US$1.6 billion 
(SDR 1,195.3  million, or 312 % of quota) with certain conditionalities. In addition to the 
commitments to maintaining macroeconomic stability and reducing public debt, by addressing a 
wide range of structural issues, the SBA incorporates a renewed focus on unlocking Jamaica 's 
growth potential through structural reforms. The first IMF Staff Review mission under the SBA was 
conducted between 20 February and 3 March 2017. That mission was followed by a successful 
review by the Executive Board o f the IMF on 18 April 2017. The approval of the first review 
provides the Government of Jamaica with access to SDR 126.0 million (approximately US$170.0 
million). The remaining funds will become accessible to Jamaica in six tranches upon successful 
complet ion of the semi -annual programme reviews. The Bank of Jamaica is confident that all the 
indicative QPCs and structural benchmarks under the SBA at end -March 2017 were met.  
3.7.  Central Government operations recorded a cumulative primary surplus of US$135.9 bill ion, or 
7.7% of GDP , for FY 2016/17, which was US$15.1 billion above FY2015/16. Similarly, for the 
FY2016/17, the fiscal deficit was lower by US$1.4 billion relative to the FY2015/16. The outturn 
was attributable to higher Revenue and Grants partly offset by higher expenditure. In particular, 
for FY2016/17, Revenue and Grants was US$44.0 billion above FY2015/16. The performance of 
revenue was reflected primarily in Tax Revenue and Grants.  With regard to Tax Revenue, higher 
than budgeted receipts were record ed in Income and Profits, Production and Consumption and 
International Trade. Higher expenditure relative to FY2015/16 was reflected in all areas of 
expenditure except domestic interest payment.  BOJ's Terms of Trade Index (TOT) for Jamaica 
contracted at an  annual pace of 28.5 % at March 2017, in contrast to the annual expansion of 
0.8% registered at December 2016. This outturn reflected a decline of 15.8 % in the Export Price 
Index (EPI) and a rise in the Import Price Index (IPI) by 17.7 %. The reduction in ex port prices 
was driven by a fall in implicit tourism prices, while the expansion in the IPI emanated from higher 
prices for fuel, capital goods and non -durable raw materials. Over the next four quarters, the Bank 
expects that Jamaica 's TOT will improve. Th is mainly reflects an improvement in the EPI as a 
result of an expected increase in implicit tourism prices, consistent with the Bank 's forecast of 
higher global growth.  
3.8.  Jamaica 's economy is expected to grow by 2.0 %–3.0% in the short to medium term. Growth  
is predicated on increases in:  
o domestic demand – due to a strengthening in the domestic labour market and increases in 
consumer and business confidence;  and 
o external demand – associated with the improved performance of the global econo my. WT/TPR/G/359 /Rev.1  • Jamaica  
 
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  3.9.  Further improvem ent will be facilitated by continued improvement in Jamaica 's 
macroeconomic and business environment; strengthening of competitiveness; increased capacity 
utilization in some industries; and the roll -out of major strategic investment projects.  
3.10.   Specifically  for FY2017/18, real GDP is projected to increase by 2.3 %. The goods producing 
industry is expected to grow by 5.7 %, driven primarily by increased output of all four industries, 
with the mining and quarrying industry expected to record the largest improvem ent in real value 
added.  For the services industry , growth of 1.2 % is projected, supported by increased value added 
in all industries with the exception of Producers of Government Services.  
3.1  The Economic Reform Programme  
3.11.   In 2012, the Government of Jamaica embarked on an Economic Reform Programme (ERP), 
which is a strategic plan of action aimed at generating the sustained economic growth and 
long-term development of the country. The ERP is predicated on seven (7) pillars, namely : (i) debt 
reduction; (ii) tax  reform; (iii) public -private sector partnership; (iv) pension reform; (v) public 
sector reform; (vi) job creation; and (vii)  growth inducement strategies. The ERP has resulted in 
improvements in some of Jamaica 's economic fundamentals resulting in:  
o debt r eduction strategy which was initially pursued using the National Debt Exchange (NDX) 
and which featured an exchange of debt instruments between the Government and creditors 
on the local market. This was launched in February 2013.  The debt/GDP ratio has dec lined 
from 140.5% of GDP in FY 2013/2014 to 122.5% in FY 2016/2017.  
o broader tax reform through the promotion of a simpler, more efficient, broader tax base and 
equitable tax system which would eliminate distortions and become an incentive for 
economic gro wth. Pivotal to the issue of tax reform is the need to contain leakages within 
the context of the current fiscal constraints, as well as to achieve the targeted reduction of 
tax expenditures to approximately 2.5 % of GDP, whilst bolstering the revenue 
collection/compliance gains to achieve a targeted primary balance of 7.0 %.  
o a Public -Private Partnership (PPP) Policy has been approved by the Cabinet. This will guide 
the long -term relationship between Government and the private sector.  
o pension reform - the GOJ remains on track with implementing the Pensions (Public Service) 
Act during FY 2017/18.  
o public sector reform to establish a more transparent public sector , to streamline operations 
and to improve efficiency. Several public sector entities will also be merged to improve 
efficiency and improve the use of the country 's resources and divest the ones that will be 
more profitable in private hands.  
o a reduction in the unemployment rate by 1.5 percentage points from 14.2% in January 2012 
to 12.7 in January 2017.  
o the implementation of Growth Inducement Strategies with primary focus being placed on the 
development of Special Economic Zones (SEZs), and the Information and Communication 
Technologies (ICT) and Business Proces s Outsourcing (BPOs) sectors.  
3.2  Economic Grow th Council  
3.12.   In August 2016, the Government of Jamaica established an Economic Growth Council (ECG) 
to advise the Cabinet on a set of policies and reforms that can help to stimulate economic growth 
that would assist Jamaica in achieving an economic growth ta rget of 5 per cent per annum in four 
years, that is, by 2020. The ECG comprises eight representatives from the public and private 
sectors and is chaired by a member of the private sector. Following extensive consultations with 
national stakeholders, the EC G presented its recommendations to the Cabinet in September 2016.  
These recommendations, which also incorporate elements of the ERP, are contained in its 
document e ntitled Call to Action .1 
                                                
1 Economic Growth Council. Call to Action 5 in 4 . November 2016.  Viewed at:  
http://mfaft.gov.jm/wp/wp -content/uploads/2017/01/EGC -Initiatives.pdf . WT/TPR/G/359 /Rev.1  • Jamaica  
 
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  3.13.   The work of the Council is focused on eight priority areas: (1) mai ntaining macro -economic 
stability and pursuing debt reduction strategies; (2) improving citizen security and public safety; 
(3) improving access to finance; (4) pursuing bureaucratic reforms to improve the business 
environment; (5) stimulating greater asse t utili zation; (6) building human capital; (7) harnessing 
the power of the Jamaican Di aspora; and (8) catalysing the implementation of strategic projects. 
The Council follows up on recommendations made and their status of implementation and reports 
to the public on a quarterly basis.  
4  TRADE AND SECTORAL P ERFORMANCE  
4.1  Trade performance  
4.1.  Between the period 2011 –2015, trade accounted for an average 81.79 % of GDP, indicating 
that the economy is highly open and dependent on trade. About 80 % of the employed labour fo rce 
is estimated to be involved in occupations that are either directly or indirectly linked to trade.  The 
ratios for imports and exports of goods to GDP in 2015 were 30.3 % and 9 %, respectively, 
highlighting the longstanding imbalance existing in goods tra de. The ratio of trade in services as a 
percentage of GDP in 2015 was 35.7 %. Tourism is the main service sector with a contribution to 
GDP of 16.9 % in 2015, accounting for the m ajority of the services trade. Together with tourism, 
Jamaica 's other main expo rts, such as, bauxite and alumina, sugar, agricultural products and 
business process outsourcing, and its main imports, such as petroleum products, food and motor 
vehicles serve as, inter alia , inputs for production, a source of income and a means of advan cing 
Jamaica 's competitiveness. Additionally, the global trend of pursuing business growth through the 
fragmentation of production and creation of supply networks across national borders is also rooted 
in global trade.  The pace of implementation of Jamaica 's development plan is, therefore, 
dependent on global trade performance.  
4.2.  Jamaica 's trade deficit grew from approximately US$3.4 billion in 2005 to a high of 
US$5.1  billion in 2008. During the period 2009 –2016, the deficit fell below that of 2008, 
signific antly impacted by the movement in the price of fuel on the international market. In 2016, 
Jamaica 's trade deficit with the rest of the world was valued at US$3.56 billion, which represented 
a US$222.2 million or 5.9 % decline when compared to the US$3.78 bi llion recorded in 2015. This 
decrease in the trade deficit was largely impacted by the country 's lower expenditure on mineral 
fuels, chemicals and food.  
4.3.  Expenditure on imports in 2016 was valued at US$4.8  billion, 5.6 % below the US$5  billion 
recorded in 2 015. Mineral fuels were valued at US$934.9 million in 2016, below the US$1.2  billion 
recorded in 2015. This represented the lowest amount spent on this commodity group since 2008 
when expenditure was valued at a high of US$3.4billion, due to exceptionally high fuel prices on 
the world market. In 2016, there was also a move towards using liquefied natural gas (LNG) and 
this was realized in the latter part of the year. Additionally, there were reduced imports of 
manufactured goods, with the major items being iron, steel and building cement. Reduced 
importation of ethanol -related products resulted in a decline in spending on chemicals in 2016. 
Food declined to US$840.9 million, down from US$943.6 million. This was primarily due to reduced 
expenditure on imports  of cereal and cereal preparations (mainly durum wheat), which was 
impacted by lower prices of grain on the world market.  
4.4.  Total revenue from exports for 2016 was approximately US$1.2  billion, down from 
US$1.3  billion in 2015. Revenue from domestic exports fell by US$110.7 million, to value US$1.1  
billion, down from the US$1.2  billion in 2015 due to lower returns from bauxite, alumina and 
sugar. Re -exports were valued at  US$104.2 million, increasing by 94.8 % or US$50.7 million, up 
from the US$53.5 million re corded in 2015. Exports of crude materials excluding fuels, valued at 
US$555.9 million fell by US$106.0 million, or 16.0 %, when compared to US$661.9 million 
recorded in 2015, due mainly to the decrease in the exportation of alumina and bauxite. Exports of 
mineral fuels  were valued at US$172.7 million, a decrease of US$21.6 million or 11.1 % when 
compared to the US$194.3 million recorded in 2015. This decline was due mainly to lower exports 
by the state refinery of finished products , namely Turbojet  A1 fuel a nd Bunker C grade fuel oil. 
Earnings from food products decreased by 1.0 % to US$220.3 million, down from US$222.5 million 
in 2015, mainly attributed to the reduction in the exportation of sugar.  WT/TPR/G/359 /Rev.1  • Jamaica  
 
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  4.2  Sectoral performance  
4.5.  The s ervices sector contributed approxim ately 73 % of GDP in 2016. The main industries in 
terms of their contribution to GDP were: wholesale and retail trade; repairs; installation of 
machinery and equipment (19.4 %); producers of government services (13.0 %); transport, 
storage and communication ( 8.3%); finance and insurance services (10.3 %); real estate, renting 
and business activities (11.3 %); other services (6.6 %); and hotels and restaurants (4.7 %). The 
services sector grew at an annual average rate of 0.4 % between 2011 and 2016, with hotels and 
restaurants registering the highest average growth rate of 2.0 %.  
4.6.  Specifically returning to trade in services, the tourism industry experienced significant growth 
in visitor arrivals over the review period and continued to contribute significantly to Jama ica's 
foreign exchange earnings . This was also marked by increases in room stock and di rect 
employment in the sector. Implementation of key objectives of the Master Plan for Sustainable 
Tourism Developmen t continued to be pursued. Areas of priority over th e review period included 
strengthening linkages, increasing visitor arrivals, accessing new markets, developing new 
products, attracting new investments, building new partnerships and developing human ca pital. 
There have been a number of initiatives aimed at increasing local participation in the tourism 
sector . These include the tabling of a Community Tourism Policy and the establishment of a 
Linkages Network Programme, which increases local spend through partnerships with the private 
sector, academia and Government. It includes five identifiable network areas, namely, sport and 
entertainment, gastronomy, knowledge, shopping, health and wellness, to support the 
development of new tourism niche areas and broaden tourism spend to communities and 
non-traditiona l tourism segments.  
4.7.  The National Export Strategy identifies mining as one of its priority industries . The mining 
and quarrying industry recorded a decline of 3.3% in real value -added and contributed 2.3 % to 
GDP in 2016.  The industry employs 0.5 % of the tot al labour force and generated US$546.1 million 
in foreign exchange earnings in 2016. The mining and quarrying industry is dominated by bauxite 
and alumina production, which accounted for 97 % of the industry 's export earnings and 56.2 % of 
the total value of  Jamaica 's goods exports in 2015.  Total bauxite production, declined from 
approximately 10.2 million tonnes in 2011 to 8.5  million tonnes in 2016, due mainly to a fall in 
bauxite production arising from the curtailment of alumina production at the Sherwin refinery in 
the U nited States after it filed for bankruptcy in 2016. Two of the three plants that were closed 
due to the global financial crisis in 2009 are now reopened. The Alpart Nain refinery plant in St. 
Elizabeth was reopened on 2 June 2017 and is no w owned by Jiuquan Iron and Steel (JISCO). The 
West Indies Alumina Company (WINDALCO) Ewarton plant, owned by UC Rusal, was reopened in 
the third quarter of 2010. The WINDALCO Kirkvine plant, also owned by UC Rusal, remains closed. 
The Government is now fo cused on strengthening the institutional capacity of the mining and 
quarrying industry to, inter alia , enhance efficiency, increase the use of research and technology in 
industry operations, and integrate the development of mineral resources with overall l and-use 
planning and zoning.  
4.8.  The Government of Jamaica continues to support the development of the manufacturing 
industry through the implementation of policy, regulatory and institutional structures aimed at 
creating and further strengthening the industry  in order to facilitate the establishment of an 
enabling business environment, improved competitiveness , and greater sectoral linkages. The 
Government encourages the development of environmentally sustainable manufacturing and has, 
where possible, provided  assistance to develop stakeholders ' capacity in standards, quality 
management , marketing and customer service.  In particular, such assistance is offered to MSMEs . 
4.9.  In 2016, the manufacturing industry's contribution to GDP was 9.1 %, relatively unchanged 
from 2011. The industry grew from 1.8 % in 2011 to 1.9 % in 2016. Among the main subsectors 
were food, beverages and tobacco products, chemicals and chemical products and non -metallic 
mineral products. In 2015, the manufacturing industry 's share of total employ ment was about 
15%. The issues facing the industry include cost of credit, compliance costs relating to standards, 
labour productivity challenges, shifts in energy costs, and inadequate and costly transportation 
infrastructure.  The Government is inviting g reater private sector engagement in manufacturing 
and is also implementing policy responses t o these challenges. Such policy responses include 
encouraging investment in and public -private partnerships which develop alternatives to fossil 
fuels and renewabl e energy solutions and make available cheaper sources, such as LNG.  The 
Government has also increased investment in and policy focus on education and training; the use WT/TPR/G/359 /Rev.1  • Jamaica  
 
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  of industrial relations to achieve productivity gains; and the implementation of project s to 
rehabilitate and maintain physical infrastructure.  
4.10.   The agriculture, forestry and fishing industry accounted for 8.0 per cent of Jamaica 's GDP, 
representing an increase from 6.6 % in 2011. The industry employed 17.7 % of Jamaica 's total 
employed labour f orce in 2015, down from 18.2 % in 2012.  Gross value -added for the industry 
increased from 10.3 % in 2011 to 12.9 % in 2016. The value of traditional export crops, namely, 
coconut, coffee, citrus, cocoa and pimento, fluctuated over the period 2011 to 2015, wit h an 
overall increase from US$23.5 million in 2011 to US$28.5  million in 2015. The value of sugar 
exported fluctuated over the period 2011 to 2015, with an overall decline from US$62.2 million to 
US$53.8 million.   
4.11.   In 2008, Jamaica ceased exporting bananas to the U nited Kingdom , its main traditional 
market, due to the impact of weather conditions. Subsequently, exports were also affected by the 
liberalization of the UK market and the low prices for the product in that market, which made it 
unprofitable for J amaican b anana exporters. Instead, banana producers are now focused on 
exporting to the Cayman Islands and Canada. Jamaica exported 256.381  tonnes and 
369.496  tonnes of bananas to those markets in 2015 and 2016, respectively, of which the Cayman 
Islands ac counted for about 60 %. It has become more lucrative to produce bananas for the local 
market, which includes supplying the tourism industry, than it is to export the product.  
4.12.   The Government is seeking to enhance the development of the agriculture industry t hrough 
the use of agro -parks, which were established in 2012; encourage youth engagement through 
initiatives, such as the Youth in Agriculture Programme; and develop a sustainable private 
sector -led sugar cane industry that strengthens the economic, social  and environmental resilience 
of sugar dependent areas, which is being done through infrastructure upgrades and the provision 
of quality housing.  The Government of Jamaica is improving its food safety infrastructure systems 
through the implementation of th e Food Safety Programme. The development of the agriculture 
industry is also guided by the Government 's Food and Nutrition Security Policy, adopted in 2013, 
which aims at, among other things, facilitating the availability of food, guaranteeing Jamaicans ' 
access to food, nurturing individual well -being through food choices and consumption that reflect 
recommended dietary allowances, and maintaining stability in food supplies.  
4.3  Impact of global e conomic developments on Jamaica' s trade performance  
4.3.1   Slow recovery  from the global economic recession  
4.13.   The global economic decline as a result of the global economic and financial crises has had 
significant impact  on the growth of world trade. In 2016, growth in the volume of merchandise 
exports reflected weak performance  of 1.3 %, representing the fifth consecutive year of trade 
growth below 3 %.2 This is in comparison with an average growth rate of about 6 % over the almost 
three (3) decades (1980 -2007) before the outbreak of the crises .3 Weak international trade growth 
in the last few years reflects continuing sluggish growth in the global economy, including as a 
result of economic policy uncertainties; economic slowdown in the emerging economies  and falling 
commodity prices. It has been forecast that there will be growth i n global merchandise trade of 
between 1.8 % and 3.6 % in 2017 and 2.1 % and 4 % in 2018, but that these figures could continue 
to be affected by policy uncertainty in certain developed countries and regions .4 This trade 
slowdown has had a negative impact on de veloping countries, including Jamaica, in terms of a 
decline in merchandise exports. In 2015, Jamaica 's merchandise exports fell to US$1.2731 billion 
from US$1.5933 billion  in 2013.  
4.3.2   Lack of progress in the Doha Round negotiations and rising protectionism  
4.14.   The lack of timely progress in the WTO Doha Round negotiations has resulted in countries 
shifting attention to concluding plurilateral agreements and regional trade agreements (RTAs) as a 
means of pursuing further trade liberalization. Additionally, increas ing nationalism and rising 
protectionism and anti -globalization and anti -liberalization sentiments, particularly in developed 
                                                
2 WTO Press Release #768 dated 7 April 2016 and WTO Press Release #791 dated 12 April 2017.  
3 The Commonwealth secretariat, Trade Hot Topics Issue #140, "Revitalizing World Trade: Issues and 
Priorities for the Commonwealth ". 
4 WTO Press Release #791 dated 12 April 2017.  WT/TPR/G/359 /Rev.1  • Jamaica  
 
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  countries, could stifle trade flows and further restrict market access.  2016 was not only a record 
year for the lowest growth in w orld trade, but there was also an increase in the stock of trade 
restrictive measures implemented by the G20 economies since the economic and financial crises.  
4.15.   These developments are occurring at a time when international trade is expected to play a 
central role in achieving the UN SDGs.  For small, open economies like Jamaica, trade plays a 
major role in achieving economic growth, employment and poverty reduction.  If the SDG and 
domestic socio -economic targets are to be achieved, Jamaica will need access t o a stable 
rules-based multilateral trading system that will support its participation and integration into the 
global trading system.  
4.3.3   De-risking and the loss of correspondent banking relationships  
4.16.   Over the past few years, there has been a general tighteni ng of international regulatory 
standards for international finance, through a process known as de -risking. De -risking refers to the 
practice of ending banking relationships with clients or closing accounts deemed high risk, 
including when the earnings from  such relationships are considered small in relation to  the risk.  
4.17.   The experience of the Jamaican financial sector regarding de -risking has been mixed. 
Several banks have had their correspondent banking relationships terminated; others have been 
allowed a l imited range of correspondent services; and others have been subjected to more 
stringent due diligence processes.  Jamaica has taken a number of measures to address de -risking, 
including through focusing on strengthening Jamaica 's supervisory capacity and r egulatory 
frameworks while reducing the potential for money laundering and the financing of terrorism 
through effective Anti -Money Laundering/Counter Terrorism Financing (AML/CFT) compliance.   
4.18.   De-risking and the loss of correspondent banking relationships have placed Jamaica and its 
CARICOM partners at risk of being cut off from the international financial system as it limits the 
access of these countries to the global payments and financial systems.  Jamaica, as part of 
CARICOM, has engaged in an advocacy a nd awareness building programme to place the issue on 
the agendas of bilateral, regional and international meetings, including meetings of the WTO 
Committee on Trade in Financial Services (CTFS).  Jamaica is also working with its international 
partners to i dentify the best means of addressing and mitigating the impact of reduced access to 
international banking and financial services and markets caused by de -risking measures.  
4.3.4   Brexit  
4.19.   In a national referendum on 23 June 2016, the people of the United Kingdom vo ted to 
withdraw from membership of the European U nion, a process commonly known as Brexit.  Jamaica 
is closely monitoring developments relating to the United Kingdom 's exit from the European U nion. 
The United Kingdom is an important trade partner for Jamaic a. In 2016, the United Kingdom  
accounted for 25 % of Jamaica 's domestic exports to the European U nion, and 18 % of Jamaica 's 
total trade with the bloc.  Jamaica accesses the United Kingdom 's market through the CARIFORUM -
EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) , to which the United Kingdom is party by virtue of its 
EU membership. Currently, Jamaica and its CARIFORUM partners are engaging the United 
Kingdom to ensure the continuation of preferential access to the market post -Brexit. Jamaica and 
its CARIFORUM part ners will be working with the European U nion to improve access to the markets 
of Member States post -Brexit under the CARIFORUM -EU EPA.  
4.4  Economic growth -inducing policies and strategies to promote competitiveness  
4.20.   Global Logistics Hub Initiative and Special E conomic Zones: The Global Logistics Hub 
Initiative (GLHI) is designed to further integrate Jamaica into the international trading system and 
global value chains.  Through the GLHI, the Government is demonstrating its commitment to the 
creation of a competit ive business environment, as well as supporting growth -inducing economic 
activities that will stimulate sustainable economic growth and development. The GLHI, 
complemented by other policy initiatives underway, aims at: (1) increasing transhipment at 
Jamaic an ports; (2) developing a variety of value -adding manufacturing/assembly industries within 
Special Economic Zones (SEZs); (3) expanding services for the handling and movement of goods; 
(4) creating a modern and efficient infrastructure; (5) competitive pr icing of shipments; 
(6) offering competence and quality in the delivery of logistics services; and (7) enhancing WT/TPR/G/359 /Rev.1  • Jamaica  
 
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  Jamaica 's capacity to effectively track and trace consignments.  Jamaica is finali zing its market 
analysis and master plan for the logistics hub . 
4.21.   The implementation of the GLHI brings into sharp focus the importance of the SEZs.  The 
SEZ legislation was enacted on 1 August 2016 , and repealed the Jamaica Export Free Zone Act. 
SEZs represent an ambitious plan to develop geographically -demarcated indu strial clusters, by 
offering simple and efficient regulations and procedures that engender supply chain integration, 
targeted investment promotion and retention, diversification of economic activities across sectors 
and value addition.  The SEZs implementat ion also places emphasis on trade facilitation, which 
includes the automation of processes and improved customs management.  Importantly, the 
Customs Act is also being revised to augment operations at the SEZs.  An integrated approach is 
being taken to the i mplementation of the SEZs to ensure that the environment is conducive to the 
growth of both the goods and service sectors.  
4.22.   The Jamaica Special Economic Zone Authority (JSEZA) has been established to regulate, 
attract investment in and guide the development  of SEZs in Jamaica.  JSEZA, which is housed in 
the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, is managing companies ' transition from the 
Free Zones to the Special Economic Zones regime. The Authority is facilitating the enactment of 
new regulations for the SEZs.  
4.23.   The Information Communications Technology and Business Process Outsourcing (ICT/BPO): 
The ICT/BPO industry is a priority sector for the country and has a key role to play in the 
development of the Jamaican economy.  It is a high -performing segment  of Jamaica 's services 
industries, having grown at an annual rate of 16% since 2012 and enjoying the highest 
employment growth rate over the last decade, with an estimated 25,000 employees as at 
31 March 2017. It is one of the country 's most dynamic sector s covering, inter alia , contact 
centres, back office operations, and knowledge intensive operations.  The industry is poised for 
further growth and has the capacity to double its current size.  Efforts are being made to increase 
the level of local and intern ational investments in the sector.  The Government of Jamaica has 
established an ambitious target of doubling the size of the ICT/ BPO industry by 2020, and is 
focused on providing the necessary support and putting in place the requisite policies and enablin g 
environment to facilitate further growth.  
4.24.   The first phase of the National Export Strategy (NES) was developed in 2009 as a set of 
initiatives aimed at increasing Jamaican exports and reducing Jamaica 's trade deficit through 
targeted intervention in key s ectors.  Implemented over a three -year period, April 2010 –
March  2013, the NES sought to competitively reposition Jamaica 's exports in the global economy 
by focusing on specific cross-cutting industry strategies and priority industry initiatives.  The NES 
has since been updated with inputs from key stakeholders from each priority sector (e.g., agro 
processing, light manufacturing, film and animation) and cross -cutting area (e.g., capacity 
building, standards and quality management), resulting in phase two of t he NES (NES2). The 
overall targets for NES2 are to achieve export growth of 15% per annum, with total goods exports 
reaching US$2.5 billion by 2019, and for services exports to reach US$3.2 billion also by 2019.   
4.25.   The Business Reform Agenda and the establis hment of the National Competitiveness Council 
(NCC):  All mechanisms pertaining to national competitiveness fall within the purview of the NCC, 
which was established in 2010. The NCC 's Business Environment Reform Agenda is specifically 
focused on enhancing Jamaica 's performance in key international indices, such as the Doing 
Business Report, the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI), and the Logistics Performance Index 
(LPI). The NCC plays a key role in the implementation of the World Bank funded Foundations fo r 
Competitiveness and Growth Project, which is intended to strengthen the business environment in 
Jamaica for private sector investment, and it oversees the execution of Component 1 of the Project 
which seeks to enhance competition in the business environm ent. The NCC is tasked with 
oversight of the implementation of the NES and is the main entity to which bureaucratic 
impediments facing investors are escalated for redress.  Its achievements since mid -2013 include 
the establishment of a Secured Transaction F ramework, which included the passing of the Security 
Interest in Personal Property Act, the establishment of a National Collateral Registry and the 
creation of a single business registration form; the passage of the Insolvency Act, the 
establishment of a m andatory e -filing system for tax administration and the implementation of the 
ASYCUDA System for customs administration.   WT/TPR/G/359 /Rev.1  • Jamaica  
 
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  4.26.   The Government of Jamaica places great emphasis on fostering entrepreneurship and 
enterprise development in Jamaica. MSMEs play a sign ificant role in generating employment and 
contributing to private sector growth and expansion. It is estimated that MSMEs account for 97.6% 
of all registered classified taxpaying enterprises and that there are also approximately 412,000 
own-account -workers , i.e., single person enterprises, operating in Jamaica.  
4.27.   The Government of Jamaica has put in place a policy, legislative and institutional framework 
to support the development and expansion of MSMEs. There have been significant improvements 
to the  policy  and legislative framework in the past few years with the passing of, inter alia , the 
Secured Interest in Personal Property Act, the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, the Public 
Procurement Act (and Regulations 2017), the Special Economic Zones Act and the MS ME and 
Entrepreneurship Policy, which was implemented in 2013. The MSME and Entrepreneurship Policy 
is the first comprehensive, coherent and coordinated framework for addressing the policy issues 
and challenges facing the sector and providing targeted supp ort to expand its contribution to 
Jamaica 's socio -economic development. In 2016, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture 
and Fisheries (MICAF) began a limited review of the policy with a view to, inter alia , strengthening 
sector support mechanisms and outlining the strategies and activities to further boost the sector 
over the next five -year period.  
4.28.   Several entities have been established to provide targeted support to the sector. These 
include the Jamaica Business Development Corporation, the Micro Investment Development 
Agency and the Development Bank of Jamaica and Start -Up Jamaica. An MSME Office was 
established in MICAF with responsibility for policy oversight and coordination of activities and 
initiatives in relation to the development of the MS ME sector.  
4.29.   Jamaica is in the process of developing a National Investment Policy by 2018, which will 
support the realization of the country 's national sustainable development goals and the country 's 
overall development strategy as set out in the GOJ 's medi um term economic programme and 
Vision 2030.  Investment policy priorities are guided by a thorough analysis of the country 's 
comparative advantages, development challenges and opportunities, and address key bottlenecks 
for local direct investment and foreign direct investment in : the GLHI; infrastructure development; 
establishment of an international financial centre; further development and diversification of the 
tourism product into health and wellness and medical tourism; expansion of the ICT sector; the 
creative industries; the development of agro -parks; and energy diversification.  The policy will also 
seek to improve collaboration among Ministries, Agencies and Departments (MDAs) involved in 
investment facilitation and promotion.  A Steering Committee was  approved by the Cabinet of 
Jamaica in February 2017 to oversee the development of the policy, and working groups have 
been formed to carry out the policy development activities.  
4.30.   Jamaica is committed to meeting international standards for transparency in i nvestment and 
tax matters. To this end, Jamaica recently revised the text of its Model Double Taxation Agreement 
(DTA) , inter alia , to include the minimum standards required under the Base Erosion and Profit 
Shifting (BEPS) Project. Jamaica has also submit ted its Letter of Intent to become a signatory to 
the OECD Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base 
Erosion and Profit Shifting (Multilateral Instrument or MLI), which was developed under the BEPS 
initiative to modif y existing treaties allowing for compliance with the BEPS minimum standards.  
4.31.   Since 2011, nine (9) bilateral Tax Information Exchange Agreements (TIEAs) have been 
concluded. On 1 June 2016, Jamaica became a signatory to the OECD Multilateral Convention on 
Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters.  
4.32.   Jamaica is reviewing its policy and approaches towards the negotiation and implementation 
of bilateral investment treaties (BITs), which includes the completion of a model agreement to 
guide the Government 's engagement in future BITs negotiations.  To date, 17 BITs have been 
concluded since 1987, and discussions are underway regarding the possible conclusion of BITs with 
a number of other bilateral partners. This is in addition to Jamaica 's compliance with th e 
requirements of: (i) the international certification process of the IMF/World Bank Financial Sector 
Assessment Programme ; (ii) the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) ; and (iii) the Caribbean 
Financial Action Task Force (CFATF), as well as various bilater al commitments under the United 
States ' implementation regime for the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). Jamaica is a 
member of the following: (i) the OECD Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of WT/TPR/G/359 /Rev.1  • Jamaica  
 
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  Information5; (ii) the Committee for Fiscal Af fairs of the OECD6; (iii) the Inclusive Framework for 
BEPS7; and (iii) the Steering Group for the Inclusive Framework .8 
5  TRADE POLICY AND INS TITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK  
5.1  Elements of Jamaica' s foreign trade policy  
5.1.  Generally, Jamaica's trade policy continues to focus  on mainstreaming trade, increasing 
competitiveness, production and exports. Jamaica, as a member of CARICOM, engages in the 
negotiation and implementation of trade agreements as a means of securing its trade interests and 
enhancing trade performance.  In these agreements, Jamaica seeks to maintain and improve 
market access with a view to fostering increased market penetration and stimulate exports and 
develop a diversified export sector. There is also the goal of maintaining and improving 
performance in the  domestic market and facilitating measures to address supply -side constraints 
thereby improving productivity and competitiveness in both the domestic and export markets.   
5.2.  For Jamaica, trade agreements should be aimed at promoting both trade and development , 
and should have a strong development component.  
5.3.  Jamaica is reviewing its foreign trade policy, which was last revised in 2001 (Ministry Paper 
No. 69). The current review seeks to ensure the mainstreaming of foreign trade to strengthen its 
role as a drive r of economic growth and development; allow Jamaica to adjust to significant 
changes in the international environment since 2001 ; and pursue a more comprehensive and 
inclusive approach to foreign trade policy formulation and implementation. The overall aim  of the 
revision is to promote a whole -of-Government approach aimed at increasing exports in goods and 
services and ensuring that  the flow of imports benefits the economy in a sustained manner. The 
Policy and its Action Plan, when approved, will span a five-year implementation period and will 
focus on positioning Jamaica to leverage the benefits of trade -related issues, such as intellectual 
property rights. They will also take account of the country 's implementation of the United Nation 's 
SDGs . 
5.2  Institutiona l framework for Jamaica' s foreign trade policy regime  
5.4.  The formulation of foreign trade policies and the negotiation of trade agreements is the  
responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.  The Ministry carries out this 
responsibility  in consultations with stakeholders from the public and private sectors and from civil 
society. The implementation of Jamaica 's obligations under trade and trade -related agreements to 
which it is a party is done by other ministries and their departments an d agencies, mainly, the 
Ministries of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries; Finance and the Public Service; 
Science, Energy and Technology; Tourism; Transport and Mining; and the Office of the Prime 
Minister.  The trade -related departments and agen cies include the Planning Institute of Jamaica, 
the Jamaica Customs Agency, the Bureau of Standards Jamaica, the Trade Board Limited and 
Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO).  
5.5.  National consultations on the implementation of Jamaica 's foreign trade polici es and on 
positions to be taken in external trade negotiations are undertaken by the Jamaica Trade and 
Adjustment Team (JTAT). JTAT is a consultative mechanism comprising representatives of 
trade -related ministries, departments and agencies, in addition to  representatives of the private 
sector and civil society. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade chairs the meetings of 
JTAT. However, it also meets in its various configurations.  
5.6.  The Jamaican private sector plays an active role in trade policy development and 
implementation.  This is usually done as sectoral initiatives and through the work of umbrella 
organizations namely the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica (PSOJ), the Jamaica Exporters 
Association (JEA), the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce ( JCC), the Jamaica Manufacturers 
Association (JMA), the MSME Alliance and the Small Businesses Association of Jamaica.  At the level 
                                                
5 Jamaica has been a member since 2010.  
6 Jamaica is one (1) of fourteen (14) developing countries invited to join the Committee in 2014.  
7 Jamaica has been a member of the Framework since 2016.  
8 Jamaica was elected to the Steering Group in January 2017.  WT/TPR/G/359 /Rev.1  • Jamaica  
 
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  of civil society, the trade unions, trade and development -related associations and academia are 
also invited.  
5.7.  Jamaica's trad e policy formulation is also guided by the provisions of the Revised Treaty of 
Chaguaramas establishing the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) including the CARICOM Single 
Market and Economy (CSME). The Treaty requires the coordination of the regional trade pol icy, 
and bilateral trade negotiations with third countries as a regional grouping is usually led by the 
CARICOM Office of Trade Negotiations (OTN).  In this connection, Jamaica participates actively in 
the work of the Council for Trade and Economic Developm ent (COTED) and other trade -related 
bodies established by CARICOM.  
5.3  Regional integration – the establishment of the CARICOM Single Market and 
Economy (CSME)  
5.8.  The 2001 Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas was passed into law in Jamaica through the  
Caribbean Communit y Act of 1 December 2005.  Implementation of the CARICOM Single Market 
and Economy (CSME) began in 2006. The CSME is administered through five (5) core regimes, 
namely: (i) the free movement of goods; (ii) the free movement of skills; (iii) the free movemen t 
of capital; (iv) the provision of services; and (v) the right of establishment. In 2011, CARICOM 
Heads of Government decided to put the economy aspect of the CSME on hold and focus on the 
Single Market. A number of regional institutions have been establi shed to support the 
implementation and operation of the CSME.  They include:  the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), 
the CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ), the CARICOM 
Competition Commission, the Caribbean Agricultural Health and  Food Safety Agency (CAHFSA) and 
the CARICOM Development Fund (CDF). While most Member States have made progress in the 
implementation of the CSME, there is still more work required amongst Members to ensure a 
greater level of implementation. This is an im portant issue for Jamaica and for the CARICOM 
Conference of Heads of Government.  
6  BILATERAL/HEMISPHERI C AND PREFERENTIAL T RADE ARRANGEMENTS  
6.1  CARICOM bilateral agreements  
6.1.  CARICOM currently has trade agreements with Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican 
Republic and Venezuela. Work is being conducted under the CARICOM -Costa Rica Free Trade 
Agreement, the CARICOM -Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement and the CARICOM -Cuba 
Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement to further enhance market access commitments and 
resolve existing market access difficulties that have impeded effective utilization of the 
Agreements.  
6.2  CARIFORUM -EU Economic Partnership Agreement  
6.2.  Jamaica currently trades with the European Union  under the reciprocal CARIFORUM -EU 
Economic Partnership A greement (EPA), which was signed on 15 October 2008.9 It was notified to 
the WTO on 24 October 2008 under GATT Article XXIV.  Jamaica continues to provisionally apply 
the EPA, pending its ratification. Its ratification is among the priority issues being pur sued by the 
Government in 2017. A five -year review exercise was conducted in 2015 and focussed on the 
impact of the EPA on CARIFORUM States and the challenges encountered in advancing the 
implementation process. The outcome of the review suggested that the  global financial and 
economic crisis had a profound impact on the ability of the CARIFORUM parties, including Jamaica, 
to take advantage of the market access opportunities under the Agreement.  
6.3  CARIBCAN  
6.3.  The 1986 Caribbean/Canada Trade Agreement (CARIBCAN) continues to provide 
non-reciprocal duty free access to the Canadian market for a range of goods from pa rticipating 
CARICOM countries. In July 2015, the WTO General Council, at the request of Canada, extended 
the MFN waiver for CARIBCAN to 2023.  
                                                
9 Guyana signed the agreement on 20 October 2008, and Haiti signed on 10 December 2009.  WT/TPR/G/359 /Rev.1  • Jamaica  
 
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  6.4  CARIBBEAN Basin Initiative (CBI)  
6.4.  The Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) comprises the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act 
(CBERA) of 1983/1990 and the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA) of 2000.  The 
CBTPA, through which the benefits under CBERA were furth er expanded, is due t o expire on 
30 September 2020. In May 2015, the WTO General Council approved a further MFN waiver for the 
CBI up to 31 December 2019.  
7  MULTILATERAL FRAMEWO RK – THE WTO  
7.1.  Since becoming a founding Member of the WTO on 9 March 1995, Jamaica  has been an active 
participant in all aspects of the WTO 's work programme, including in the WTO regular bodies and 
in the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations.  Despite its small size and resource 
constraints, Jamaica has taken numerous steps to c ontinue implementing the Uruguay Round 
Agreements. Jamaica participates in the work conducted in the various WTO committees charged 
with overseeing the implementation of these agreements.  
7.2.  Jamaica remains actively engaged in the negotiations on Doha Develop ment Agenda issues, 
including through its membership of certain groupings, such as the SVE Group, the African, 
Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group, the G90 comprising the ACP, African and LDC G roups, the 
Group of 33 and the ' W/52 ' Group in the negotiations o n geographical indications, to promote its 
interests and concerns with a view to ensuring that there will be balanced, development -oriented 
outcomes. Jamaica continues to chair the Negotiating Group on Rules.  
7.3.  During the period under review, Jamaica did not  participate as a complainant, defendant or 
third party in any dispute settlement case.  
7.4.  Jamaica continues to make notifications under the WTO Agreements as required, including in 
the areas of technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phyto -sanitary measure s, import licensing, 
agriculture, subsidies and countervailing measures, anti -dumping measures, and state trading 
enterprises.  
7.1  Implementation of the Uruguay Round Agreements  
7.5.  Jamaica enacted the Customs Duties (Dumping and Subsidies) Act of 1999 (CDDSA) an d the 
Customs Duties (Dumping and Subsidies) (Determination of Fair Market Price, Material Injury and 
Margin of Dumping) Regulations in 2000, to implement the WTO Agreements on Anti -dumping and 
Subsidies and Countervailing Measures. There are significant a mendments pending to the CDDSA 
which will make the legislation more user friendly for industry and clarify existing practice. The 
Safeguard Act of 2000 and the Safeguard Regulations of 2003 were enacted to implement the 
WTO Agreement on Safeguards.  
7.6.  The Ant i-dumping and Subsidies Commission (the Commission), a portfolio agency of the 
MICAF, administers the trade remedy regime for Jamaica by conducting investigations and 
determining appropriate remedies under both legislative regimes. The Commission has condu cted 
to completion six anti -dumping investigations and one safeguard investigation. No investigations 
were conducted during the period of review. The Commission also performed investigative 
research, provided advice to the portfolio Minister , and was invol ved in trade policy development 
and trade negotiations. The Commission is building business capacity to take trade remedy action 
by completing the amendments to the CDDSA, training micro, small and medium goods producing 
entities in the use of trade remedi es and to establish a help desk to assist industry. As part of its 
capacity -building initiative, the Commission trains individuals and businesses in the application of 
trade remedies. Accreditation was received from the General Legal Council for the course work for 
training of Attorneys -at-Law. In addition, a proposal for a help desk to support industries in the 
process of compiling evidence and filing complaints has been developed.  
7.7.  The Executive Director of the Commission has served as a panellist on five completed WTO 
Dispute Settlement panels on trade remedy and related matters. Jamaica continues to provide 
guidance and support on trade remedy matters to others in the region.  WT/TPR/G/359 /Rev.1  • Jamaica  
 
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  7.8.  Jamaica continues to work tirelessly to implement an intellectual property righ ts regime that 
is fully compliant with the TRIPS Agreement. The Jamaica Intellectual Property Office (JIPO) is 
continuously reviewing and updating relevant legislation to ensure that the country 's intellectual 
property laws effectively protect the intellec tual property rights of nationals and non -nationals 
alike.  
7.9.  Since Jamaica 's last report to the WTO in 2011, Jamaica amended its Trade Marks Act and 
Trade Marks Rules and the Copyright Act , and is currently in the process of again amending the 
Trade Marks Ac t and Rules and the Protection of Geographical Indications Act and Regulations. 
Jamaica is also now in the final stages of adopting a new Patents and Designs Act and is currently 
drafting new legislation for the protection of new varieties of plants.  
7.10.   The Trade Marks Rules were amended in 2011 to provide for a new schedule of fees , and, in 
2013, the Trade Marks Act and Rules were amended to provide , inter alia , for a cooling off period 
for trade mark oppositions. The Copyright Act was amended in 2015 to pro vide, inter alia , for an 
extension of the term of copyright protection and to provide exceptions to the copyright regime for 
visually impaired persons, persons with print disabilities and the hearing impaired to allow them to 
place material into accessible  formats.  
7.11.   Jamaica is currently amending the Trade Marks Act and the Trade Marks Rules to  generally 
update the Act and Rules including the fees and forms and to provide for the international 
registration of trademarks under the Madrid Protocol. The Protect ion of Geographical Indications 
Act and Regulations are also being amended at present to provide the higher level of protection to 
all goods including wines and spirits, to establish a Geographical Indications Advisory Committee 
and to update the applicabl e fees payable.  
7.12.   The new Patents and Designs Act will be fully compliant with the TRIPS Agreement and will 
pave the way for Jamaica t o become party to the Patent Co operation Treaty (PCT), as well as the 
Hague Agreement and the Locarno Treaty for Industrial Designs. Amendments are also being 
made to the Copyright Act to provide for cross -border copyright transactions and to add to the list 
of authorized bodies which can make accessible formats for visually and print disabled persons. A 
new law is currently be ing drafted for the protection of new varieties of plants, which will ensure 
Jamaica 's compliance with the TRIPS Agreement.  
7.13.   In 2012, JIPO issued a Practice Notice regarding the examination of trademarks which  
contain traditional knowledge and/or traditiona l cultural expressions of indigenous or local 
communities. By virtue of that Practice Notice, such trade mark applications will be refused 
registration if misleading and if they are submitted without consent or authorization of one of the 
recogni zed repres entatives of the relevant indigenous or local community. In 2015, another 
Practice Notice was issued by JIPO extending the terms of the 2012 Practice Notice to the 
examination of design applications by JIPO. Jamaica has also recently started the process to  
develop legislation for the protection of traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions.  
7.14.   In 2013, Jamaica passed the Secured Interests in Personal Property Act (SIPPA) for IP 
securitization and is in the process of developing the framework to  implement the securitization of 
assets using IP.  
7.15.   The Counter Terrorism and Organized Crime (C -TOC) Unit of the Jamaica Con stabulary 
Force (JCF) enforces IP legislation in Jamaica. The Unit undertakes arrests and criminal 
prosecutions for breaches of the c ountry 's IP laws. Jamaica 's criminal and civil courts continue to 
hear and determine cases of IP infringements and to assist national and international rights 
holders to enforce their IP rights in Jamaica.  
7.16.   Standards in Jamaica are primarily regulated by th e Bureau of Standards of Jamaica (BSJ) 
which was established in 1969, as a statutory body, pursuant to the Standards Act of 1969.  The 
BSJ promotes and encourages the maintenance of standardization in relation to commodities, 
processes and practices. Over t ime, its role expanded to include the provision of services in 
relation to conformity assessment (certification, inspection, testing, and calibration) and 
metrology. The BSJ is in the process of reviewing its existing legal framework with a view to 
creatin g an environment conducive to the implementation of the National Quality Policy.  The 
review includes the governing legislation (Standards Act of 1968, Processed Food Act of 1959 and WT/TPR/G/359 /Rev.1  • Jamaica  
 
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  Weights and Measures Act of 1976).10 The amendment aims to shorten the proc ess for the export 
of processed food and to enable a more trade -friendly regime that brings Jamaica in line with 
international best practice, which posits a risk -based approach towards production.  
7.17.   The regulatory functions of the BSJ were operationally sepa rated with the establishment of 
the National Compliance and Regulatory Authority (NCRA) in January 2016. The NCRA is 
responsible for registering processed food establishments, inspecting goods at the ports of entry 
and in the domestic market for compliance , and legal metrology. The BSJ provides the NCRA with 
corporate services, namely, human resource management and development; corporate planning 
and budgeting; financial management; facilities management; and ICT support. The BSJ has 
commenced a number of i nitiatives, including the Strategic Public Sector Transformation Project 
and the Capacity Building for Market Access Project to, among other things, enhance the 
organization 's role in the areas of trade facilitation, industrial growth and the protection of  the 
health and safety of the Jamaican people.  
7.18.   The BSJ 's conformity assessment programmes were transferred to the National Certification 
Body of Jamaica (NCBJ) as at 1 January 2017. These programmes include the Jamaica Made Mark 
Programme (JMM); HACCP Reco gnition Programme; National Certification Mark Programme (CMP); 
and Certification of Agricultural Produce (CAP).  The NCBJ continues to maintain the effectiveness 
of the accredited management system to ISO 17021:2015 and was approved by ANAB to issue 
ISO 90 01:2015 accredited certificates to organizations. The BSJ attained certification to ISO 
9001:2008 Quality Management Systems – Requirements from BSI (UK certification body) in 
February 2016 for the provision of services in relation to facilitating the deve lopment of standards 
for commodities, services, practices and processes; performing conformity assessment activities; 
and promoting research and education in standardization. This achievement was an indication that 
the organization has a quality management  system that meets the requirements of ISO 
9001:2008.  
7.19.   Four of the organization 's laboratories ( chemistry, microbiology, packaging and mass) 
attained accreditation of critical food test according to ISO/IEC 17025:2005 general requirements 
for the competence  of testing and calibration laboratories for specified tests. The BSJ has 
undertaken a reduction of the turnaround times in its laboratories. Generally, the times have been 
reduced by two weeks. Products tested at the accredited laboratories of the BSJ wil l provide access 
to over 80 markets worldwide, based on the accreditation received from the Jamaica National 
Agency for Accreditation (JANAAC).  
7.20.   The BSJ is seeking to establish a 'WTO/TBT National Enquiry Point Portal ' to meet the 
relevant obligations outl ined in the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade and to provide 
value -added services to the BSJ 's clientele. Targeting mainly associations and sector groups, such 
as the Jamaica Manufacturers Association (JMA) and the Jamaica Business Development 
Corpo ration (JBDC), the BSJ is assisting MSMEs to enhance their international competitiveness.  
7.21.   The Plant Quarantine Produce Inspection Division in the MICAF  is Jamaica's enquiry point 
under the WTO Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures. A National Ag ricultural Health 
and Food Safety Coordinating Committee has been established to allow for more effective 
coordination among the various administrative bodies. The enquiry point continues to play a major 
role in ensuring transparency in the implementation and application of Jamaica's laws and 
regulations affecting SPS measures. Changes have been made to Jamaica's legislative framework 
in the area of sanitary and phytosanitary measures to facilitate compliance with the WTO SPS 
Agreement. The SPS enquiry poin t circulates, as frequently as possible, a spread sheet which 
provides information on the most recent SPS notifications. The stakeholders are encouraged to 
initiate discussion on notifications which are of interest to them. The modernization of Jamaica's 
SPS regime remains a work in progress which would benefit from further development assistance.  
                                                
10 Cabinet , in February 2017 , approved an amendment of t he Processed Food Act 1959 and the 
Processed Food (General) Regulations 1959 to remove the requirement for Export Certificate. Parliament , in 
2015, approved an amendment to the Weights and Measures Act 1976 and its attendant Regulations to 
increase the fin es to a maximum of US$1  million in respect of offences under the Act or Regulations. 
Parliament , in 2012 , approved an amendment to the Standards Act of 1968 and the Processed Food Act of 
1959 to increase the fines to a maximum of US$3  million in respect of  offences under the Acts.  WT/TPR/G/359 /Rev.1  • Jamaica  
 
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  7.22.   The WTO Agreement on Customs Valuation is administered by Jamaica Customs, an Agency 
of the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service.  Under the Customs Modernis ation and Reform 
Programme, the then Jamaica Customs Department underwent an extensive process of 
rationali zation and re -organization of customs procedures and management.  The Customs Act, 
1955, which is Jamaica's primary piece of legislation dealing with customs valuation and 
procedures, was amended in 2001 to bring it into conformity with the provisions of the WTO 
Agreement on Customs Valuation.  
7.23.   Despite the advances that have been made under the Customs Modernisation and Reform 
Programme, the Customs Agen cy still encounters challenges associated with, among other things, 
under -invoicing.  Additionally, there continues to be a need for ongoing training and technical 
assistance. In this regard, Jamaica has benefited from technical assistance provided by the 
Governments of Chile, Sweden, the United  States, the United Kingdom and Canada, as well as the 
World Customs Organization (WCO).  
7.24.   As part of efforts to modernize customs procedures, the Jamaica Customs Agency 
implemented the Automated System for Customs Data  (ASYCUDA) World on 1 April 2016.  
ASYCUDA World is a web -based system that accelerates customs clearance and simplifies 
proce dures through computerization. The implementation of ASYCUDA World is among the 
measures being introduced by the Government of the Jamaica to facilitate trade, achieve greater 
efficiency, reduce transaction costs and improve the  domestic business environment.  
7.2  Implementation of the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation  
7.25.   Jamaica was an active participant in the negotiations on trade facili tation. Acting individually 
and in its capacity as Coordinator of the ACP Group in Geneva during the preparatory process for 
the 9th Session of the WTO Ministerial Conference (MC9), Jamaica advocated strongly for the 
adoption of a new and more dynamic appr oach toward the treatment of special and differential 
treatment (S&DT) provisions that would take into account the different capacities of the 
developing countries and LDCs to implement the provisions of the TF Agreement and the 
difficulties they may encou nter in doing so. Emphasis was therefore placed on the need for the 
provision of adequate technical assistance and capacity building support to assist developing 
countries and LDCs in implementing the TF Agreement.  
7.26.   Jamaica notified its Category A commitme nts in February 2015 and ratified the Agreement 
in January 2016. Jamaica 's Categories B and C commitments were submitted to the WTO 
Secretariat in July 2017.  
7.27.   A Trade Facilitation Task Force comprising representatives of the public and private sectors 
was e stablished in 2015 under the aegis of the National Competitiveness Council (NCC). The Task 
Force is responsible for mapping and driving the implementation of the trade facilitation measures, 
including those under the TF Agreement, which are deemed critical  to support economic growth 
and promote competitiveness, as well as ensure a coordinated approach across government 
Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the development of a single electronic window for 
trade (SEWT) and a national trade informati on portal (NTIP), amongst a range of other reforms.  
7.28.   Since 2015, the Task Force has undertaken a range of activities which are required for 
coordinating and implementing various provisions under the TF Agreement. These activities include 
the development of a Roadmap and Project Plan for Trade Facilitation, as well as partnering with 
the World Bank Group to provide technical assistance and training in areas such as gap 
assessments, data collection and analysis and the development of risk profiles.  
7.29.   Jamaica als o participates in the CARICOM Regional Committee on Trade Facilitation (RCTF) 
established to facilitate regional coordination and implementation of the TF Agreement within 
CARICOM and to promote consistency between national and regional trade facilitation priorities.  
7.3  Aid for trade  
7.30.   Jamaica supported the proposal for the Doha Development Round to have a capacity 
building component. The Aid for Trade Initiative is intended to assist developing countries and 
LDCs to build the trade capacity and infrastructure r equired to take advantage of export WT/TPR/G/359 /Rev.1  • Jamaica  
 
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  opportunities; to increase their capacity to trade; and to participate more effectively in 
international trade.  
7.31.   Jamaica 's National Aid for Trade Strategy , entitled 'Partnership towards Sustained Economic 
Growth and Devel opment through Trade ', was developed with the assistance of the Inter -American 
Development Bank (IDB).  It was presented by the IDB at the WTO 's 3rd Global Aid for Trade 
Review in July 2011 and formally launched in Kingston in November 2011.  The Strategy id entified 
gaps in previous funding for trade projects and identified Jamaica 's trade -related needs in three 
(3) pillars, namely network infrastructure; competitiveness and export diversification; and trade 
development.  It also includes an action matrix iden tifying critical initiatives requiring development 
assistance and investment.  Jamaica 's National Aid for Trade Strategy has been aligned with 
national policies, plans and strategies.  The Strategy is also closely linked to the Regional Aid for 
Trade Strateg y, which was launched by CARICOM in 2013.  
7.32.   Since the launch of the National Aid for Trade Strategy, the Government of Jamaica has 
been the recipient of six major Aid for Trade projects aimed at, inter alia , (i) export diversification; 
(ii) improving conditi ons for better access of Jamaican products to the rest of the world; 
(iii) increasing agricultural competitiveness; and (iv) strengthening of the business environment in 
Jamaica for private sector investment.  
7.33.   Jamaica appreciates the trade -related assistanc e receive from its development partners, 
including the E uropean Union, IDB, World Bank, Commonwealth Secretariat, Canada, New 
Zealand, the U nited Kingdom  and the U nited States.  
7.34.   Nevertheless, it should be recalled that , at the Global Aid for Trade Reviews,  it was 
recognized that the Caribbean was among the regions receiving the least amount of Aid for Trade 
resources. Among the problems affecting Jamaica 's ability to secure additional funding have been 
the Government of Jamaica 's tight fiscal policy space , due primarily to the high debt burden and 
slow economic growth; the priorities of international development partners; and the challenges of 
size as investors look at economies of scale.  
7.4  Technical assistance and capacity building  
7.35.   During the period under rev iew, Jamaica continued to participate in the technical assistance 
and capacity building (TACB) courses and programmes offered by the WTO on -line, at the national 
and regional (CARICOM) levels and in Geneva. These courses and programmes have provided 
practi cal support to Jamaica in building its knowledge, capacity and skills in relation to the WTO 
Agreements and their implementation; and in facilitating greater participation in the work 
programme of the WTO and in international trade in general. The introduc tion of the progressive 
learning approach to TACB has resulted in a more streamlined approach to learning , and the 
on-line courses have provided greater access to information and inst ruction on the WTO 
Agreements. However, Jamaica will continue to face cap acity constraints in a number of areas and 
will continue to require TACB support from the WTO. In this regard, there will also be need for a 
more structured approach toward the provision of TACB in certain specialized areas, including 
trade in services, to  address the capacity deficits that exist in these areas.  
8  CONCLUSION  
8.1.  Jamaica remains committed to the multilateral trading system, and continues to actively 
participate in the WTO 's regular work and contribute to the efforts being made to advance 
negotiati ons on issues under the Doha Development Agenda. Notwithstanding limited resources, 
Jamaica continues its efforts to implement the WTO Agreements, while implementing its 
obligations under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas establishing the CSME, as well as other 
trade agreements negotiated with the E uropean Union and bilateral partners in Latin America and 
the Caribbean. As stated, international trade is essential to the Government achieving its goal of 
robust economic growth and job creation.  Jamaica,  there fore, is aiming to take a holistic approach 
to the implementation of its foreign trade policy to ensure that the country benefits from 
international trade.  
8.2.  The country, however, faces major challenges arising from developments in the global 
economic enviro nment. These challenges include the practice of de -risking by financial institutions WT/TPR/G/359 /Rev.1  • Jamaica  
 
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  in major economies, an increased tendency towards protectionism in some key markets, lack of 
fiscal space to absorb concessionary donor funding from Aid for Trade, and the  uncertainties 
surrounding the future of the Doha Development Round.  This is a parlous situation for highly 
indebted developing countries with small, open, vulnerable economies.  Nevertheless, Jamaica is 
monitoring developments in the global economy, especi ally those that have a significant bearing 
on its trade performance, and thus its ability to achieve robust economic growth and create jobs. 
These are development dimension issues which Jamaica hopes will continue to receive attention as 
preparations accel erate for the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC11) to be held in 
December  2017 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  
 
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