WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/TPR/M/242 
23 February 2011 
 (11-0871) 
Trade Policy Review Body 
18 and 20 January 2011  
 
 
 
TRADE POLICY REVIEW 
 
JAMAICA 
 
Record of the Meeting  
 
Chairperson:  H.E. Mr. Bozkurt Aran (Turkey) 
 
  Page 
 
I. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS BY THE CHAIRPERSON 3 
II. OPENING STATEMENT BY THE REPRESENTATIVE OF JAMAICA 4 
III. STATEMENT BY THE DISCUSSANT 10 
IV. STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS 16 V. REPLIES BY THE REPRESENTATIVE OF JAMAICA AND ADDITIONAL 
 COMMENTS  37 
VI. CONCLUDING REMARKS BY THE CHAIRPERSON 44 
 
 
 
Note:   Advance written questions by WTO Members and the replies provided by Jamaica are 
reproduced in document WT/TPR/M/242/Add.1 and will be available online at:  
http://www.wto.org/english/tr atop_e/tpr_e/tp_rep_e.htm.    WT/TPR/M/242 
 Page 3 
 
 
  I. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS BY THE CHAIRPERSON 
1. The third Trade Policy Review of Jamai ca was held on 18 and 20 January 2011.  
The Chairperson H.E. Mr. Bozkurt Aran (Turkey) welcomed the delegation of Jamaica headed by 
Dr. Kenneth Baugh, Deputy Prime Minister and Mini ster of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, and 
the discussant, H.E. Mr. Luis Manuel Piantini Munnigh (Dominican Republic).   
2. The Chairperson recalled the purpose of the Trad e Policy Reviews and the main elements of 
the procedures for the meeting.  The report by Jamaica was contained in document WT/TPR/G/242 
and that of the WTO Secretariat in WT/TPR/S/242. 
3. Questions by the following delegations had been  submitted in writing at least two weeks in 
advance and had been transmitted to the delegation of Jamaica:  India;  the European Union;  the 
United States;  China;  Japan;  Canada;  Colombia;  and Chile.   
4. The following delegations submitted written ques tions after the two-week deadline:  Brazil, 
Turkey, and Mexico. 
5. The Chairperson said that he had considered th e reports prepared for the Review and noted 
that they stressed Jamaica's commitment to the multi lateral trading system and its active role in the 
Doha negotiations, in particular w ith regard to the advocacy of special and differential treatment for 
developing countries. 
6. The reports showed that Jamaica's economy – in which alumina, tourism, and its large 
informal sector dominate –  was highly trade oriented.  During th e review period, exports and imports 
of goods and services had exceeded 90% of GDP on average.  Also, the Jamaican economy had 
continued to move away from primary activitie s and manufacturing.  Goods production now 
accounted for about one quarter of GDP which was only one third of the share of services. 
7. Jamaica was closely invo lved in the process of regional trade integration with, among other 
things, the ongoing implementation of the Caribb ean Single market and Economy and that of the 
Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA ) between the EU and CARIFORUM. 
8. A significant concern for Jamaica, particularly in the context of a severe economic recession 
and the erosion of long-standing preferences, was th at additional prospective tariff cuts or tariff 
elimination through trade agreements could, over  time, reduce revenues gene rated from imports.  In 
the case of the EPA, for example, the relatively long  phasing-in period provided the Government with 
some time to find ways of mitigating the tariff revenue losses through increased market access, investment, production and trade.  The Government Report noted that for highly indebted developing 
countries with small, open, vulnerable economies this  question of revenue loss merited attention by 
the WTO.  He noted that Members would be interested  to hear an elaboration of this important issue. 
9. Regarding trade measures, tariffs had remained Jamaica's main trade policy instrument and an 
important source of tax revenue.  Besides tariffs , Jamaica also applied numerous other duties and 
charges on imports which could increase border prot ection appreciably and raised the question of 
whether excessive import taxation may be hindering competitiveness. 
10. On the issue of trade competitiveness, the Gove rnment Report pointed to the need for action 
be taken to increase the country's internati onal ranking in competitiveness and productivity.  
Underlying Jamaica's weak performance during the review period were a number of structural 
disadvantages, including:  the high cost of electri city, the high debt ratio, highs security costs for 
business, low labour productivity and inadequate trad e-related infrastructure.  However, both reports 
noted that progress was being made in tackling these challenges and creating a more business-friendly 
environment. WT/TPR/M/242 
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  II. OPENING STATEMENT BY THE RE PRESENTATIVE OF JAMAICA 
11. We have before us to inform our discussions  two very well prepared and comprehensive 
reports. The reports illustrate for us in Jamaica a nd to the WTO Members that there is a tremendous 
amount of work still to be done to integrate Jamai ca fully into the multilateral trading system and to 
arrive at the point where, as a nation, we can reap real benefits from international trade. The 
challenges we face as a small, open, vulnerable and highly indebted middle income developing 
country have been surely compounded by the global economic crisis.  
12. We very much welcome this in-depth review  of our national trade policy framework.  We 
believe that, by continuing to participate in this  transparent and open process, Jamaica can critically 
analyze its own approaches and make adjustment s or improvements in line with our national 
developmental priorities. Importantly , we believe that for this review to be truly meaningful, the 
examination or assessment must take into account  our policies, objectives, and wider economic and 
development needs.  We, therefore, hope that as we collaborate on this review of Jamaica's trade 
policies and practices, there will, in fact, be a gr eater appreciation of our domestic constraints and 
external challenges, and we hope that there will al so be a clearer understanding of our priorities for 
the future.   
13. I will now turn to recent economic developments in Jamaica.  Since its last Review in 2005, 
Jamaica, along with the rest of the world, has been  buffeted by the global economic crisis. In fact, due 
to the pre-existing fragility of the economy, Jama ica has been among those countries most severely 
impacted. This was manifested in the closure of  several bauxite and alum ina mining operations in 
2009 resulting in a 70% decline in alumina exports, with significant job losses and reduced working 
hours in the mining sector as well as in other key areas such as financial services and manufacturing, 
and a decline in remittance inflows. The country has had to take firm action to meet and overcome the 
difficulties. The monetary policy initially adopted  was focused on stabilizing the domestic financial 
system and reducing the level of instability in the fo reign exchange market. As a result, by the latter 
part of 2009, Jamaica had achieved stability in the foreign exchange market; a reduction in inflation; 
improvement in the current account; and an increase in  the net international reserves. In addition, 
despite negative growth for 2008 and 2009, the country  was able to average real GDP growth of 0.3% 
for the period 2005 to 2009.    
14. This difficult economic climate made it necessary fo r Jamaica to initiate talks with the IMF in 
2009 for a Stand-By Agreement (SBA). Approval was granted on 4 February 2010 for a 27-month 
SBA loan.  The main objectives of the IMF Stand-By  Agreement are to engender fiscal consolidation, 
to reduce the debt burden, foster acceleration of economic growth over the medium term and to give 
fiscal accounts some breathing space. With respect to the reduction in the debt burden, the aim is to 
reduce the debt to GDP ratio over the next two years from above 130% of GDP to under 120%.  In fact, the ratio has already fallen to 122% as at November 2010. 
15. With respect to economic growth, it is recogni zed that the Government's indebtedness needs 
to be urgently addressed. That is why Jamaica is pursuing a number of reform programs which 
include a reduction in interest rates as well as better access to resources by the private sector. Our cautious forecast for 2011-2012 is for an average gr owth rate of 2%. Further, the Government's 
Central Bank, the Bank of Jamaica, is also charge d with the task of maintaining low and stable 
inflation. In that regard, reductions in inflation ra tes are to be achieved progressively over the medium 
term. For example, the forecast for this fiscal year is to reduce inflation to between 7.5% and 9.5% 
with a medium term target of 6%. 
16. The Jamaica Debt Exchange (JDX) Programme , which was launched on 14 January 2010, 
was the voluntary exchange of existing domestic government bonds for new bonds of the same 
principal value but at lower interest rates and long er maturities. It involved a sum of J$700 billion  WT/TPR/M/242 
 Page 5 
 
 
  with over 99% of the face value of the investment a nd has resulted in significant interest savings for 
the Government in fiscal year 2010/2011. The JDX has been lauded in financial circles worldwide 
and the country commended on the programme wh ich was implemented with ease due to the 
consultation with and cooperation r eceived from the private sector, esp ecially those in the financial 
services sector. 
17. In addition, in the thrust towa rds fiscal consolidation, the G overnment has sought to divest 
loss making state-owned enterprises.  We have been successful in doing so as exemplified by the sale 
of the assets in the Sugar Company of Jamaica (S CJ) and Air Jamaica.  Plans are well advanced 
towards divesting Government shares in holdings in a major mining company. The Government of 
Jamaica has also significantly restructured a nu mber of other public entities in order to engender 
greater efficiency in their operations. 
18. Let me now outline Jamaica's imperatives, as id entified by the Government, of creating an 
enabling business environment, promoting local and foreign direct investment, growing our micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), and promoting science, technology and innovation.  These objectives will go hand in hand with our use of instruments such as trade agreements which are 
designed to facilitate our realizati on of these national objectives.  It is increasingly important to us that 
trade agreements must contain a development component. In the implementation of these trade agreements, the private sector also has a responsib ility to research creative ways of tapping into the 
existing potential to expand our productive base,  increase productivity levels, and penetrate new 
markets, buttressed, of course, by Government  action to unblock bureaucratic logjams. 
19. The Government has made a determined effort to  reduce the crippling hi gh interest rates in 
Jamaica. In this regard, the Central Bank has pr ogressively reduced its interest rates on its 30 day 
securities to the current level of 7.5%. Commercial ba nks have been slower in  reducing lending rates. 
Therefore, the financial sector is being encouraged to more efficaciously participate in this process 
and pass on the benefits of the reduction to their cu stomers, businesses and the general public, in order 
to stimulate growth in the economy.  
20. The tourism sector continues to play a very critical role in the Jamaican economy being a 
significant earner of foreign exchange. The indus try grew in both 2009 and 2010 despite the global 
economic downturn registering a 4.7% in stopover vis itors in 2010 over 2009. This translated into 
earnings of US$1.986 billion, which is an increase of  3.2% over a similar period for 2009. This sector 
recorded growth in employment of 3% in 2009 and was the only sector to do so in this challenging 
period. 
21. The telecommunications sector continues to be a major growth area for Jamaica, which has 
benefited significantly from the full liberalization of the sector well in advance of Jamaica's scheduled 
commitment under the GATS. There are now some 2. 9 million mobile users (or a mobile penetration 
of 107.8 per 100 persons) and 302,000 landlines as at 2009. Internet subscription remains low, but the 
Government has granted a number of  telecommunications licenses, some specific to internet service 
providers for a total of 82 at the end of 2008. This should make the market more competitive and 
influence more persons to obtain internet service.  
22. The agricultural sector has been playing a very  important role in the economic development 
of Jamaica, being among one of the few sectors to  experience growth over the period under review. 
Agricultural production increased by 17.9% betw een 2005 and 2009 as a result of improved labour 
productivity and farming practices, better irrigation systems and increased acces s to credit. There was 
a 13.9% increase in 2009 reversing two previous years of production decline. 
23. 
In addition, a number of measures, which have been put in place, are bearing much fruit. The 
Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, for ex ample, introduced a Productive and Productivity WT/TPR/M/242 
Page 6  
 
  Programme in 2008 which among other things assisted  farmers with lower cost fertilizers, provided 
machinery to facilitate the mechanization of farm ing; developed greenhouse farming; and promoted 
agro-processing. Despite massive damage to roads and other infrastructure networks due to hurricanes, the country was able to recover relativel y quickly following each of these events, even as 
major repairs and reconstruction in many areas are ongoing. 
24. In this presentation, especially as a non-oil producin g country, it would be remiss of me not to 
mention the energy sector. This sector is critical to the economy and particularly to the productive sectors. The rising cost of energy is a contributi ng factor to Jamaica's lack of competitiveness. The 
Government will be seeking through its national energy  policy to reduce the cost of energy by, among 
other measures, diversifying the sources of energy , including transformation to 20% of renewable 
energy by 2030, as well as the installation of new generating capacity to displace old and inefficient 
generation and to improve the overall system of generation. 
25. It has been recognized, that the issue of co rruption is one that has received heightened 
attention recently and it does affect production and e fficient use of resources.  The Government is 
committed to reducing the level of corruption and markedly minimizing corrupt practices in the 
Jamaican economy. Steps taken to achieve this incl ude strong support being given in terms of policy, 
legislation and available resources to the Aud itor General's Department and the Office of the 
Contractor General to address this issue. The Jamaica Customs Department is also undergoing 
modernization which is expected to result in a reduction in the cases of fraud and an increase in 
revenue to the public coffers. Already for the cu rrent financial year 2010/2011, the Customs 
Department has generated more revenue each quarter than was projected. In addition, action is being 
taken to revise the incentive sche mes and granting of tariff waivers which deprive the Government of 
well needed revenue but which do not necessarily result in quantifiable returns to the country either in 
job creation or business development and expansion. In the current harsh economic environment, the 
value of revenue from import duties is recognized. It is clear that with improved systems, the level of 
corruption will decline resulting in more efficient in stitutions with greater benefits to the economy. 
26. For the first time Jamaica has put in place a long term national development plan, Vision 
2030 Jamaica, which was presented to Parliament in 2009. The Plan is geared at moving the country 
towards developed status by 2030. Trade and the enhancement of Jamaica's competitiveness are 
integral to this process. The National Export Strate gy (NES) 2009 as a part of the Plan was developed 
in order to facilitate the improvement of th e export performance and market penetration. 
27. The steps that have been taken so far by Jam aica to improve the country's competitiveness 
and productivity level include: i) the Jamaica Cluster Competiveness Project (JCCP), which was 
completed in 2008. It resulted in the establishm ent of the Competitiveness Company, a centre of 
expertise in competiveness, which can be tapped fo r assistance by both the public and private sector; 
ii) the Private Sector Development Project (PSDP), a five year programme which ended in 2009. It 
was focused on enhancing the competitiveness of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and 
saw over the period an increase in non-traditional ex ports, growth in business development suppliers 
and customer base; and iii) a National Compe tiveness Council which has responsibility for all 
national competitiveness matters and coordinates im plementation of the National Export Strategy. 
28. The National Export Strategy is meant to pr ovide a practical roadmap on how Jamaica can 
achieve increased levels of economic development by focusing on developing export capacity in those 
sectors and areas in which the country has the great est competitive advantage. So far, it has been 
recorded that 38% of the initiatives from industry and cross-cutting industry action plans have been 
implemented or are in progress. 
29. To anchor trade more firmly into the National Development Plan, we are also aiming to revise 
Jamaica's trade policy. This would complete th e work already begun in the formulation of the  WT/TPR/M/242 
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  National Development Plan.  Jamaica continues to emphasize that the formulation of trade policy, 
trade negotiations and the implementation of trad e agreements is a collaborative effort between 
government, the private sector, and civil society. This  partnership is encouraged by the Government to 
ensure that Jamaica effectivel y utilizes trade agreements, such as the CARICOM Revised Treaty of 
Chaguaramas, the CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partne rship Agreement and other trade agreements. 
The goal is to position Jamaica to bene fit from all these trade agreements.  
30. As part of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), Jamaica has been an active 
participant in the regime established for free trad e in goods, services, movement of capital, right of 
establishment and the free movement of people within  the Community.  Based on an appraisal done in 
2009, Jamaica has fulfilled its obligations under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.  There are still 
some issues to be completed on the legislative agenda.  Jamaica remains committed to meeting its 
obligations under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas a nd will continue to work with our partners to 
achieve the establishment of the CSME. 
31. With respect to the Economic Partnership Agre ement (EPA), we are to commence this year 
the phased liberalization of tariffs under the EPA.  We are committed to meeting our obligations 
under that Agreement and, indeed, under the other trade agreements, which we have negotiated and 
signed as members of CARICOM. 
32. As the Doha Round of negotiations regain s momentum and moves towards a possible 
conclusion at the end of this year, Jamaica's priority will be to ensure that full account is taken of its 
interests as a small and vulnerable economy. As is well known, the country has a burgeoning trade 
deficit and a heavy debt burden, which negatively impacts economic and social development. As a 
non-oil producing country, we are faced with ever rising prices and the same applies as a net food 
importing developing country. Preferences continue to be eroded, as we struggle to compete in the markets of our trading partners. Our producers now struggle to compete even in the domestic and regional markets. With only a few exceptions, we are faced with ever widening trade deficits. This has 
caused many to doubt the benefits of trade libera lization. Along with the economic and financial 
challenges we now face, the country also has to deal with natural disasters, such as drought and 
hurricanes. For example, the prolonged drought an d the severe flooding from tropical storm Nicole 
experienced in 2010.  Nevertheless, the Governme nt of Jamaica is determined to expand trade 
capacity, increase investment, and enhance human resource capacity in the effort to achieve 
sustainable economic growth and development.  
33. Let me emphasize that the current Doha Round negotiations must take into account our 
constraints, our particular reality and special circum stances.  It is our firm belief that the WTO's main 
challenge is to fully take into account of the diffe ring interests of its diverse membership – meeting 
our economies and our countries at the point of their development needs. The WTO is not a 
development Organization. However, it cannot be that the burden of compliance continues to be 
greater than the benefits. Undoubtedly, the larg er more developed econom ies are at a greater 
advantage in implementing and benefitting from tr ade agreements.  The reasons for this are well 
known. In fact, many industries in my own c ountry have historically been undermined and 
marginalized by the ability of larger countries to utilize domestic support measures. We are still being 
pressured to accept products which we know will dest roy industries and the livelihood of our small 
farmers. That is why Jamaica is a staunch suppor ter of the G33 and SVE proposals for an effective 
special safeguard mechanism in the Doha Round of  negotiations.  There is a place for food security 
and the promotion of domestic industr ies in small developing countries. 
34. As we strive in the WTO to achieve the progr essive liberalization of trade, the current 
economic situation in Jamaica not only reminds us  that small farmers and small businesses need to 
survive, but also that revenue from customs duties make a valuable contribution to national income. WT/TPR/M/242 
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  As we strive to increase production and exports, it is  extremely difficult to relinquish the tangible bird 
in the hand of customs duties, for the illusive tw o in the bush to be gained from increased exports. 
35. Development is a key objective of trade, as is the improvement in quality of life and standard 
of living of our people. That is why we are pleased  that it is at the heart of the Doha mandate. Any 
evaluation of the success of this Round must take  into account the development content and any 
evaluation of the development content must take  into account special and differential treatment. 
Special and differential treatment is an important  instrument to equalize the imbalance between 
Members at unequal levels of development. It must, therefore, be perceived as a necessary tool for the multilateral trading system and not a favour or  privilege provided to developing countries. 
36. Jamaica will continue to be a positive force in the negotiations. In that context, it will be 
critical that the interests of small, vulnerable, developing economies are ta ken into account and that 
the "development" component in the Doha Develo pment Agenda (DDA) is truly reflected in the 
outcome.    
37. Jamaica is appreciative of the technical assistance that has been provided by the WTO over 
the period under review and acknowledges the effort s made to expand the range of activities geared 
towards capacity building. We must highlight in pa rticular the four regional trade policy courses that 
were held at the Mona Campus of the University  of the West Indies (UWI, Mona) since its inception 
in 2004. 
38. We must also mention the selection of UWI,  Mona to participate in the WTO Chairs 
Programme. We, however, wish to reiterate the need  for the streamlining of the technical assistance 
activities offered by the WTO, to take into account th e capacity levels of developing countries. I must 
point out that in recent times, Jamaica has not been  able to access many of the global activities due to 
its inability to qualify unde r the new progressive learning programme even when staff have completed 
online training courses. We continue to highlight th is concern with the hope that some flexibility can 
be exercised for small developing countries with small administrations and limited human resources. We have a continuing need for training opportunities for our government officials. 
39. The Secretariat's Report indicates that while gl obal funding for trade related activities have 
increased over the period under review, Aid for Tr ade flows to Jamaica have been modest and 
commitments have fluctuated significantly. Jamaica  is cognisant of the fact that its development 
partners are very much supportive of financing Aid for Trade projects and so is positioning itself to 
take advantage of the Aid for Trade opportunities. As such, the country is presently developing, in 
conjunction with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a National Aid for Trade Strategy 
which will be completed shortly. The Strategy will,  among other things, identify priorities; facilitate 
dialogue with donors to match these priorities; a nd design a monitoring and evaluation mechanism.  
40. At the regional and international level, Jamai ca has been actively participating in Aid for 
Trade fora including the 2009 Second Regional Revi ew on Aid for Trade for Latin America which 
was held in Jamaica. We will continue to participat e in these events in order to highlight the country's 
needs and ensure that policies on Aid for Trade take these into account.  Jama ica will be participating 
in the WTO Caribbean Regional Forum on Aid for Trad e to be held next week in Barbados. This 
meeting will examine the region's progress in Aid for Trade and will serve as a preparatory session for the upcoming Global Aid for Trade meeting scheduled  for July 2011.  Information will be provided 
on the work being undertaken in the region to deve lop national and regional projects. It is expected 
that the Aid for Trade approach to capacity buildi ng and development will reap significant benefits for 
the country as resources are made available through our National Aid for Trade Strategy. 
41. I conclude by referring back to the 2001 Doha Ministerial Declar ation, which this November 
will have been adopted ten years ago, to remind Members of the commitment to place the needs and  WT/TPR/M/242 
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  interests of developing countries at the heart of the WTO's work programme. The global economic 
crisis demonstrates that this is needed now more th an at any other time since the creation of the WTO. 
42. My delegation and I appreciate the in-depth and wide ranging questions that have been posed 
by Members and have diligently sought to respond to those questions as comprehensively as possible.  We are also ready to reply in due course to add itional questions which may be raised over the two 
days of this Review. We now look forwar d to your contributions to this review. WT/TPR/M/242 
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  III. STATEMENT BY THE DISCUSSANT (H.E. MR. LUIS MANUEL PIANTINI 
MUNNIGH (DOMINICAN REPUBLIC)) 
43. Jamaica is an island in the Caribbean that has a limited market and is directly exposed to the 
negative effects of natural phenomena and external s hocks and as such is one of the group of countries 
with small and vulnerable economies. 
44. Since its previous Trade Policy Review in 2005, Jamaica has made notable progress in the 
difficult process of adapting its economy to integrati on into the global economy.  During this period, 
however, the manifest effects of climate change have  meant that nearly every year Jamaica has been 
affected by one or more atmospheric phenomena, wh ich have caused substantial material damage to 
its physical infrastructure and means of production, ne gating some of its adaptation efforts.  Over this 
period, Jamaica also suffered the negative impact of external shocks on its 
balance-of-payments accounts as a result of the commod ities crisis, particularly in foodstuffs, with the 
sharp rise in international prices during the 2007/2008 fiscal year, as well as the global financial and economic crisis in 2009-2010.  With the rapid decline in external demand, its exports of goods fell by 
60% and remittances by 7%, the flow of the latter be ing an important component of family incomes in 
reducing poverty. 
45. These external factors combined with other in ternal factors that affected productivity and 
competitiveness in goods sectors, inter alia :  the high price of energy, steep financial costs and low 
rates of labour productivity, so it is hardly su rprising to see the discouraging performance of its 
economy, reflected in the low annual average rate of GDP growth of 0.3% for the period 2005-2010 
and 0.7% over the past 15 years.  Nevertheless, despite this low level of growth, Jamaica has been 
successful both in implementing poverty reduction polic ies, bringing the rate down by 20 percentage 
points over the past two decades so that poverty now affects less than 10% of the population, and in 
making significant progress in attaining the Millennium Development Goals for 2015. 
46. Jamaica has an economy that is very open to foreign trade and in the best performing years 
the total value of foreign transactions exceeded the value of current GDP.  In economies with such 
features and with small domestic markets, the l ong-term sustainability of expansion in aggregate 
demand, to allow an ongoing increase in the populati on's well-being, is only feasible if there is 
vigorous growth in exports and inward flows of in vestment.  In the case of Jamaica, however, the 
poor performance of its goods exports and the pers istence of domestic over-spending in comparison 
with production, as can be seen from the high and ongoi ng deficits in its external goods and current 
accounts (on average, the annual amount of external fi nancing needed to bridge the external gaps was 
19.5% of GDP over the period 2005-2009) have resulted in a large increase in its external debt and, 
combined with domestic debt, the total amount was 140% of GDP in 2009.  Such a situation exceeds the possibilities of the economy and the Government alone to resolve the situation and will entail 
considerable sacrifices as long as it remains a h eavy burden on the economy, affecting Jamaica's 
capacity to achieve the expected improvement in its  population's well-being.  In 2009-2010, servicing 
the public debt absorbed 119% of the Government's  revenue and the external debt balance was 209% 
of the country's exports. 
47. The roots of the aforementioned poor export performance can be found in external causes 
such as the slowdown in access by exports to Jamaic a's preferential markets, the effects of natural 
phenomena and internal structural causes, the solutions to which have not yet been put into effect.  At 
the same time, the causes of domestic over-spending lie in the lack of coordination in implementing 
macroeconomic policies, as can be seen from the persis tent fiscal imbalances which led to high levels 
of inflation and of the nominal lending rate, as well as of the public debt.  The real exchange rate also 
appreciated, discouraging export activities and favouri ng imports, leading to an enormous deficit in 
goods transactions and in real negative borrowing rates,  a disincentive to savings and consequently to 
the flow of credit at competitive rates in order to boost the creation of producing enterprises.  WT/TPR/M/242 
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  48. Nevertheless, in recent years, the Government has taken important steps to bring about real 
changes in order to achieve:  (a) macroeconomic st ability under a financing agreement with the IMF;  
and (b) structural changes by implementing a long-term reform and ac tion programme under the 
so-called National Development Plan, Vision 2030, w hose main goal is to attain the status of a 
developed country by 2030.  This  Plan incorporates the 2009 National Export Strategy, drawn up with 
technical assistance from the ITC, private funds  and the EU, whose objective is to implement 
measures to boost exports;  divers ify goods and services and export markets;  create proper jobs;  
improve productivity in various sectors and the internal environment for competition;  increase competitiveness;  and reinforce and facilitate the in tegration of Jamaica's economy into international 
markets.  It is also intended to strengthen and advance the major social achievements made by the 
authorities in poverty reduction. 
49. In January 2010, the IMF Board approved a 27-month financing agreement amounting to 
SDR 820.5 million, corresponding to 300% of Jama ica's IMF quota.  The agreement's objective, inter 
alia, is to rectify the measures which caused imbala nces, giving Jamaica fresh external resources to 
limit the restrictions imposed by the adjustment  policies being implemented, which need to be 
corrected, and to promote long-term sustainabl e economic growth.  Although the estimates of 
economic growth in the programme up to 2015 represent an annual maximum of 2 per cent, in 
our view this is not sufficient to achieve the proposed development goal in the Vision 2030 Plan.  Maintaining this agreement in effect will provi de essential support for the attainment of the 
intermediate objectives contained in the Nationa l Development Plan.  We should like to know 
whether the authorities intend to take action to boos t GDP growth over and above the estimated rates. 
50. In the fiscal area, the agreement covers the a pplication of measures affecting both sources of 
revenue and items of spending, which should in th e medium term generate surpluses to allow more 
investment in the physical infrastructure and in the Government's social spending and so promote 
more sustainable economic growth by increasing the country's productivity and competitiveness.  Undoubtedly the greatest efforts will have to be made  in relation to costs because as far as taxation is 
concerned, income tax, sales tax, and tariffs are already high in comparison with other 
Latin American and Caribbean countries and higher taxes could discourage the creation of businesses 
and jobs.  As regards spending, the government pa yroll is large and salary adjustments should be 
based on an annual evaluation of personnel in terms of work accomplished.  The State is also involved 
in too many production, export and marketing activi ties, which should be carried out by the private 
sector.  Withdrawal from these would yield benefits as it would free the State from spending and 
efforts that could otherwise be used to improve  standards, monitoring and technical assistance and 
provide better public services.  The high levels of  financial spending, which took up 70% of tax 
revenue in the 2009/2010 fiscal period, represent a s ubstantial cost insofar as the State's compliance 
with its social obligations is concerned and must therefore be reduced.  It is a matter of concern, 
however, that the medium-term estimates in the agr eement indicate that the debt will remain in excess 
of the GDP.  We should therefore like to know whet her there is a clear-cut strategy for reducing the 
public debt and whether the agreement covers restru cturing of the bilateral external and bank debt. 
51. The objectives of the structural reforms cont ained in the programme are to build the 
institutional capacity of government agencies, to ex ercise better control over spending, to reorganize 
the taxation and tax exemption structure, to moderni ze the customs, to ensure the State's withdrawal 
from loss-making enterprises, to in troduce market mechanisms for d ealing with the internal public 
debt so as to lower costs and to act as indicators for measuring changes in risk levels in the market.  
Successfully combating customs fraud and reviewing exemptions from customs charges and levies will be of vital importance in ensuring that fi scal revenue as a ratio of GDP does not decrease as 
tariffs are lowered in order to comply with bilate ral and multilateral trade ag reements.  We should like 
to know whether there are any indicators to assess the effectiveness of the measures applied by the 
authorities in the area of customs. WT/TPR/M/242 
Page 12  
 
  52. In relation to monetary matters, the programme  seeks to bring annual inflation rates down 
from two digits to one in order to lower financia l costs and boost investment  in production, as well as 
to introduce reforms to lessen risks in non-monetary financial institutions through closer supervision, 
a stronger capital structure and reorganization of thei r expansion.  A resource fund will be available to 
assist financial institutions to protect their liquidity levels if needed. 
53. The creation of private pension funds has been  an extremely important step in the rapid 
formation and stability of medium and long-term pr ivate savings, which help to finance the housing 
sector and small and medium-sized enterprises at low cost over long periods.  We would, however, 
like to know how these funds operate in order to give  savers the best possible benefits and lessen the 
risk of losing their savings when the funds are managed or invested, and whether the Central Bank's 
monetary policy is implemented on the basis of an annual inflation figure. 
54. With regard to exchange policy, the programme seeks to maintain a stable exchange market.  
For countries with small and open economies, the mana ged floating exchange rate system is ideal for 
dealing with a market in which unexpected move ments in the capital account occur and changes in 
expectations resulting from a few instances of sp eculative action can cause major upheavals in the 
market, and when changes in exchange rates are dir ectly related to internal price variations, with a 
negative impact on the inflation objectives in th e monetary programme and the purchasing power of 
the wage-earning population.  A stable exchange market with wide margin s between domestic and 
foreign nominal borrowing rates can attract substa ntial inflows of investment capital which increase 
the real exchange rate to the detriment of exports .  The authorities will therefore have to be careful 
when introducing disincentive measures such as incr easing banks' liquidity reserves, raising the cost 
of managing this capital, and preventing appreciati on from being used as an inflation rate anchor.  
We should like to know what strategy has b een defined in relation to the exchange rate. 
55. The results of applying the IMF programme ha ve been encouraging so far.  Up to the 
second revision of the programme in September 2010, all the quarterly quantitative goals had been 
met and the structural measures taken.  The GDP ra te, which fell 4% in the second quarter of 2009, 
improved to less than 1% in the second quarter of 2010, and it was expected that the increase would 
be 0.5% annually at the end of the year.  The mont hly inflation rate fell rapidly and it was estimated 
that it would finish at one digit.  Renewed confid ence in business led to an increase in international 
reserves and the exchange rate rose by 4 per cent,  inciting the Central Bank to manage its monetary 
instruments more flexibly.  With the decline in the inflation rate and the introduction of market 
instruments for managing the domestic public debt, it s cost fell by 5.4 percentage points of GDP and 
the fiscal imbalance decreased by an appreciable 44% within one year.  Shares in the State airline and 
in the sugar company have been so ld to companies from Trinidad and Tobago and China.  There are 
currently plans to reform 20 State-owned enterprise s whose financial losses ac counted for some 3% of 
GDP in 2008-2009.  Such reforms should continue , although as far as the State's shares in the 
non-renewable goods subsector are concerned, an y decision on their sale should be looked at 
particularly carefully because they can provide a sizeable amount of fiscal revenue.  Forms of 
participation that involve less risk in optimizing potential revenue for the State could nevertheless be 
looked at.  We should like to receive further details concerning the form of the State's participation in 
the various sources of revenue in mining sector enterprises. 
56. Jamaica's economy is very open to the outside  with a proven and resolute commitment to 
intensifying its integration into international ma rkets, so as a founding Member of the WTO it is 
participating actively in the Doha Round nego tiations, laying stress on the Round's development 
aspect.  As a member of the ACP, SVEs  and G-33 groups, it calls for special and 
differential treatment for small and vulnerable econo mies in all areas of the negotiations.  In the 
agricultural negotiations, it advocates the acceptance of  special products for such countries, a special 
safeguard mechanism, the implementation of support mechanisms for its farmers and freedom to raise 
applied tariffs that are below those bound in orde r to utilize the revenue to support farmers, in  WT/TPR/M/242 
 Page 13 
 
 
  accordance with WTO rules.  In the NAMA ne gotiations on non-agricultural goods, Jamaica is 
seeking flexibility in lowering taxes in order to support the development of new industries and to 
protect sensitive sectors, for example:  lowering ta riffs as little as possible, with no effect on applied 
tariffs;  no reduction in customs tariffs on strate gic products;  a longer period for implementing the 
measures agreed;  the elimination of non-tariff ba rriers for exports of interest to SVEs;  and 
facilitating technical assistance for making use of market access concessions. 
57. Services in Jamaica are very open and dynami c and in the negotiations Jamaica made an 
initial conditional offer in which it seeks greater acce ss to the external market for services, including 
for mode 4. 
58. Underlining its commitment and close relationshi p to the objectives of the WTO, Jamaica has 
welcomed the implementation of five regional activ ities and was the site of the Second Regional Aid 
for Trade Review for Latin American and the Caribb ean.  Jamaica has made valiant efforts to benefit 
from this aid.  On average, it provided a m odest revenue of US$37 million annually over the 
period 2002-2008.  To maximize the flow of this aid to promote Jamaica's production capacity as part 
of its strategy to optimize the benefits of trad e and boost economic growth, the authorities, in 
cooperation with the IDB and the IMF, have draw n up a programme of priorities for projects and 
technical assistance for donors.  Moreover, at its recent meeting, the CARICOM Heads of State 
defined the strategic sectors to be  funded by such aid in the infrast ructure, in competitiveness and the 
diversification of exports. 
59. As a member of CARICOM, Jamaica takes an active part in the process of creating a single 
economic market among its members and in the creati on of regional institutions to provide functional 
support.  Regional integration is  daily becoming an essential tool  to allow small and vulnerable 
economies to acquire the capacity needed to face up to the daunting present and future challenges 
along the road to development. 
60. As an ACP country and because of the obligat ory cutback in prefer ential access to the 
European market, Jamaica, as a member of CA RIFORUM, concluded an  economic partnership 
agreement (EPA) with the EU, which will give duty- and quota-free access for 98% of goods from 
CARIFORUM countries to the European market for an  indefinite period, with the exception of rice, 
sugar and bananas.  This agreement is sufficien tly broad and does not only cover goods, but also 
services, intellectual property, investment and technical assistance, inter alia .  We should like to know 
why it is only being applied provisionally. 
61. Through CARICOM, Jamaica has trade agreements  with five Latin American and Caribbean 
countries and is negotiating a reciprocal agreem ent with Canada to replace the non-reciprocal 
agreement of 1986.  In 2010, the United States re newed the Caribbean Basi n Initiative for a further 
ten years, giving preferential access to this market for 90% of Jamaica's exports, which will help it to 
offset in part the loss of the EU market.  Trade dive rsion can already be seen in the percentage of total 
exports going to the United States market.  Th e average MFN tariff applied by Jamaica under its 
CARICOM agreements is 9.4 per cent, but this rises to 11.5% when other charges are added.  Tariffs 
on agricultural produce range from 0 to 100% and on no n-agricultural products from 0 to 50 per cent.  
In order to discourage the import of luxury goods b ecause of the negative impact of the crisis on the 
external revenue of countries in the region, CARICOM increased tariffs on these goods by 0 to 
25 percentage points. 
62. In our view, the very high charges on imports of a wide range of agricultural products could 
mean high costs for the low-income population when  purchasing foodstuffs and in just five years 
imports have doubled, reaching a total of US$1.1 billion.  We consider that one way of limiting 
exemptions and customs fraud would be to reor ganize the various charges and fees on imports and WT/TPR/M/242 
Page 14  
 
  change them into special sales taxes.  This woul d also lower enterprises' production costs.  We should 
like to know whether the Government has drawn up any such strategy. 
63. Table AIII.1 lists products whose MFN applied duty is higher than the bound duty and we 
would ask the authorities to explain the reason for this situation. 
64. Table III.1 shows the World Bank's 2010 indicators for the cost of doing business, 
highlighting the lengthy delays and high cost of e xporting to Jamaica in comparison with the average 
for Latin America and the Caribbean.  These indi cators show that the authorities need to make 
renewed efforts in this respect, giving more importa nce in the national export strategy in effect since 
2010 to the progress made during the two phases of the competitiveness project and in the programme 
to promote the private sector, which resulted in an  almost fourfold increase in non-traditional exports 
over their implementation period up to 2008.  One example is the problem faced by enterprises in 
meeting international quality standards, inter alia , because of the high cost of certification, the lack of 
technical personnel and the numerous State agencies involved.  We should like to hear about the 
progress made by the JANAAC and the NCBJ in improving these aspects since they were set up in 2007, and also the progress made by  the Import/Export Inspection Centre. 
65. As regards export subsidies, we should like to  know whether a strategy has already been 
defined to enable the authorities to meet the WTO d eadline for their elimination by 2015, while at the 
same time maintaining an export-friendly business e nvironment.  In connection with the Agreement 
on Government Procurement, we wonder whether th e entry into force of the EPA will not make it 
easier for the authorities to bring about Jamaic a's accession to this plurilateral agreement. 
66. Concerning intellectual property rights, the author ities have indicated that Jamaica is in the 
process of complying with the TRIPS Agreement.  It is  stated that Jamaica's legislation will be revised 
to bring it into line with the Agreement and to en sure compliance with its provisions.  We should like 
to hear about the efforts already made by the author ities to adapt the patent law to compliance with 
international rules. 
67. Regarding sectoral policies, high costs in the en ergy sector continue to be one of the most 
important factors affecting the competitiveness of Ja maican enterprises, exports, and the formation of 
investment in production.  The cost of supplying 1 kW/h to the final user is one of the highest in Latin America and the Caribbean.  In his statement, the Deputy Prime Minister indicated that by 2030 
Jamaica will have replaced 20% of its current production of fossil-fuel based energy by renewable 
energy.  We think that 2030 is a very long way o ff and efforts should be made much more rapidly to 
achieve a real reduction in the high level of fuel prices, especially through the use of natural gas, 
which is very advantageous for small economies such as ours. 
68. Because of the small size of the area availabl e for agriculture and its direct exposure to 
natural phenomena, Jamaica needs to reorganize its  crop structure, ensuring a minimum level of 
production for its food security and promoting the cultiva tion of climate-resistant products for export.  
The transfer of the sugar sector's activities to a company with Chinese capital will help to boost 
production as a result of the inflow of large cap ital resources and technol ogical innovations to 
increase productivity.  The authorities' achievements in  relation to geographical trademarks, especially 
in the case of coffee, will also boost investment.  The use of greenhouses to promote the export of 
plants, ornamental plants and flowers and to take advantage of preferential acc ess to the world's major 
markets are steps in the right direction and will  help to encourage the creation of small and 
medium-sized enterprises, employment and poverty reduction in rural areas. 
69. As regards agricultural exports, we would suggest to the authorities that they restrict their 
intervention to monitoring and providing technical  assistance, together with marketing support, 
because their direct involvement in production and marketing discourages the formation of private  WT/TPR/M/242 
 Page 15 
 
 
  investment.  They should also fo cus their efforts on promoting quality in order to increase the value 
added of exports. 
70. Another interesting initiative promoted by th e authorities is diversification of mining 
production, with efforts made to generate jobs  and promote exports by developing small and 
medium-sized enterprises.  We consider that this initiative as well is a step in the right direction. 
71. Turning to financial services, the broad ma rgin of banking intermediation imposes 
unnecessary costs on enterprises and discourages investment in production, so more competition is extremely important in lowering financial costs. 
72. The considerable dynamism of the services s ector, shown by its contribution to GDP and 
job creation, is clear proof of the important role which the private sector can play in producing goods 
when intervention by government agencies is c onfined to ensuring transparency in markets, 
supervising the sector's operation and providin g support for research, technical assistance and 
lowering costs so as to improve the quality of p ublic services.  Adapting sectoral policies and 
introducing production technology and processes to m eet the demands of climate change and to 
promote the green economy will give Jamaica's effo rts to attain its goal of becoming a developed 
country by 2030 a significant boost. 
73. We congratulate the Jamaican authorities on their considerable achievements in the 
macroeconomic and sectoral areas in recent years and urge them to continue along the path of reform 
in order to enhance Jamaica's competitiveness a nd productivity, wishing it every success during this 
third Trade Policy Review. WT/TPR/M/242 
Page 16  
 
  IV. STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS 
INDIA 
 
74. The challenges facing Jamaica are high energy  cost, low human capital, weak social 
infrastructure, poor institutions and high interest ra tes. We would expect Jamaica to inform Members 
of its specific plans to address these critical issues  facing industry, trade, and the nation.  World Bank 
research has shown that crime has contributed to increased business risks, languid human and social 
capital development and the sub-optimal use of public  funds. As far as crime is concerned, may I 
recall here Deputy Prime Minister's philosophy and I quote, "All it takes for evil to succeed in the 
world is for enough good men to remain silent". I am sure Jamaicans will not  remain silent on this 
front. 
75. While discussing findings of Jamaica Chamber of Commerce's quarterly survey, Professor 
Curtin of the University of Michigan, business confidence in Jamaica has really improved as 
compared to 10 years ago. The Index of Business Confidence recorded 118.9 points, up from 113 
points significantly above its 106.6 points in the fourth quarter of 2009. The 2010 Doing Business 
Report shows that Jamaica ranks 75
th out of 183 countries surveyed , slipping eight places below the 
67th ranking it received in 2009.  This clearly point towards room for improvement. We are aware that 
several reforms have been propo sed by the IMF and the World Bank that, once implemented, should 
help to improve the ranking in the DBR. 
76. We are happy to note that the IMF has recen tly approved the immediate disbursement of 
US$49.3 million to Jamaica under its Stand-By Arrangement. Jamaica's performance under the 
program has been found to be overall positive.  
77. Jamaica has come a long way since 1995. The data from Planning Institute of Jamaica 
estimates reveal that adult literacy rates have increased from 75.4% in 1995 to 86.8% in 2009, gross 
enrolment at tertiary level institutions ro se from 9.5% to 30.8% over the same period. 
78. India and Jamaica enjoy cordial and friendly re lations based on Common linkages of history, 
parliamentary democracy, membership of the Commonwealth, English language and cricket, 
reinforced by the 70,000 strong Indian Diaspora, who have been making significant contribution to the development of Jamaica and are part of Jamaican mainstream. 
79. India's exports to Jamaica during 2009 am ounted to US$20.80 million and imports were 
US$2.32 million. Major items of India's exports to Jamaica include auto part s, textiles, readymade 
garments, industrial machinery, pharmaceutical produc ts and Indian imports ma inly consist of steel 
scrap. We feel that there is significant scope to im prove bilateral trade figures and there is a need to 
diversify the products and services being tr aded between our two countries.    
80. India has partnered with Jamaica in human r esource development and offers 15 slots annually 
to Jamaica under the Indian Technical Economic Cooperation programme.  So far, nearly 200 
Jamaicans have been trained in various institutions in India. An IT Centre established in Kingston in 
February 2009 with a faculty of a team from India ha s trained hundreds of Jamaicans in the IT skills.  
This is the most visible form of our bilatera l cooperation under the Indian Technical Economic 
Cooperation programme. 
EUROPEAN UNION 
81. Jamaica is a small open economy traditionally based around the production of bauxite, sugar 
and manufactured goods for export. In the last decade, however, a decline in manufacturing has 
shifted the Jamaican economy increasingly towards the provision of services, particularly tourism,  WT/TPR/M/242 
 Page 17 
 
 
  with services contributing to 67% of GDP. The EU welcomes the level of liberalisation in services 
sector and especially the fact that foreign compan ies receive full national treatment. Jamaica is a good 
example of how appropriate public policy helps to support development in services sectors and 
through that the overall economic development. With policies like that, Jamaica should be on track to 
meet its objective to become a developed nation by  2030 and also be able to meet most of the 
Millennium Development Goals.  
82. Since the last TPR of Jamaica in 2005, many  positive developments have occurred, among 
others development of relativ ely stable and well-capitalized financial sector, an impressive 
macroeconomic performance in 2010 in a chal lenging economic environment and significant 
reduction in poverty levels from 28.4% in 1989 to 9. 9% in 2007. Jamaica has also adopted important 
legislation and implemented reforms, made progr ess in simplifying regulations and procedures to 
create more investment-friendly business environment.  
83. The EU notes that Jamaica is in the process of amending its patent and designs legislation as 
well as Copyright and Trademark Act in order to st rengthen the enforcement provisions in these acts.  
The EU was also pleased to read about the estab lishment of Import/Export Inspection Centre in 2009 
and adoption of open skies policy. 
84. While it is fair to highlight Jamaica's achievement s, it is also necessary today to point to those 
areas where further attention needs to be given.  Although during the review period Jamaica has made 
efforts to liberalize its trade and enhance the transp arency of trade regime, more work needs to be 
done to make the overall trading environment mo re efficient. At the moment, the ease of doing 
business has according to the World Bank slightly wor sened to the current ranking 81. Therefore, the 
priority should remain lowering state debt a nd trade costs, improving of the trade-related 
infrastructure and energy supply, building produc tive capacity and widening the productive structure, 
as well as enhancing the competitiveness of goods and service trade.  
85. Jamaica has continued to struggle with a na rrow production structure and its exports have 
continued to stagnate indicating long-standi ng structural problems in the economy.  
86. Although government procurement policy has im proved, there is a need for further 
transparency of procurement performance and better st atistics. Further constraints for exporters in the 
agri-processing subsector include the limited ability to meet international quality standards. The 
openness of the economy, further trade liberalization,  including reforms and enhancing transparency 
are the means that will he lp Jamaica to regain sustainable growth and economic stability, especially 
after the global economic downturn.  
87. As mentioned, trade and trade policies are essen tial parts of sustainable development. The EU 
is therefore especially happy to  acknowledge Jamaica for prioritising trade and trade policies in its 
national development plan "The Vision 2030 Jamaic a" and also its 2009 National Export Strategy. 
The EU welcomes this important achievement  both as Jamaica's trading and as development 
cooperation partner. Let me remind that one of th e milestones in Jamaica - EU relations is the 
CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partne rship Agreement signed in Oc tober 2008, which aims at 
promoting trade and through trade contributing to Jamaica's development, sustainable growth and 
poverty reduction. Under this agreement, whic h covers goods, services, investment, and a 
comprehensive range of trade-related issues, Jama ica can enjoy various trade benefits. These include 
duty-free-quota-free market access to the EU but also enhanced regional trade and cooperation 
opportunities.  
88. Regarding development cooperation, the European  Union and its Member States consider aid 
for trade related assistance and support to instituti onal capacity building as very important aspects and 
continue to provide significant support. The resources from the 9th European Development Fund WT/TPR/M/242 
Page 18  
 
  (EDF) amounting to €81.1 million were allocated to  private sector development, road transport and 
macroeconomic support. In addition, over the period from 1999 to 2008, Jamaica received an 
allocation of €42.6 million under the Special Fram ework of Assistance to ACP Banana Producing 
Countries for rehabilitation and diversification. 
89. The 10
th EDF Country Strategy for 2008-2013 has a financial envelope of €110 million in 
programmable resources and €12.9 million for unforeseen needs and is allocated through budget 
support programmes mainly to two focal areas (i) macr o-economic support, with a special attention to 
debt management and (ii) governance and combati ng crime. A small component is allocated to non 
focal areas, including an EPA Development progr amme, which will focus on capacity building for 
SPS related government agencies.  
90. In addition, Jamaica receives €86.6 million over the period 2006-2010 under the 
Accompanying Measures for ACP Sugar Protocol Countries, in order to adjust to the new trade regime for sugar. These funds will be utilised fo r macroeconomic support and support to the sugar 
cane sector and economic diversification in sugar producing areas. For 2011-2013 an amount of €61.9 
million is programmed in that context. 
91. The EU is happy to note the steps Jamaica has taken since the last review to make the overall 
trading environment more efficient and we certainly encourage Jamaica to conti nue in the direction of 
facilitating trade, increasing investments, strengt hening administrative capacity and enhancing the 
overall economic environment in a sustainable way.   
UNITED STATES 
92. The United States values its strong partnership w ith Jamaica.  The United States is Jamaica's 
largest trading partner, accounting for just under ha lf of Jamaica's exports and approximately 37% of 
Jamaica's imports.  Over a million Americans visit Jamaica annually. The United States is home to 
one of the largest Jamaican communities outside Jamaica; approximately 1 million people of Jamaican descent call the United States home. 
93. As Jamaica's largest trading partner, the Un ited States' commercial relationship with that 
country remains vibrant.  Our total two-way goods trade grew steadily during the second half of the 
last decade.  It reached $3.4 billion in 2008, before  dropping to $1.9 billion in 2009.  In 2009, U.S. 
goods exports to Jamaica were $1.4 billion and U. S. goods imports from that country equalled $468 
million.  Despite the recent U.S. and global economic  downturn, U.S. imports from Jamaica since its 
2005 TPR have grown an average of nearly 6 percen t per year.  Approximately 46% of U.S. total 
imports from Jamaica enter the United States duty free under the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI).  
Over 90% of Jamaica's exports to the United States  enter our market duty-free, either through the CBI 
or the Generalized System of Preferences, or b ecause the MFN duty is zero. We encourage Jamaica to 
benefit from these preference programs to the greatest extent possible. 
94. As a small island economy that depends on in ternational trade for its economic growth, 
Jamaica has unfortunately been unable to improve  its economic performance, including its export 
performance during the period of this TPR.  The Se cretariat tells us that underlying Jamaica's weak 
performance over the last decade are significant structural disadvantages.  These include, the 
Secretariat observes, such factors as the excessive cost of electricity, which adversely affects the 
economy's competitiveness; relatively high security costs for businesses, low productivity and limited 
productive capacity; and inadequate economic and tr ade-related infrastructure.  The Jamaican 
economy's lack of competitiveness, the Secretariat a dvises, is sometimes cited as the main contributor 
to its weak export performance and relatively weak  economic growth performance overall.  In its 
analysis of factors expected to create a busin ess environment that supports competitiveness, the 
Planning Institute of Jamaica, the Secretariat tells us, believes that considerably more remains to be  WT/TPR/M/242 
 Page 19 
 
 
  done to enhance the business climate and the globa l competitiveness of Jamaica's merchandise export 
sectors.  In the reports circulated for this TPR meeti ng, we read with interest about the steps that the 
government is considering and those that it is taki ng to try to improve Jamaica's export and overall 
growth performance and competitiveness.  Since Jamaica depends on exports  and imports of goods 
and services, which have averaged more than 90% of  GDP since 2005, we would be interested to hear 
the government's current thinking on how it plans to address these issues.  
95. As both the Report from the Secretariat and the Government of Jamaica note, the services 
sector continues to play an important role in th e economy.  The sector contributes over 75% to GDP 
and employs 65% of the national labour force and has been credited with helping to offset Jamaica's 
overall trade imbalance.   
96. Jamaica's merchandise export base remains limite d mainly to alumina/bauxite and some non-
traditional exports.  However, we are heartened by th e Secretariat's report that Jamaica has continued 
to work to diversify its exports with exports of non-traditional products (e.g. processed foods and 
mineral fuels) now accounting for 57% of total exports .  We encourage Jamaica to continue its work 
to diversify its exports as well as its economy.  We look forward to learning more about these efforts 
during this review. 
97. We welcome the government's plans to e nhance competitiveness through the Vision 2030 
Jamaica – National Development Plan.  The plan 's emphasis on results-based management that 
establishes targets and measures performance should prove useful. One of the key ways to enhance 
competitiveness is to promote respect for intellectual property, which includes good laws and effective enforcement.  In this regard, we hope to  hear from the Jamaican delegation that the revised 
Patents and Designs Act, which has been pending sin ce before the last trade policy review, is well on 
its way to enactment.  If this is not the case, we would like to hear about the status of Jamaica's 
efforts.  
98. As for the cost of doing business in Jamaica, we appreciate that tariffs and other duties and 
charges on imports remain Jamaica's main trad e policy instrument and that these generate a 
substantial share of the government's central revenue .  However, the Secretariat raised the question of 
whether excessive import taxation may be hindering Jamaica's competitiveness. We believe that the 
Jamaican government should reflect on the costs of its tariffs and numerous other duties and charges 
on imports.  During the course of this TPR, we wo uld also appreciate to hear Jamaica's thoughts on 
this subject. 
99. According to the Secretariat Report, Jama ica's telecommunications sector is among the 
sectors in which liberalization has advanced the fast est in recent years.  This has led to greater 
investment, an increase in the number of service pr oviders, and lower costs.  Unfortunately, there is 
no mention of Jamaica's universal service surcharge in either of the reports issued for this TPR.  The 
United States supports efforts to ensure univer sal telecommunications service; however, Jamaica's 
WTO Reference Paper obligations require it to ensure that universal service obligations are 
administered in a transparent, non-discriminatory manner, and that they be no more burdensome than 
necessary to achieve its universal service goals.  Le vying a surcharge solely on international calls not 
only places an unwarranted burden on fo reign operators and consumers but  also adds to the cost of 
doing business in Jamaica; a cost that Jamaica cannot afford.  We therefore especially look forward to 
learning more about Jamaica's plan to eliminat e this surcharge currently imposed solely on 
international calls. 
100. Jamaica is well-known for its lovely beaches, warm hospitality, and vibrant culture, all of 
which contribute to the tourism industry.  In this regard, we encourage Jama ica to consider policies 
that keep its hotels and resorts attractive to fore ign visitors, such as maintaining science-based SPS 
measures that allow access to high-quality agricu ltural products, while maintaining protection for WT/TPR/M/242 
Page 20  
 
  consumers.  For example, Jamaica currently bans im ports of U.S. pork due to concerns about a viral 
disease that can affect swine.  As the United Stat es has explained to Jamaica, this disease has been 
eliminated in commercial production in the United States since 2004.  We will, therefore, be interested to hear from Jamaica a bout its plans to remove its ban on imports of U.S. pork.  We hope 
that this Trade Policy Review will encourage Jama ica to focus on the importance of consistently 
implementing science-based sanitary and phytosanitary measures as a critical component of its 
competitiveness strategy.  
101. In closing, the United States will continue to  work with Jamaica and the other CARICOM 
members to strengthen and to deepen our relationship.   We also look forward to working with Jamaica 
and other CARICOM members to achieve an ambiti ous result in the Doha negotiations.  The United 
States believes that developing countries, such as Ja maica, have much to ga in from a balanced and 
ambitious result in the Doha negotiations that incl ude meaningful new market access for all.  Such a 
result could further enhance opportunities for the nati on's trade and investment growth and, hence, 
help Jamaica achieve the count ry's economic growth and competitiveness aspirations. Further 
enhancing opportunities for Jamaica to broaden its exports and its export markets is essential.  The 
United States looks forward to our work together  to bring the Round to a successful conclusion.  
CHINA 
102. Jamaica is a highly open economy with exports  and imports of goods and services accounting 
for over 90% of GDP. However, it has not been ab le to reap corresponding benefits from trade in 
recent years. The merchandise trade deficit aver aged over 26% of GDP during the period under 
Review. This may be attributable to several factors according to our reading of the Secretariat Report. 
First, Jamaica has a narrow production structure a nd thus a relatively limited export base comprising 
mainly alumina/bauxite and some non-traditional ex port, and is highly depe ndent on imported raw 
materials, oil and capital goods. Jamaican exports have  continued to stagnate, indicating that there 
might be long-standing structural problems. Second, the surplus in services exports, upheld mainly by 
tourism, and substantial inflows of  remittances have not been able to  fully offset the trade deficit. 
Third, Jamaica is vulnerable to external clima tic and economic shocks. During the recent global 
financial crisis, Jamaican real GDP declined fo r two consecutive years. To further compound the 
above factors, the informal sector is significant and is estimated to be the equivalent of 40% of GDP. 
103. To meet these challenges, efforts need to be made in at least two fronts. On the one hand, 
Jamaica is encouraged to make structural reforms su ch as those contained in and related to its national 
development strategy, Vision 2030. Central co mponents of the reforms should be further 
liberalization of its trade regimes and improvement of its business environment. On the other hand, as 
noted by the Secretariat Report, it is important to address Jamaica's aid for trade needs by facilitating export diversification. In this regard, China is pleased that the Secretariat Report has noted the 
assistance we have provided to Jamaica under the fra mework of South-South cooperation, relating to 
infrastructure and trade financing. 
104. This naturally leads me to bilateral trad e and economic cooperation between China and 
Jamaica. Jamaica is a major trading partner of Ch ina in English speaking co untries of the Caribbean 
region. Two-way trade has made stable progr ess in recent years. However, the unprecedented 
financial crisis took its toll on us. Our trade in 2009 was US$219 million, representing a decline of 
25.7%. Since 2010, the figure is slowly recovering to th e pre-crisis level. Investment to each other is 
still modest, but Chinese enterprises have accomplished a turnover of half a billion U.S. dollars of 
labor contract in Jamaica. In view of the econo mic complementarity between our two countries, there 
is further potential to expand the scale of mutu al investment, reduce trade barriers and enhance 
economic and trade cooperation.  WT/TPR/M/242 
 Page 21 
 
 
  JAPAN 
105. I would like to begin with Jamaica's economic policy and environment.  Jamaica's economy 
was affected by the Global Financial and Economic Cr isis. According to the Secretariat's Report, the 
real GDP recorded -2.5% in FY 2009/10. Now the world economy is in the process of recovery. Japan 
hopes that the Jamaican economy, including the tour ism sector, will soon be back on the track to 
further development, following the course of the world economy. 
106. We would like to point out two challenges to Jamaica in terms of economic policy. Firstly, 
fiscal policy seems to be severely constrained by the la rge public debt, given that the total cost of debt 
servicing exceeds its total revenue. We learned that  various waivers, tax incentives and exemptions 
are now under review by the government. Japan exp ects Jamaica to address this issue properly and 
progressively, by eliminating these waivers and ex emptions or expanding the tax base, taking the 
rising unemployment rate into consideration.  
107. Secondly, the vulnerability of its economy to na tural disasters and economic crisis is another 
major challenge facing Jamaica. Japan believes that  the development of non-traditional industries, 
such as the information and communications sector, is essential to address this issue. Japan expects 
that Jamaica will continuously promote the developm ent of infrastructure and liberalization towards 
the development of new industries.  
108. With regard to trade and investment policies, we have three comments.  Firstly, Jamaica has a 
unique tax on the repatriation of profits by foreign corporations, at the high rate of about 33.3%. This 
is charged in addition to the corporate profit tax. Jap an considers that this tax is likely to discourage 
foreign direct investment, and urges Jamaica to revi ew it to improve the inv estment environment from 
abroad. Secondly, Jamaica is expected to elimin ate its export subsidies by 2015 under a General 
Council Decision in 2007. Japan expects Jamaica to gradually eliminate its export subsidies based on 
its action plan. Thirdly, Japan would like to en courage Jamaica to strengthen its implementation 
capacity of the IPR protection. According to the S ecretariat report, the authorities suffer from a lack 
of resources, both in terms of its staff and budget. Jamaica is known for its excellent " Reggae" music. 
Japan believes that the improvement of the enforcem ent of Intellectual Property rights would serve to 
secure its own cultural property.  
109. Finally, Japan would like to reiterate its hope that Jamaica will further promote and liberalize 
trade and investment, contributing to the furt her economic development of the Members.  
CANADA 
110. Jamaica and Canada have long-standing relations , which have intensified over the 50 years of 
official diplomatic relations.  During this period, th e complexity of our trade and investment relations 
has also evolved to reflect the changes in th e multilateral trading environment.  Like most 
WTO Members, Jamaica has been seriously affected by the global economic slowdown in recent years, as reflected in our bilateral trade relations .  For example, between 2007 and 2009 bilateral trade 
in goods declined by close to 50 per cent.  Ta king into account the recent reports underlining the 
positive trends in the global economic climate, we  hope that this situation will soon be reversed. 
111. The Secretariat's Report highlights a number of positive elements regarding Jamaica's efforts 
to make its economy more competitive such as op ening up to foreign investment, progress in 
initiatives to create a "more investment friendly" bus iness climate and to improve customs procedures 
so as to make the current system more efficient. 
112. Canada congratulates Jamaica on launching its na tional development plan - "Vision Jamaica 
2030" - whose objective is to achieve "developed count ry" status by 2030.  Canada also notes that, WT/TPR/M/242 
Page 22  
 
  since the previous Trade Policy Review in 2005, impor tant changes have been made to several trade 
regimes, for example, the signature of the EPA with the European Union in 2008, in which the 
non-reciprocal element of the previous preferential agreements no longer appears.  Such agreements 
underline the importance of implementing policies to  enhance competition and to diversify Jamaica's 
exports. 
113. Canada notes that a major commitment was made  in 2006 towards the implementation of the 
CARICOM Single Market and that a number of re gional institutions have subsequently been 
established to support making this a reality. Canada 's aid policy in the region supports, among its 
priorities, stimulating sustainable economic grow th. This includes  fostering a more competitive 
private sector including strengthening the productivit y of small and medium sized enterprises and 
increasing participation in regional and global markets. 
114. In this regard, Canada is pleased to continue its efforts to negotiate a bilateral preferential 
trade agreement with CARICOM including Jamaica a nd is looking forward to a successful conclusion 
of these negotiations very soon. The current CARI BCAN waiver which was extended by the WTO in 
2006 on the request of Canada remains in effect until the end of 2011.  Ca nada views a bilateral 
preferential trade agreement with CARICOM as strengthening Canada's commercial ties with 
longstanding regional partners and contributing to the shared goal of facilitating development through 
economic integration within  the Western Hemisphere. 
115. Canada also notes with interest Jamaica's strong leadership and participation in promoting the 
"aid for trade" agenda and Jamaica's efforts to  "mainstream trade in its national development 
objectives and programs" including developing a Nationa l Aid for Trade Strategy" to be finalized and 
tabled at the WTO Caribbean Regional Forum th is month. Canada recognizes the importance of 
building trade capacity in policy formulation, creating effective institutions and in improved 
infrastructure and has supported a number of regional initiatives in this regard.  
116. For example, Canada is supporting a Trade a nd Competitiveness Program to 2013, to assist 
the Caribbean region in participating in global trade liberalization through support for the CARICOM 
Single Market and Economy and the Office of Trad e Negotiations.  Canada through the Conference 
Board of Canada implements the Canada-Americas Trade-related Technical Assistance Program to 2015 to assist countries, including Jamaica, to maximize the opportunities and benefits of increased trade and investment though their bilateral Free Tr ade Agreements with Canada.  As well, Canada 
contributes to the Inter-American Development Bank - Aid for Trade Strategic Fund to 2014.  This 
fund was instituted in 2009 to he lp countries in the Americas benefit from liberalized trade and 
increased market access by using grant resources to overcome supply-side constraints. 
117. In conclusion, Canada would like to reitera te our continued support for Jamaica's efforts 
toward market liberalization, strengthening the in stitutional environment and economic diversification 
since the last review in 2005.  We have submitted se veral questions in such areas as:   "set asides for 
small and medium-sized business" in the context of procurement policies and concerns regarding 
Jamaica's sanitary measures as they relate to imports  of certain live animals and animal products. In 
regard to the CARICOM trade nego tiations Canada's interests in a trade agreement with CARICOM 
are not limited to services but also include investment and trade in goods.   
COLOMBIA 
118. The decline in GDP growth in the fiscal years by 1% in 2008 and 2.5% in 2009 shows that 
Jamaica's economy has been seriously affected by the inte rnational crisis.  This is also reflected in the 
sharp downward trend in exports of goods and services and in remittances.  WT/TPR/M/242 
 Page 23 
 
 
  119. Furthermore, we cannot fail to note the low le vel of dynamism in Jamaica's economy over the 
past decade, with growth of less than 1%, which c ould be interpreted as indicative of the structural 
weaknesses in the economy, particularly the large de ficit in trade in goods, a smaller export base, the 
high cost of electricity, a high level of indebtedness, high capital costs and the high cost of security for enterprises.  All these elements should incite further reflection on the trade and economic policy. 
120. Nevertheless, there has also been progress.  Fo r example, foreign investment regulations and 
procedures have been streamlined.  Jamaica has al so promoted an active trade policy intended to 
strengthen relations with its leading trading partners  by replacing unilateral preferences by bilateral 
agreements.  We believe that th is will give its trade regime more predictability and stability. 
121. Tariffs and other duties and charges are the main trade policy tool and represent a large 
proportion of fiscal revenue of 27 to 28%. 
122. Although the average MFN tariff was 9.4% in 20 10, the protection given to imports is not 
always clear.  On the one hand, there are various t ypes of exemption, estimated to amount to half of 
customs revenue.  On the other, a large number of other duties and fees are imposed on imports.  For 
example, there is the basic stamp duty, the additiona l stamp duty, the customs user fee, the standard 
compliance fee, the import declaration processing fee, and the environmental levy. 
123. The Jamaican Government's intention to lessen  the number of exemptions should not only 
improve tax collection but should al so make the taxation system si mpler and more transparent.  
Similar action to streamline and eliminate other du ties and charges would also be useful and would 
lower the price of goods required by the pr oduction sector, as well as costs for consumers. 
124. As other Members have also stated, we follow closely developments in the Action Plan which 
Jamaica is implementing to meet its commitment to eliminate export subsidies by December 2015.  
Proper implementation of this Plan is extremely im portant in guaranteeing exporters' transition to the 
new requirements without any major upheavals. 
125. We have noted Jamaica's active participati on in the Doha Round ne gotiations, defending in 
particular the interests of the ACP countries and promoting special and differential treatment.  We 
hope to rely on its leadership for the conclusion of the negotiations this year. 
126. At the bilateral level, we have close trade re lations with Jamaica within the framework of a 
partial scope agreement with CARICOM.  In rece nt years, however, bilateral flows have lost 
momentum.  They fell from over US$90 million in  2005 to around US$50 million in 2010, most 
likely because of the impact of the global economic s ituation.  We nevertheless hope to return to the 
previous level and to strengthen trade between our countries, developing and expanding the current 
trade agreement. 
127. To conclude, we should like to express our ag reement with the statement recently made by 
the Prime Minister, Bruce Golding, who clearly d eclared that "crises represent an opportunity" and 
indicated that one of his Government's priorities is  to move ahead with fiscal reform that will reduce 
indebtedness and government spending in order to attr act foreign investment and achieve high rates of 
economic growth. 
CHILE 
 
128. It is an honour for Chile to pa rticipate in this Trade Policy Review of Jamaica because this 
exercise constitutes one of the most systemic pillars of our Organization.  There is a long history of 
friendship between Chile and Jamaica and bilateral tr ade, although in its early stages and limited, has 
grown by 38% since 2005.  Chile has a surplus in  this trade, which focuses in particular on WT/TPR/M/242 
Page 24  
 
  manufactures.  The main products exported by Chile are mackerel, coniferous wood, infant food 
preparations, and printed matter.  The principal export from Jamaica is rum. 
129. In recent years, because of their good b ilateral relations, the two countries signed a 
Memorandum of Understanding in September 2009 on sanitary and phytosanitary protocols and 
procedures.  We are also revising an air trans port agreement signed in August 2007.  Both countries 
have an open skies policy. 
130. Concerning the Review itself, attention is drawn to Jamaica's slow growth in recent years, 
reinforced by structural disadvant ages such as the exaggerated cost of electricity and the dangerous 
level of the Government's indebtedness.  In fact, in  recent years the cost of paying interest and capital 
has exceeded the country's revenue. 
131. Jamaica and Chile both belong to the very select club of countries highly dependent on 
international trade.  In Jamaica's case, the figure is 90% of its GDP.  This would not be a problem if it were not for the fact that Jamaica is highly depe ndent on exports of raw materials - aluminium and 
bauxite -, tourism, remittances and a large non-st ructured sector.  Moreover, its exports are 
concentrated on three markets:  the United States, Ca nada and the European Union.  This is why we 
think that Jamaica should make further efforts to di versify its production structure and its destination 
markets.  In this respect, we consider that a free trade agreement between CARICOM and Chile could 
be extremely beneficial for both parties, as alread y stated in an exchange of letters in 2008. 
132. The Aid-for-Trade initiative should be a tool wh ich Jamaica could use to build more capacity 
and improve its infrastructure.  It is, however, su rprising to note that the Aid for Trade received by 
Jamaica is relatively small and is  largely exceeded by South-South cooperation, in which Chile has 
the honour to be an active participant. 
133. As far as economic reform is concerned, Jama ica has taken several measures to reorganize 
State-owned enterprises, including their sale or liqui dation and the adoption of an open skies policy.  
The privatization of firms producing goods would help to reduce State spending and would free up 
resources for the Government's own efforts such as regulation, administration and social protection. 
BRAZIL 
134. It is with satisfaction that Brazil takes part in the TPR of Jamaica, a country of our Latin 
America and Caribbean region, with which we sh are close links and common perceptions and values 
in foreign policy matters, such as the commitmen t to multilateralism and combating poverty. Being a 
founding and active Member of the WTO, Jamaica is  a respected voice in th e advocacy of the causes 
that are dear to developing countries in the WTO, particularly through its participation in the ACP, 
SVEs and CARICOM Groups.  
135. Among the 14 Member States of CARICOM, Ja maica holds the second largest population, 
the fifth largest territory, and the second largest GDP. It is one of the world's leading producers of bauxite and alumina, and banking on its natu ral beauty, counts with a vibrant sector. 
136. Notwithstanding, the Jamaican economy is yet to  achieve its full potential. Indeed, in recent 
years it experienced modest growth rates, that can  be attributed to the country's vulnerability to 
external economic shocks and natural disasters. The impact of the global economic crisis on Jamaica's 
tradable industries has been profound. In the f ace of a sharp decline in economic activity and 
increased job losses, Jamaican GDP fe ll by 3% in 2009. The closing of several mining operations in 
response to the weakening of global demand after mid-2008 has significantly reduced the export revenue-earning capacity of the country in 2009. C onsequently, current account deficit has increased.  WT/TPR/M/242 
 Page 25 
 
 
  Alumina exports dropped 70%, and the real valu e added for the mining and quarrying industry 
declined over 50% in that same year. 
137. As described in the Secretariat's Report,  the Jamaican economy has been displaying 
"structural disadvantages", such as excessive cost of  electricity, high debt ratio, high cost of capital, 
low labour productivity and limited productive cap acity, apart from inadequate trade-related 
infrastructure. The combination of these factors resu lted in an average growth rate of 13.3%, of the 
country's trade deficit between 2005 and 2009, while its average real GDP growth was only 0.3%.  
138. Nevertheless, Brazil commends the Jamaican gove rnment for its efforts in making significant 
adjustments to the country's economy, as described in the Secretariat Report. Since its last Trade 
Police Review in 2005, Jamaica has been simplif ying regulations and procedures, creating a more 
investment-friendly business environment. Moreover,  reforms aiming at greater openness to trade and 
financial and investment flows have taken place. Li kewise, financial sector consolidation; market 
liberalization; and the development of human and ins titutional capacity have also been targeted. It is 
remarkable that, despite all the challenges it has been facing, Jamaica has succeeded in maintaining 
macro-economic stability. In the aftermath of the gl obal crisis, a more positiv e outlook brings hope of 
a sound economic recovery for the coming years. Stability in the foreign exchange market; reduction 
in inflation expectations; improvement in th e Current Account; and an increase in the Net 
International Reserves took place in the second half of 2009. 
139. In spite of the economic crises and the losses caused by natural disasters during the tourist 
high season – like the Hurricane Dean, in 2007, and Tropical Storm Gustav, in 2008 – the hotel and 
restaurant industry was still able to record grow th in 2009 thanks to initia tives aimed at encouraging 
visitors to the island. Action has also been ta ken to improve export perfo rmance by advancing the 
international competitiveness of firms and sector s. Among the successful initiatives to increase the 
country's international ranking in competitiveness an d productivity, the Government Report highlights 
the Jamaica Cluster Competitiveness Project and the Private Sector Development Project. The 
conclusion of these projects encouraged the Jama ican Government to develop the 2009 National 
Export Strategy, alongside with the country's fi rst long term strategic plan. Among the numerous 
accomplishments of those projects, Brazil notes s ubstantial increases around 3 70% of non-traditional 
exports in 2003-08. Ethanol exports are one of th e main factors of such outstanding performance.  
140. Ethanol has prompted a qualitative change in b ilateral relations allo wing them to reach a 
higher plateau. Cooperation in ethanol led to a po litical and economic rapproc hement between Brazil 
and the Caribbean region. A plant for dehydration of ethanol imported from Brazil was inaugurated 
during the first official visit by a Brazilia n head of state to Jamaica in 2007.  
141. This initiative derives from the fact that th e Government of Jamaica has set targets for 
renewable energy and the percentage diversification of energy supply with a view to address the high 
cost of energy. According to th e Government Report, the National Energy Policy 2009-30 articulates 
that, by 2030, 20% of the country's energy mix would be from renewable sources. In 2008, Jamaica 
became the first country in the English-speak ing Caribbean to introduce 10% ethanol-blended 
gasoline (E10).  
142. In the following year, the Jamaican Government launched the Biofuels Task Force tasked to 
create an appropriate policy framework and a legal a nd regulatory regime for the use of biofuels in 
Jamaica. The taskforce results from a collabor ative effort among Ministries of Energy and 
Agriculture, industry stakeholders, and multilatera l agencies including the OAS, the World Bank, and 
FAO. It represents one additional step in the Jama ican's efforts to lessen its dependency on imported 
mineral fuels, while fostering its agricultural sect or, which employs over one fifth of the Jamaican 
workforce and has a central role in poverty reduction.  WT/TPR/M/242 
Page 26  
 
  143. In relation to the WTO, Brazil shares Jamaica's views to the effect that development should 
remain at the centre of the Round, as mandated by the Doha Development Agenda, leading to a 
balanced outcome that takes into  account the needs and contributive capacity of developing countries.  
TURKEY 
144. We are looking at possible ways to further impr ove our bilateral trade relations which stand 
currently at around US$18 million. In this respect , we hope that this Review will be a good 
opportunity for us to better examine the business envi ronment in Jamaica.  Jamaica is one of the 
Members we are working closely within the G-33 and we appreciate their active contribution to the 
Group and to the DDA. We support Jamaica's call for sp ecial and differential treatment particularly in 
agriculture. 
145. It is clear to us that Jamaica made some progress in improving its trade and investment 
regime since the last review. However, it is also  obvious according to the Secretariat's Report that 
further efforts are needed to address various struct ural problems in order to improve the performance 
of the Jamaican economy.  
146. In this respect, we are very pleased to learn that Jamaica is committed to address challenges 
with a strong ambition for further economic reform s aiming to create a fairer, undistorted and more 
competitive trade system. We believe that Jamaican 's move towards reciprocal arrangements in the 
context of regional initiatives is a good indicator of its future plans.  
147. While Jamaica has a predictable trade regime due to the fully bound tariffs, in our opinion, 
trade regime needs to be simplified further. Eleven  different tariff rates, and numerous other taxes and 
fees, just to name a few measures,  complicate the trade regime.  In the meantime, we hope that the 
increase in tariffs over the review period will be te mporary and will be removed over time as part of 
the new policies in the future. 
148. It seems that a long lasting WTO compliant solution to under invoicing has become a priority 
for future customs reforms. The amendments at th e Customs Bill may contribute to a possible solution 
in this respect. We will very much appreciate any further information on the Customs Bill, and the 
changes it introduced to the Customs Law.  
149. We welcome the liberalization in the telecommunications sector as well as the new 
commitments in the services sector as outlined in the Secretariat's Re port. It is noteworthy that the 
growth in the telecom services outpaced the averag e economic growth. We hope that Jamaica will 
ratify the GATS Fifth Protocol in the near future. 
MEXICO 
150. First of all, I should like to refer to the progress made by Jamaica during the period under 
review.  Particularly noteworthy have been the e fforts to reduce poverty, which enabled 20% of the 
population to leave poverty behind between 1989 and 20 07.  Jamaica has also made further efforts 
towards economic liberalization, strengthening the financial sector and boosting the growth of its 
telecommunications sector, which has led to a sharp increase in the rate of mobile telephone density.  
The tourism sector has also grown and become one  of the largest contributors to the Jamaican 
economy, to generating jobs and to fiscal reve nue, as well as being the main source of foreign 
currency. 
151. Despite these efforts, Jamaica is facing consider able challenges at the economic level.  It has 
a limited production structure and export base, the la tter composed of exports of aluminium and some 
non-traditional products, and is highly  dependent on importe d raw materials, oil, and capital goods.   WT/TPR/M/242 
 Page 27 
 
 
  Jamaica also depends to a large extent on the foreign currency earned from the export of tourism 
services and remittances from Jamaicans resident abroad. 
152. At the macroeconomic level, the high levels of pub lic debt and its cost continue to be one of 
the potential sources of instability, which could be st rongly affected by external pressures.  One other 
important aspect is the dependence on fiscal re venue from import taxes and charges, which on 
average account for around 30% of Jamaica's total revenue.  Another important  challenge faced by the 
Jamaican Government is boosting competitiveness by re ducing the high cost of electricity, one of the 
main obstacles to growth in other sectors.  We  are nonetheless confident that Jamaica's economic 
policymakers are already taking the measures needed  to deal with each of these challenges, which 
could hamper continued efforts to raise the population's living standards. 
153. In the area of trade policy, the excessive number of import duties and taxes stands out, with 
the effects they could have on competitiveness.  Moreover, Jamaican exporters find it difficult to 
comply with international standards, particularly in the agricultural sector.  Building the capacity to 
meet international regulations a nd quality standards is undoubtedly one of the major tasks facing the 
Jamaican Government. 
154. At the sectoral level, services are still the la rgest sector in the Jamaican economy and the 
main source of jobs.  Despite the autonomous liberal ization that has occurred in the financial sector, 
especially in insurance, Jamaica has not ratified the Fifth Protocol att ached to the GATS.  We urge the 
Jamaican authorities to speed up the ratification pr ocess, which will certainly  enhance predictability 
for foreign investors. 
EL SALVADOR 
155. The Secretariat Report shows that there has been a general opening up of Jamaica's trade 
regime, highlighting the fact that the services sect or continues to be the backbone of the economy, 
especially activities such as tourism, finance an d business services, wholesale and retail trade.  
According to the Government Report, the services sec tor continued to provide the largest annual share 
of GDP.  In 2009, services accounted for 76.3% of GDP, compared to 73.2% in 2005. 
156. It is indicated that much of this growth can  be attributed to the improved performance of 
financial services, transportation and the distributive trade.  Nevertheless, the global economic crisis 
mainly had an impact on two service industries, na mely, transport, storage and communications and 
wholesale and retail trade, and repair  and installation of machinery. 
157. As part of its modernization programme, Jamaic a launched the first long-term-strategic plan, 
Vision 2030 Jamaica - National Development Plan, which will focus on research and advocacy for 
productivity-driven policies;  public education or aw areness to build a national productivity mindset;  
direct productivity improvement interventions with targeted private and public sector organizations, 
and leveraging the expertise of the Jamaica Produc tivity Centre to expand productivity improvement 
skills on a national scale, inter alia .  The Plan provides the broad framework for macroeconomic and 
social policy formulation in which the economic , social, environmental and governance aspects of 
Jamaica's development are integrated. 
158. It is to be hoped that, in accordance with th e objectives set out, the aforementioned Plan will 
help to promote manufacturing and the repositioning of local manufacturers' capacity for use of the 
trademark "BRAND JAMAICA" (used to market products manufactured in Jamaica). 
159. In connection with this Review, we also commend Jamaica's efforts, which are reflected in 
the ongoing improvements in administrative spheres,  particularly the deve lopment and maintenance 
of an international regime for the promotion and pr otection of intellectual property rights.  From the WT/TPR/M/242 
Page 28  
 
  Government Report we note that the Swiss Fede ral Institute of Intellectual Property and the 
Jamaican Intellectual Property Office have been collaborating on a two-year project to strengthen Jamaica's geographical indications regime a nd identify products which would qualify for a 
geographical indication.  We would appreciate it if the Jamaican delegation could share with us the 
objectives of this project and the results achieved, esp ecially as this is an important area in which the 
Jamaican Government could obtain tangible resu lts for the protection of originating products. 
160. In addition, we should like to  acknowledge the efforts made  in relation to sanitary and 
phytosanitary measures, particularly the creation of  the National Agricultural Health and Food Safety 
Coordinating Committee, which not only provides inte rnal coordination but also a greater degree of 
transparency and effective application of the provisions in the WTO Agreement on Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures, notably the obli gation to provide information services. 
161. At the bilateral level, as regards our trade rela tions with Jamaica, we draw attention to the 
upward trend in our trade balance, which had a pos itive balance of US$7,064,205 in El Salvador's 
favour in 2009.  The main products exported to Ja maica are water, including natural or artificial 
mineral waters and aerated waters, not containi ng added sugar or other sweetening matter nor 
flavoured, ice and snow, unwrought aluminium, polymers of ethylene, in primary forms, fuel wood, in 
logs, in billets, in twigs, in faggots or in similar forms, wood in chips or particles, sawdust and wood 
waste and scrap, whether or not agglomerated in lo gs, briquettes, pellets or similar forms, printed 
books, brochures, leaflets and similar printe d matter, whether or not in single sheets. 
162. Jamaican products imported by El Salvador in clude newsprint, in rolls or sheets, printed 
books, brochures, leaflets and similar printed matte r, whether or not in single sheets, saddlery and 
harness for any animal (including traces, leads,  knee pads, muzzles, saddle cloths, saddle-bags, 
dog coats and the like), worked ivory, bone, tortoisesh ell, horn, antlers, coral, mother-of-pearl and 
other animal carving material, and articles of these materials (including articles obtained by moulding), fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine. 
163. At the regional level, Jamaica, as a member of CARICOM, is actively engaged in the 
negotiation of multilateral and regiona l 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, maintaini ng 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. 
164. In the multilateral negotiations in the WTO, Ja maica, together with other small developing 
countries (particularly least developed countries, small vulnerable economies and net food importing 
developing countries) continues to advocate rules th at take into account our concerns in order to 
preserve the room for action needed to implement cr itical development programmes, and to facilitate 
adjustment to a changing international economic environment. 
165. El Salvador and Jamaica share common inte rests, including the reinforcement and 
enhancement of special and differential treatment  for developing countries, recognition of the 
situation of small economies and promotion of soluti ons to these Members' specific needs.  In this 
connection, it should be noted that we have worked constructively together with  Jamaica in the search 
for consensus solutions, presenting proposals in cruc ial areas of the Doha Development Agenda such 
as the Negotiating Group on Non-Agricu ltural Market Access, Services, inter alia . 
166. Jamaica's participation in the services negotiations  is driven mainly by the expectation of 
improved market access in sectors and modes of supply of strategic export interest.  Measures such as 
those mentioned above reaffirm Ja maica's commitment to the multilateral trading system as a Member 
with a small economy.  WT/TPR/M/242 
 Page 29 
 
 
  167. In conclusion, from the Government and Secretar iat Reports we note that Jamaica is taking a 
holistic approach to the implementation of trade ag reements, thus ensuring that the country positions 
itself to benefit from Aid for Trade and all trade opportunities. 
MAURITIUS 
168. As a small island and net f ood importing developing states, Mauritius and Jamaica have 
common objectives and interests in the WTO, in par ticular in the agriculture and NAMA negotiations. 
Through our membership and active engagement  in the ACP and the SVEs groupings, our two 
countries drive a common multilateral trade agenda  aimed at furthering th e economic empowerment 
of our nations through trade in a rule-based, fa ir and development-oriented trading system.  
169. A basic consideration is the fact that Jamaica is extremely vulnerable to natural disasters and 
global climate change and this vulnerability is compounded by the global economic crisis. Mauritius 
is of the view that this consideration must have prominence in any analysis of the economic and trade 
situation of Jamaica, otherwise such analysis will be flawed. 
170. Indeed, on the one hand, the country lies at th e edge of the hurricane track and experiences 
direct hits and indirect storm damages. Damages from the major recent storms resulted in a heavy 
fiscal burden and redirection of resources from me dium-term development plans. The country also 
lies in an earthquake zone. On the other hand, th e key impacts of climate change have negative 
consequences for critical sectors of the Jama ican economy. These include : increased droughts and 
floods; sea level rise leading to accelerated coastal er osion; increased flood risk and loss of land; loss 
of protective coastal systems, such as coral reefs;  and loss of livelihoods, especially those dependent 
on tourism and fisheries.  This e xposure to risk underscores the need to support Jamaica in its ongoing 
efforts in integrating climate change adaptati on measures into core development programs across 
sectors.  
171. These efforts are being articulated through the implementation of an ambitious long term 
development strategic plan. "Vision 2030 Jamaica" , underpinned by supporting national outcomes, is 
a systematic and integrated approach which aims to enable Jamaica to achieve developed country 
status by 2030 by merging and consolidating economic, social, environmental and governance aspects 
of national development. Importantly, the supporti ng national outcomes includes: (i) an enabling 
business environment; (ii) internationally competitiv e industry structures; (iii) hazard risk reduction 
and adaptation to climate change; (iv) effectiv e social protection; and, (v) authentic and 
transformational culture. These are key ingredients fo r ensuring sustainable growth and development.  
172. Mauritius, therefore, fully supports actions l eading to the achievement of these outcomes 
keeping in mind that the long term vision of Jama ica is to transform the economy from one based on 
exploiting "basic factors" to one based on higher forms of capital. For such a transformation to 
materialize, Vision 2030 Jamaica sets out a series  of macroeconomic measures to strengthen the 
economic base and these include the elimination of fiscal deficits, reduction of the relative size and 
servicing costs of the public debt, fundamental tax reforms; strengthening the regulatory and 
institutional framework for the financial system a nd enhancement of the effectiveness of monetary 
policy tools.  
173. The efforts of Jamaica to adju st to the international economic environment are, however, 
being challenged by a decrease in global demand, de cline in remittance inflows and tourism receipts 
and in the bauxite industry. The situation of Jamai ca illustrates the hard realities faced by small island 
developing states. Indeed, just like Mauritius, Jama ica is constrained in its  development by a number 
of factors which, in addition to susceptibility to a dverse climatic conditions and external factors, 
include dependence on a few goods and services, di fficulties to diversify the economic base and 
difficulties in accessing external capital on favourable terms. WT/TPR/M/242 
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  174. And yet, Mauritius is fully confident in a pr osperous and forward looking Jamaica as the 
country seeks to capitalize on its strengths which incl ude: its natural beauty which remains a powerful 
engine for tourism expansion, its close proximity to  large trading partners, its large natural harbour 
and its positive incidence in the diversification of  the maritime infrastructure and of  developing 
Jamaica into a regional logistic hub with multimo dal transport linkages , its great potential in the 
services sector, including financial services, teleco mmunications, creative industry, entertainment and 
distribution sectors to name but a few and also  its leadership role in the Caribbean.  
175. An early and successful conclusion of the Doha  Round, with all its anticipated development 
gains, will certainly help Jamaica achieve these objectives. At the same time, we call on the 
development partners of Jamaica to strengthen their engagement with Jamaica for an effective 
delivery on Aid for Trade with a view to suppor ting the bold and structural economic reforms as 
embodied in Vision 2030 Jamaica. Jamaica deserves no less. 
SEPARATE CUSTOMS TERRITORY OF TAIWAN, PENGHU, KINMEN AND MATSU 
176. We note from the Reports that, like many countries, Jamaica's existing economic and 
industrial structures made it particularly vulnerab le to the recent global economic crisis, which 
include making the country consecutive years of GD P contraction, a merchandise trade deficit and a 
high debt ratio.  However, the Jamaica Government  should be applauded for the series of important 
policies and measures it has taken to tackle thes e difficulties.  These measures are specifically 
designed to improve export performance through the promotion of partnershi ps between the public 
and the private sectors; attract foreign direct  investment by providing incentives; streamline 
regulations and procedures by the passing of new legi slative bills;  and further integrate Jamaica with 
the regional and international community by aligni ng itself more closely with neighbouring countries 
and actively participating in the WTO negotiations. 
177. We have long enjoyed a steady bilateral tradi ng relationship with Jamaica, to the value of 
around US$30 to US$35 million per year.  Now, as a result of our recent trade expansion initiative 
with Caribbean countries, we expect to see more and more of our business people wishing to conduct 
activities in Jamaica, and our trade relationship expanding in the years ahead.  We are rather 
concerned, therefore, about the recent escalation of Ja maica's tariff structure with an increase of near 
10% since its last TPR in 2005.  Also, the gap be tween applied and bound tariffs remains wide, and in 
some cases the applied rates are above their bound le vels.  Furthermore, import duties and charges 
still remain at quite a high level.  In our eyes, a ll these factors are tending to undermine the confidence 
and predictability that the Govern ment is intending to build up. 
178. In terms of sectoral developments, one thing we  find particularly notable is that the service 
sector is contributing three quarters of Jamaica's total GDP and becoming the main earner of foreign 
exchange.  We are pleased to see the efforts to lib eralize the financial and telecommunications sectors, 
and we would encourage the Jamaic an Government to ratify the Fifth Protocol of GATS as early as 
possible.  We would emphasize the importance of IPR protection and urge the Government to comply 
with the TRIPS Agreement by expediting the legisla tive process of the drafted Patent Law.  A sound 
IPR protection environment not only encourages invention and innovation, but also attracts more FDI, which can bring with it new and advanced technologies that help in many ways to upgrade the country's industries. 
NIGERIA 
179. On the basis of the Secretariat's Report, Jamai ca continues to be adversely affected by macro 
economic and fiscal factors, notably a deteriorating tr ade balance, fiscal deficits, high national debt as 
well as negative domestic social factors and vulnera bility to natural disasters. In spite of these 
challenges, Jamaica has witnessed a number of pos itive achievements since 2005, including: further  WT/TPR/M/242 
 Page 31 
 
 
  consolidation of its economic liber alisation efforts; development of a relatively stable and well-
capitalized financial sector; an impressive macroeconomic performance; a significant reduction in poverty levels from 28.4% in 1989 to 9.9% in 2007; coupled with the fact that the country is on 
course to meet most of its Millennium Deve lopment Goals (MDGs), this is commendable. 
180. Nigeria wishes to commend Jamaica for the significant progress made in the process of 
adjusting to the new world economic environment th rough, inter alia, greater openness to trade and 
financial and investment flows; financial sector cons olidation; market liberalization; privatization and 
divestment of critical productive and infrastructur al sectors; and the development of human and 
institutional capacity. However, as underlined in the Government Report, Jamaica has been, more 
than most countries, negatively impacted by the glob al economic crisis.  This situation resulted in a 
weakening of the global demand, and increased job losses. 
181. The services sector remains the backbone of Jamaica's economy.  The sector accounted for 
over three quarters of GDP in 2009 and employed around  two thirds of the labour force. On the other 
hand, agriculture's contribution to the overall ec onomy has declined steadily. This is worrisome 
considering its importance to poverty reduction and employment generation. Jamaica's vulnerability 
to natural disasters arising from experiences of hurri canes and storms is of concerns.  Therefore, 
Nigeria would like to know what measures the govern ment is putting in place in order to cope with 
these challenges facing the Government.   
182. Nigeria enjoys excellent relations with Jamaica. Both are members of the ACP and G-33, and 
strong advocate for rules that take appropriately  into account the concerns of small developing 
economies, particularly, the least-developed count ries, small vulnerable economies and net food 
importing developing countries, including the need to preserve the policy space necessary to 
implement critical development programmes. Also , we both share the position that addressing the 
underlying problems of food and livelihood secu rity, as well as rural development needs of 
developing countries, constitutes a concrete expr ession of our rights to development and poverty 
reduction. At the bilateral level, Nigeria through its Technical Aid Corps Scheme (TAC) established 
in 1987 to the Caribbean countries, in particular, Jamaica has played  in central role in cementing 
existing relations; and on a wider scale, in creating an atmosphere of partne rship where it otherwise 
would not exist. TAC represents a channel throug h which south-south collaboration is enhanced.   
183. In conclusion, Nigeria like others, would like to acknowledge Jamaica's contributions to the 
multilateral trading system especially, its strong commitment and support towards successful conclusion of the Doha Development Agenda ne gotiations through constructive and analytical 
contributions, notably in the area of services, trade fa cilitation, rules, and preferences. Hence, its main 
trade policy thrust continues to be  aimed at achieving greater integr ation into the world economy, as 
highlighted in the Secretariat Report. Furthermor e, Jamaica should be encouraged to benefit from 
schemes such as GSTP and Aid for Trade to enable her address several of the challenges highlighted 
above. As highlighted in the Secretariat's Report,  Jamaica has the third-hi ghest public-debt-to-GDP 
ratio in the world, which has serious implications for its ability to pursue pub lic investment objectives. 
This constraint was also acknowledged by the Gove rnment. In this regard, Nigeria urges increased 
technical assistance and financial support to Jamaica to enable it achieve the goal of its Vision 2030, 
including sustenance of macroeconomic stability ; implementation of sector-specific measures; 
infrastructural development; international compe titiveness and the development of human capital.   
DOMINICA ON BEHALF OF THE OECS 
184. The Reports before us, both by the Secretaria t and the Government of Jamaica highlight and 
point to the challenges which small, vulnerable, island, developing economies and states can face as 
they pursue long term and sustainable growth and economic development through integration into the 
world economy including through the multilateral tr ading system.  We note from the Reports the WT/TPR/M/242 
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  significant negative impact which the recent global financial and economic cr isis had on the economy 
of Jamaica.   
185. The sections dealing with the macroeconomic environment and trade performance paints a 
picture that is largely coloured in red as GDP, bala nce of trade, balance of payments and government 
budget were largely in negative territory.  It shou ld also be noted that the crisis compounded the 
already existing, inherent and structural limitations  which flow from the small size of the country and 
the economy, not to mention the annual threat of devastation from natural disasters. 
186. The constraints of small size are well known.  These are the constraints that Jamaica has to 
contend with.  We in the OECS like many others in similar situations can fully appreciate those 
realities.  However, we applaud Jamaica for its ende avours at overcoming these challenges;  that even 
with all those negative externalities Jamaica continu es to persevere to fully integrate into the world 
economy, and to fulfil in its multilate ral obligations towards trade.  We particularly commend Jamaica 
for identifying and articulating its first long term vision and strategic plan that sees the country attaining developed status by 2030.  We not e the emphasis on implementation and accountability 
anchored on a results-based management platform w ith effective monitoring and evaluation.  These 
are features which can only ensure that the goals a nd objectives are attained and one which we in the 
OECS can learn from and model. 
187. In addition to the Vision 2030 and the Medium  Term Socio-Economic Policy Framework we 
have also noted with interest the various project s aimed at enhancing trade competitiveness including 
the National Export Strategy, the Jamaica Cluste r Competitiveness Project and the Private Sector 
Development Project. 
188. The institutional framework for trade policy formulation and implementation is also one for 
which we highly commend Jamaica.  With the Minist ry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, the 
Jamaica Trade and Adjustment Team, the Priv ate Sector Trade Policy Committee and the ongoing 
three-year "Whole of Government Business Plan", Ja maica has what appears to be a very broad based, 
fully inclusive and representative trade policy framework.  Several of our countries in the OECS still 
struggle to put in place an effective and struct ured mechanism for dialogue between government, 
private sector and civil society, and we certainly lo ok to what Jamaica has accomplished to learn from 
it.  With what Jamaica has established it is cl ear that trade the key avenues for growth and 
development of any small island economy is fully mainstreamed in the national development plan. 
189. Jamaica has underlined attempts at increasing production and exports as a major factor of its 
trade policy.  To this end, Jamaica, as a Member of CARICOM, is actively engaged in the negotiation 
of multilateral, regional and bilateral trade agreem ents as a means of securing vital trade markets and 
enhancing trade performance.  Whether at the regi onal level with the ongoing implementation of the 
CARICOM Single Market and Economy, or at the in ternational level via the Economic Partnership 
Agreement with the EU Jamaica continues to redefine  its trade relations in an attempt to increase its 
trade outlook. 
190. At the WTO level, Jamaica continues to be an active participant in the Doha negotiations and 
a strong advocate for special and differential trea tment as well as emphasizing the need for the 
recognition of the constraints that befall small vul nerable economies.  The concerns highlighted by 
small economies like Jamaica demonstrate the urgenc y necessary for the full implementation of the 
Small Economies' Work Programme. 
191. On the issue of Aid for Trade we noted the sections in both Reports on the subject.  We 
commend the WTO Secretariat for the expanded sections on Aid for Trade that has appeared in recent 
Trade Policy Reports and hopes that this will continue .  From both Reports it is clear that Aid for 
Trade is an important issue for Jamaica which has ta ken steps to take fuller advantage of aid for trade  WT/TPR/M/242 
 Page 33 
 
 
  beginning with mainstreaming trade into its nati onal and sectoral development plans and strategies, 
and the development of a national aid for trade stra tegy.  The Secretariat Report notes that flows to 
Jamaica has been modest a situation wh ich is typical of the wider Caribbean. 
192. Jamaica like the rest of the small economies woul d like to see a greater role of the WTO as it 
relates to the mobilisation of additional aid for trade resources, monitoring and evaluation and an 
increased and sustained impact of trade-capacity-bui lding measures.  Dominica notes that within the 
context of an increased liberalised world economy where non-reciprocal trading arrangements are no 
longer feasible, and the loss of long-standing preferences on traditional agricultural products, the benefits afforded by aid for trad e resources become even more crucial for sustainable development. 
193. As fellow SVEs, the OECS countries recogni se the strength and forbearance necessary for 
small island states to remain committed to the multila teral process especially when the much touted 
gains of the multilateral trading system remain el usive.  However, Jamaica has demonstrated its 
commitment to the process, given its adherence to its WTO obligations.  
194. There is no doubt that Jamaica will continue on its path to increasing growth and sustainable 
development even with the reality of negative econom ic environment.  Perhaps the conclusion of the 
Round this year will give the global economy, an d Jamaica, the much needed boost required to 
improve its trade performance.  Failing this success however, the weakn esses and susceptibilities of 
small size, limited export base and lack of competitive ness may be made even more acute.  In closing, 
our delegations would like to on ce again applaud Jamaica for their commitment to the multilateral 
system and their efforts at economic and sustainable development.   
BARBADOS 
195. It will come as no surprise that Barbados, in sharing a common geographical and regional 
identity with Jamaica, fully understands the scope and complexity of the challenges which confront 
this country as a small, vulnerable Caribbean economy.  It is for this reason that we congratulate the 
Jamaican Government on the significant progress it has achieved in a number of areas since its last review, including through inter alia , further consolidation of its economic liberalisation efforts, 
strengthening of its financial sector, privatisa tion and divestment in vital sectors and a notable 
reduction in poverty levels from 28.4% in 1989 to  9.9%, in 2007. Moreover, following negative 
growth in real GDP during 2008 and 2009 as a result  of the global economic crisis, we commend the 
macroeconomic performance in 2010, achieved in a ch allenging economic environment, as registered 
in the Secretariat report.  
196. In spite of this effort, for the Caribbean region in general and Jamaica in particular, the impact 
of the global crisis has been deep and persistent, as reflected in the latter case by declines in real GDP, 
marked decreases in earnings from the exports of goods and services, as well as from remittances, and 
an increase in unemployment. The crisis furtherm ore served to exacerbate inherent structural 
vulnerabilities characterised by the highly open, narrow production base and external dependent 
nature of the Jamaican economy,  where the external trade ratio to GDP in 2008 was over 112%, 
falling to 87% in 2009.  
197. It is noted that for most of the past decade, real GDP growth has been low, with an annual 
average of less than 1%. Other macroeconomic and fiscal indicators, including high inflation rates, large current account deficits and uns ustainable debt levels, combined with adjustment to the erosion 
of long standing preferential arrangements, susceptibilit y to other exogenous shocks and the impact of 
natural disasters, reflect the wide range of issues to be addressed within a context of limited policy 
and resource options.  WT/TPR/M/242 
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  198. The elaboration of Vision 2030 Jamaica (Nati onal Development Plan) and its operational 
strategy Medium Term Socio-Ec onomic Policy Framework 2009-2012 are important strategic policy 
initiatives through which current structural and cap acity limitations will be addressed with the 
objective of Jamaica achieving developed country stat us by 2030. Barbados supports this endeavour 
and the emphasis being placed on implementation and acc ountability.  It is noted that a revision of the 
current trade policy is being considered within the context of Vision 2030. The significance of 
mainstreaming trade into such national development strategies cannot be overstated given the value of 
trade as a key facilitator for the deve lopment of economies such as ours. 
199. During the review period, the Jamaican author ities have been actively engaged in seeking to 
promote a more favourable environment for trade,  investment and development including through 
updating the legal provisions for government procur ement, continuing to simplify regulations and 
procedures related to investment and making adva nces in the enforcement of intellectual property 
protection.   
200. Although generally on the decline in its overa ll contribution to the economy, agriculture 
continues to play an important role in sustaini ng livelihoods in rural Jamaica.  Extreme weather 
conditions continue to affect the fortunes of th is sector, even though to tal agriculture production 
during the review period, was noted to have increas ed.  Against the backdrop of the collapsed bauxite 
industry as a casualty of the global recession, it is hoped that the completion of a national minerals policy to guide the sustainable development of th e minerals industry will be able to catalyse an 
increase in the contribution of this sector to the economy, particularly in the area of the industrial minerals sector.  The services industry continues to  reflect the largest contribution to the Jamaican 
economy and growth during the review period was especially notable in the financial services, 
transportation and distribution sectors.  
201. Barbados and Jamaica enjoy close bilatera l and trading ties underscored by the regional 
Caribbean Single Market and Economy integration pr ocess. Jamaica is Barbados' fourth principal 
export trading partner. Both the Secretariat and Government reports reflect evidence of Jamaica's 
active bilateral, regional and mu ltilateral engagement in negotiati ng trade agreements, which the 
Government views as a means of securing its trad e interest and enhancing trade performance. 
202. Barbados and Jamaica share similar persp ectives on the Aid for Trade initiative. We 
commend the efforts to articulate a National Aid fo r Trade Strategy with the support of the Inter-
American Development Bank. We look forward to th e tabling of this strategy and other experience 
sharing during the WTO Caribbean Regional Foru m on Aid for Trade, which will take place in 
Barbados later this month on January 25-27, in preparation for the Third Global Review. 
203. My delegation appreciates the active and collabora tive role that the Jamaican delegation plays 
in the negotiating groups other various bodies in th is House. Like Jamaica, my delegation looks 
forward to an outcome from the Doha negotiati ons that can deliver urgent and meaningful 
developmental benefits for sma ll, vulnerable economies like ours. 
MOROCCO 
204. For several years, Jamaica has been introducing a series of bold and continuing reforms to 
reflect the trend in international trade relations, to adapt itself to new requirements and to meet the 
challenges of modernity.  Morocco welcomes the m easures taken by the Jamaican Government to 
make the institutional and regulatory environment more favourable for the development of trade. 
205. The data on Jamaica's economy and the plans ad opted by the Government show that the 
prospects are reassuring despite the turbulence that  has marked the global economic environment.  
The expansion of Jamaica's economy is also the fruit of reforms targeted at fo reign direct investment  WT/TPR/M/242 
 Page 35 
 
 
  and the business environment, together with the id entification of centres of growth to ensure its 
economic development. 
206. These advances are serving as an effective a nd ambitious means of establishing the 
mechanisms for an economy that is modern, open and competitive. 
207. Convinced that progress in modernizing the ec onomy can only be achieved by opening up to 
the outside world, Jamaica has chosen to diversify its trading partners by participating in several 
regional agreements with a trade content.  In this connection, the WTO and partner countries are 
called on to provide Jamaica with the appropriate technical assistance, as stipulated in the WTO's existing instruments, to enable it to integr ate into, and profit from, the international trading 
system. 
208. In its efforts to modernize its structures and its economic and financial institutions, in the 
current situation Jamaica needs substantial techni cal assistance in the sectors covered by the WTO 
and its various Agreements.  Within this framework, the country must be given the means to enable it 
to make the most of its satisfactory performance in  recent years.  Likewise, as a Member with an 
interest in the affairs of the WTO, Jamaica should be given WTO assistance to allow it to pursue its 
policy of reform and modernization in order to pa rticipate in a beneficial and constructive way in 
multilateral trade.  Allow me, in conclusion, to  congratulate the Jamaican Government on its 
performance in recent years and on the determinati on it has constantly shown for integration into 
multilateral trade. 
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO 
209. I am sure the rest of the membership would be  interested to know that Trinidad and Tobago 
and Jamaica share many commonalities which bind our  two countries as close friends and economic 
partners.  Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica were  both founding Members of the CARICOM in 1973 
when we signed the Treaty of  Chaguaramas, a commitment which both of our countries have 
respected, as have all Members, to pursue deeper regional integration towards a single market and a 
single economy. 
210. In the context of CARICOM integration, therefor e, it is evident that our trading relationship 
as regional partners would undoubtedly be dynamic and expansive.  Trinidad and Tobago is an 
importer of a significant range of constructi on products, manufactured gods and seafood from 
Jamaica.  Likewise, Jamaica imports from Trin idad and Tobago gasoline, grade "c" bunker fuel, 
aerated beverages and bottled drinks, cereals and deterg ents.  In terms of regional trade, our countries 
represent each other's largest trading partner. 
211. This relationship has transcended basic impor ts and exports across borders.  Our two 
countries cooperate bilaterally in areas such as en ergy, health, crime and security, and agriculture 
among others.  A pattern of cross border investment  that began in the mid-1990s is now very well 
developed as manifested in the fact that several  Trinidad and Tobago companies are active in the 
banking and financial services sector of Jamaica, as in manufacturing, an important component of 
which is cement.  On the other hand, several Jama ican companies have similarly invested in the 
financial sector of Trinidad and Tobago and some Ja maican companies in manufacturing and financial 
services are listed in the Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange. 
212. As have been observed in the international ai rline industry which have undergone a radical 
restructuring in the wake of the 2008 global economi c crisis, so too in the Caribbean, last year, the 
Governments of Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica reached an agreement for the acquisition of Air 
Jamaica by Caribbean Airlines, the flag carrier  of Trinidad and Tobago, with the Jamaican 
Government retaining 16% of the equity in the new company. WT/TPR/M/242 
Page 36  
 
  213. As a consequence of the global economic crisis of 2008, Jamaica suffered multiple effects of 
lower exports demand from its major markets in the U.S. and the UK, falling commodity prices, 
slowdown in tourism, and stagna tion of remittances from abroad.  Unemployment rates rose as the 
real economy contracted.  Deterioration of the external accounts was exacerbated by widening trade 
and current account deficits, which resulted in a stead y loss of international reserves.  Not unlike the 
repeated instances of several countries, large and small, finding it necessary to seek IMF assistance in 
order to cope with the effects of the global r ecession Jamaica resorted to seeking IMF support in 
February 2010. 
214. Notwithstanding the crippling effects of the crisis on Jamaica's manufacturing, mining, 
quarrying, and hotel and restaurant industries, it is  instructive to note pos itive production performance 
in the agriculture sector, which resulted from an  activist Government policy of promoting food 
security and greater emphasis on value-added industr ies particularly agro-processing.  The rise of 
employment in the agriculture sector and the role play ed by the Government of Jamaica in this regard 
is laudable in a labour market which attracts you ng people to more glamorous service-industry type 
jobs. 
215. My delegation was further pleased to note that the impact of the global crisis was restricted to 
only two service subsectors namely in machinery maintenance and wholesale and retail trade.  
Interestingly, positive growth in  financial services and distribu tion assisted greatly in making a 
significant services industry contribution to GDP of over 76% in 2009, indicating the high degree of dynamism of Jamaica's service economy. 
216. Trinidad and Tobago and Jama ica share common interests and positions in the multilateral 
trade negotiations.  We are both Net Food Importi ng Countries and as SVEs, Jamaica's need for 
additional flexibility while it transitions to taking  on the full obligations and commitments of the 
multilateral trading system is no different from those of the other Members of the Caribbean Community, and indeed, at an internatio nal level from the SVEs as a whole. 
217. In anticipation of the need to meet the requireme nts of transparency in global trade that will 
arise from the conclusion of the Doha Round, the Caribbean Community including Jamaica 
established in February 2010 the Caribbean Agricultu ral Health and Food Safety  Agency in order to 
meet the requirements for compliance in SPS matters .  As a substantial exporter of fresh produce, 
which is directly linked to Jamaica's agricultural sector, this organization will greatly assist Jamaica 
and all the Members of the Caribbean Commun ity to be SPS-compliant as required under WTO 
regulations. 
218. My delegation would also like to take this opp ortunity to compliment Jamaica for its robust 
effort to mainstream trade in its  economic development strategy and in  that context takes note of the 
significant amount of work that has been done nati onally to consolidate its Aid for Trade strategy 
within the wider context of a regional Aid for Trade initiative. 
219. While the economic outlook for Jamaica is not as favorable as one would like, this however 
must be interpreted in the context of the country 's recent externally induced economic experience on 
one hand and on the other by the prevailing uncertain ty and fragile confidence in the global economy.  
The programs underway as set out in the National Vision 2030 should bring a higher standard of living and welfare for the Jamaican people.  In th is endeavor, my delegation wishes the Government 
and People of Jamaica every best success and Trin idad and Tobago restates its commitment to a 
strong, mutually beneficial, strategic partnership with Jamaica in our colla borative pursuit within the 
framework of CARICOM for stable, balanced and sustainable Caribbean development.   WT/TPR/M/242 
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  V. REPLIES BY THE REPRESENTATIVE OF JAMAICA AND ADDITIONAL 
COMMENTS 
220. Jamaica is committed to sound macroeconomic policies and we intend to continue, through 
sacrifice, discipline and strong fiscal management to  create a stable environment within which to 
galvanize investment, trade and growth. We are actively pursuing initiatives to reduce crime and 
violence, inclusive of modernising the security forces, refocusing on community development and 
urban renewal. We are committed to reducing the bur eaucratic constraints to investments, by, among 
other things, reforming the tax structure and estab lishing a one-stop shop for investors. Additional 
measures to promote new capacity in the tourism sector have also been legislated.  
221. We have circulated responses to almost all th e questions which we received in writing. I 
would also like to indicate that we would wish to exercise the option to provide some of the responses 
at a later date.  I will now seek to respond to some  of the questions raised and issues highlighted by 
delegations.  
222. With respect to the economic and institutional envi ronment, we note that the majority of those 
who intervened on Tuesday raised the issue of Jamaica's historically low growth rates. The 
Government recognises that this less than satis factory performance is related to structural 
impediments such as (i) the country's debt burde n which increases the cost of financing business 
operations and crowds out private sector activities; (ii) relatively high energy costs; (iii) crime and violence which increases the cost of doing business in Jamaica; (iv) costly financial intermediation; and (v) low labour productivity and generally low levels of competitiveness with other producers in 
the markets that are of interest to us. 
223. We appreciate and acknowledge the Discussant's comment that the Government's projected 
short term GDP growth rates appear  inconsistent with the proposed  development goals of Vision 2030 
and with our Millennium Development Goals and that growth will have to take place at a much more 
aggressive rate than the projected 2%. The G overnment of Jamaica has recognised that the 
performance of the economy will be sluggish in th e first phase of the Vision 2030 Plan, given the 
focus on fiscal consolidation. We fully expect that, with the reforms we have outlined in the responses 
to Members, an energised private sector will, in the context of the expected rebound in the 
international economy, lift the long term growth of the economy above the cautious 2% that is 
envisaged over the next 2-3 years. In addition, it is important to note that Jamaica is in the middle of a 
Stand-by Agreement with the IMF, which has the re duction of the Central G overnment's debt burden 
as the principal objective. We envisage that as we c ontinue the reform process, the fiscal accounts will 
be placed on a more sustainable footing so that th ere will never be a need to restructure our debt. 
Jamaica has a proud history of paying its creditors and that will not stop. 
224. The Government recognises that pension funds  represent an important source of savings 
which can be mobilised towards long term investme nt and growth. These Funds are intended to secure 
the life savings of Jamaicans and as such have to be effectively regulated to ensure their viability. In 
this context, since the financial crisis of 1996,  the Government has taken steps to ensure the 
sustainability of the private pension funds indu stry, which culminated in the passage of the 
Superannuation Funds and Retirement Sc hemes Act in 2005. This Act, inter alia , prescribes 
investment limits on the managers of approved funds. Therefore, we are of the view that the industry 
is properly regulated and that the risk of insolvency is minimised. 
225. We have also programmed a supportive macroec onomic environment for this thrust towards 
growth. The Bank of Jamaica has r esponsibility for achieving the specified inflation target. While the 
BOJ has not yet adopted an inflation targeting re gime, it pursues policies consistent with such a 
regime. Maintenance of stability in the foreign exch ange market is also important in achieving the 
inflation objective. However, the Central Bank is aware of the deleterious impact on growth of an WT/TPR/M/242 
Page 38  
 
  appreciation in the real exchange rate. It is for th is reason, that the aim of the Bank is to achieve 
orderly movements in the exchange rate rather than  to achieve a particular rate of exchange. We 
believe that the best way to foster stability in th e foreign exchange market is to align Jamaica's 
inflation rate with those of its main trading partners. 
226. Jamaica will continue to participate actively  in the Doha Round of negotiations, including 
through its membership in the SVE, ACP and G33 Groups, with a view to shaping an outcome that 
will be fair and balanced and that  will reflect a strong development component.  The WTO must make 
a concerted effort to respond more fully to the in terests and concerns of its diverse membership. The 
very legitimacy of the Organization depends on this .  The development dimension must be reflected 
not only in the rules and disciplines but also in the timing and sequencing of the obligations to be 
entered into.  For us, some of the critical areas to  be addressed include (i) the full implementation of 
the decisions taken within the context of the work  programme on small economies, including agreeing 
to SVE proposals for enhanced flexibilities tabled in  various areas of the negotiations; (ii) agreement 
on a simple and effective special safeguard mechanis m (SSM); (iii) the issue of preference erosion; 
(iv) progressive liberalization in a manner that will not result in any adverse social dislocation and 
that will allow adjustment to increasing competitive pressures; and (v) tariff liberalization that will 
neither impact negatively on reve nue collection nor undermine the development and expansion of 
local productive sectors.  An important adjunct to  the liberalization process will be the need for 
assistance in addressing supply-side constraints in order to take advantage of the market access 
opportunities that will emerge after the conclusion  of the Round.  These are issues that will be 
addressed within the framework of Aid for Trade. 
227. Jamaica welcomes the observations that have been  made in relation to Aid for Trade as part 
of this Trade Policy Review process. In this regard , Jamaica remains a strong supporter of the role of 
Aid for Trade as a key pillar in the strengthening of the multilateral trading system and in achieving 
the objectives outlined in the Doha Development Age nda. Aid for Trade must not solely be geared 
towards sectors and mechanisms to increase imports , but should be applied in a comprehensive 
manner that builds trade capacity and serves to tr ansform the productive base and the framework for 
economic growth and development. 
228. It is well established that more and more resources are being earmarked as Aid for Trade at 
the global level. Jamaica remains concerned that th ese aid flows are not finding their way to its shores 
and those of the wider Caribbean at an optimal pa ce and in sufficient volumes. I have previously 
alluded to the work being undertaken by Jamai ca, with the support of the Inter-American 
Development Bank, in relation to the development of a National Aid for Trade Strategy. This Strategy 
will position Jamaica to more readily access Aid fo r Trade resources and to highlight priorities for 
partnership and development. We look forward to the continued support of this Organization, as we 
move towards the completion and implementation of the Strategy. Jamaica is also actively looking 
forward to participating in the Third Global Revi ew of Aid for Trade to be held in July 2011. 
229. Jamaica is committed to honouring its obligations  under the various trade agreements that it 
has concluded. The application of these commitm ents is in many instances properly facilitated 
through administrative measures as provided for in domestic law, pending the completion of 
legislation. It is important to note that duri ng the period of application through administrative 
measures countries can expect to benefit fully from the concessions that have been agreed in the 
respective agreements.  
230. As regards the question as to whether the EPA facilitates Jamaica's incorporation into the 
WTO Plurilateral Agreement, Jamaica is not a part y to this Agreement and is not at this point 
contemplating becoming a party. The WTO Plurilate ral Agreement can be entered into voluntarily 
while the EPA Chapter on Public Procurement is an important part of a Bilateral Agreement between 
CARIFORUM and the European Union.  Furthermore,  the nature and scope of the WTO Plurilateral  WT/TPR/M/242 
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  Agreement and the EPA Chapter on Procuremen t are quite different.  The WTO Plurilateral 
Agreement focuses on market access in government procurement, while the EPA chapter focuses on 
transparency issues in government procurement.  
231. There is no denying Jamaica's reliance on international trade taxes as a critical source of 
revenue. This issue should be examined within the context of the country's fiscal circumstances. 
Jamaica remains committed to the multilateral process and notes the concerns raised by Members in 
relation to our border measures and our overall tax and tariff related policies.  The ongoing process of 
tax reform in Jamaica has, as its central objectives, the simplification, efficiency, equity and revenue 
adequacy of the tax regime. 
232. It is within this context that a comprehensiv e review of the system of waivers and incentives 
was commissioned. The results of this will lead to  the development of a waiver and incentives policy 
and strategy for Jamaica which is expected to contribute positively to the overall growth and 
development of the economy. Recognizing the imperativ e of this exercise, the Government has, as at 
November 15, 2010, instituted an inte rim waiver and incentives policy, geared, inter alia , towards 
stemming revenue leakage and improving the transparency of the existing regime. 
233. Moreover, regarding Jamaica's tariff structure, this is under discussion, within the context of 
the national debate on tax reform. Further, CA RICOM is currently studying the feasibility of 
reviewing the Common External Tariff (CET).  We note the concern about the spread that exists 
between Jamaica's applied and bound tariff rates, par ticularly in the case of agricultural products. 
Jamaica wishes to emphasize the importance of the policy space afforded to small, vulnerable, net 
food importing economies in order to safeguard tho se most vulnerable sectors of the economy and 
ensure food security.  
234. As it relates to the fees that are charged at the border, it is Jamaica's view that these fees are 
commensurate with the real cost of the services re ndered. Notwithstanding, the concerns raised by 
Member States with regard to the possible impact  of these fees on the cost of doing business and 
overall competitiveness in Jamaica, as well as the possi ble impact on consumer welfare, have been 
duly noted and merit further consideration. 
235. Questions have been posed concerning Jama ica's draft Plant Health Policy as well as our 
import restrictions on certain animal  products and products of animal  origin. It should be emphasised 
that Jamaica requires that imported plant and anim al products, and derivatives thereof, are processed 
in such a manner as to certify them as being healthy,  safe and fit for human/animal consumption or for 
release into the domestic environment. These cer tification procedures are undertaken by Jamaica's 
official regulatory agencies in accordance with th e relevant SPS requirements. The new draft Plant 
Health Policy, once finalized, will be made availabl e.  Where products have been restricted due to 
SPS concerns, bilateral consultations are in train. 
236. Given our rich endowment of natural attractions ; indigenous cuisine; artistic and athletic 
talent as well as the currency of "Brand Jamaic a", Jamaica fully appreciates the significance of 
intellectual property rights and has a vested interest in their protection.   
237. A number of Members have asked about our lega l and institutional framework for this very 
important issue. It should be noted that specific qu estions related to intellectual property have already 
been addressed in the responses circ ulated to Members. However, we wish to use this opportunity to 
assure Members that Jamaica is fully committed to our international obligations and has set as a 
legislative priority for 2011, the amendment to our  existing Patent and Designs Bill. The amendment 
is to allow Jamaica to fulfil its oblig ations under the WTO TRIPS Agreement. WT/TPR/M/242 
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  238. The Jamaican services industry is, without exception, the main contributor to economic 
activity in the country, accounting for over 76% of annual GDP. Tourism is the largest subsector and 
is responsible for well over 60% of the services co mponent of GDP.  The continued dominance of the 
services industry in the Jamaican economy is reflect ed in the increase in net earnings from services in 
excess of 70% in 2009, with tourism again accounting for the lion's share of earnings.  The sector 
represents approximately 80% of exports and c ontributes significantly to employment and job 
creation.   
239. Buoyed by the successful implementation of  the Tourism Master Plan, involving the 
development of new cruise ship piers in Monteg o Bay and Port Antonio and an increase in room 
capacity by some 28,000 rooms, the tourism industry has continued to grow significantly. Moreover, 
despite Jamaica's enviable status as a pref erred honeymoon destination, including amongst WTO 
delegates, there remains tremendous  untapped potential within the industry, which the Government of 
Jamaica is seeking to capitalise on, particularly with the imminent introduction of Casino gaming 
facilities in the sector.   
240. Jamaica remains one of the most open economi es within the multilateral trading system, and 
indeed the global economy, and this is certainly true with regard to its financial services sector.  We 
are taking the necessary steps to complete the ratification of the Fifth Protocol to which a number of delegations have made reference.  
241. We are a non oil producing, oil dependent ec onomy. As I mentioned in my Statement on 
Tuesday, the energy sector is critical to the economy and particularly to the productive sectors. The 
rising cost of energy is a contributing factor to  Jamaica's lack of competitiveness. The Government 
will be seeking through its national energy policy to reduce the cost of energy by, among other 
measures, installing new capacity to generate rene wable energy and to diversify our energy supply.   
242. In this my first WTO engagement here in Ge neva, I have been impressed by the constructive 
engagement of all Members in the work of this au gust body.  This Trade Policy Review exercise has 
provided my delegation and our Fore ign Trade Policy team valuable insights into our trade policies 
and practices as seen from the perspective of our regional and international partners.  
DISCUSSANT 
243. On the first day of this Third Review of Ja maica's trade policy, delegations underlined the 
high degree of vulnerability of Jamaica's economy to natural disasters, exacerbated by climate change, 
whose recent effects had caused tremendous losses,  obliging the Government to use its scarce 
resources intended for carrying out its medium and long-term investment programmes for recovery 
purposes.  Delegations also highlighted Jamaica's status as a small and open economy that was highly 
dependent on a few exports, featur es which showed its great vulnera bility to the negative effects of 
the recent economic crises.  They also stated that  this situation should be taken into account when 
analysing and considering Jamaica's economic and trade performance.  In this connection, the 
Jamaican delegation said that it would appreciate it if its external constraints and major external 
challenges were taken into account when clarifying it s future priorities in the light of its development 
needs. 
244. Delegations also underlined and welcomed Ja maica's active participation in the WTO, 
particularly in the Doha Round negotiations, indica ting that they supported the positions of the ACP 
and SVEs group in the negotiations, in which the Round's development aspect should be stressed by 
giving special and differential treatment in a ll areas to least developed economies and small and 
vulnerable markets so as to offset the imbalance existing among Members at varying stages of 
development, with the large economies already benefiting from significant trade advantages as a result of the application of support mechanisms fo r their domestic producers covered by the previous  WT/TPR/M/242 
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  agreements.  In this connection, they laid stress  on the G-33 proposal to create a special safeguard 
mechanism in the area of agriculture for developing economies. 
245. Delegations referred to the narrow production base in Jamaica, the low-levels of productivity, 
the high dependence on a few products  and services for export, the concentration of exports on a 
small number of destination markets, the high levels  of indebtedness, the high cost of electricity and 
financing, the high cost of security and support services for businesses, and the many bureaucratic 
obstacles that hampered trade facilitation, as fact ors that were having the greatest impact on the 
climate for private investment in creating enterprises and productive jobs. 
246. Delegations, however, viewed positively Jamai ca's macroeconomic performance in 2010 and 
the rapid growth in non-traditional exports, as well as the substantial progress made in social 
indicators, especially poverty reduction. 
247. When emphasizing the level of openness and the vigour of the services sector, delegations 
cited it as an example, mentioning how the implemen tation of reforms to streamline regulations and 
procedures had created a more open and friendly e nvironment for business in order to sustain the 
country's development.  They drew attention, howev er, to the need to tackle tax evasion head on, as 
well as the vast number of tax exemptions, which gr eatly distorted the tax base for business as some 
activities were subject to high rates of tax while ot hers paid almost nothing.  The large number of 
customs fees and charges were highlighted as re presenting in effect an increase in the cost of 
protection at the border.  In addition, the applica tion of double taxation on the income of foreign firms 
repatriating dividends and the fixing of the cost of  calls abroad discouraged investment and the flow 
of external resources. 
248. The authorities highlighted the implementation of a financing agreement with the IMF and the 
approval and application of the National Medium and Long-Term Development Plan, together with 
the 2009 National Export Strategy, as proof of the firm commitment to eliminate macroeconomic 
maladjustment and structural distortions that were  restricting economic growth and development of 
production sectors, giving as examples the achievement of 38% of the objectives set for the industrial 
sector, the application of the open skies policies for air traffic, the expansion of business facilities in 
tourism areas, and more support for services provided to private producers.  They underlined the 
positive performance of the tourism and agricultura l sectors in 2010 and the positive results achieved 
by lowering inflation and interest rates, which had helped to reduce public debt-servicing payments 
rapidly with the implementation of the Debt Exch ange Programme, enabling rescheduling of 99% of 
the debt over a longer-term and at low interest rates. 
249. Emphasis was also laid on stricter controls at the customs and the support given by the 
application of legislative measures and the increased resources to be used to reinforce general controls 
and auditing in order to combat corruption, tax fra ud and administrative obstacles.  As proof of the 
effectiveness of the measures applied, it was stated  that during the current fiscal period the customs 
had generated more income in their quarterly accounts than originally forecast. 
250. Some speakers indicated that the medium-term projections of  economic growth and debt 
reduction in relation to GDP were by no means suffi cient to achieve the objective of economic growth 
by 2030.  They wondered whether a more aggressi ve and less orthodox approach in the debt reduction 
programme was not required in order to free up resources needed for investment in the physical infrastructure and in social sector s so as to raise levels of produ ctivity and competitiveness in the 
country and increase its growth potential.  They al so underlined the need for the public sector to 
intervene less in production and marketing, which should be undertaken by the private sector, and to 
withdraw from loss-making State assets, as these would help to reduce costs and increase the availability of fiscal resources.  In this resp ect, they viewed very positively the sale of 
two State-owned enterprises during the current fiscal  period and the application of reforms in some WT/TPR/M/242 
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  20 enterprises.  As an essential factor in incr easing productivity and competitiveness, they emphasized 
the need not to cut back the pl ans for the diversification of en ergy sources, viewing as positive the 
authorities' decision to encourage the use of natura l gas to generate electricity and for transport, 
together with biofuels such as ethanol. 
251. The authorities were optimistic that Jamaic a's participation in the CARICOM regional 
integration and trade agreements, as well as the EPA w ith the European Union, would help to give an 
internal impetus to the reforms, raising the levels of stability and predictability needed to increase the 
private sector's confidence in the creation of bus inesses and the levels of competitiveness in the 
economy.  It would also lead to an increase in expor ts and the diversification of exportable production 
and markets.  Obtaining special and differential tr eatment in the Doha negotiations, however, would 
be an essential element if the strategy was to achie ve the expected results and the trade flow was to 
show a surplus and become a real catalyst for development. 
252. Delegations considered the progress made by the authorities in improving the investment 
climate, but underlined the need to speed up complia nce with the commitments undertaken in terms of 
reforms to be implemented in relation to fiscal re venue and costs and in improving transparency and 
efficiency in taxation operations and spending.  For example, customs charges and fees could be 
added to tariffs or converted into sales taxes.  They  also considered the effo rts made by the authorities 
to offer better services to exporting enterprises for compliance with international quality standards, 
but indicated that further action was required in th is area.  The need to adapt legislation to the 
requirements of compliance with international patent  and copyright regulations was also underlined, 
as well as stronger enforcement measures, together with  stricter scientific application of sanitary and 
phytosanitary measures so that they did not cons titute barriers to access for agricultural products.  
Emphasis was also laid on the need to stream line customs clearance procedures for goods, reducing 
the number of bodies involved and setting up an e ffective single window to facilitate and simplify 
bureaucratic formalities and make the payment of  the various charges and fees transparent. 
253. Delegations also indicated that, in order to boos t its external sectors, it was of the utmost 
importance for Jamaica to accede to the Fifth Protocol of the GATS and to the Government 
Procurement Agreement, and to implement a stra tegy to offset the export incentives foregone when 
compliance with the WTO regulations on the elim ination of export subsidies became effective 
in 2015. 
254. In general terms, delegations  congratulated the Jamaican authorities on the substantial 
progress made in recent years in boosting the country's economic development. 
UNITED STATES 
255. We take note of Jamaica's response to our ques tion regarding the government's plans to bring 
its duties into conformity with its tariff bindings.  We are pleased that Jamaica is reviewing its tariff 
lines; but, we disagree with Jamaica's statement that it  would be best to address this issue in the DDA 
process.  The issue of tariff bindings is not a DDA i ssue.  When does Jamaica plan to complete its 
review with regard to its already-agreed tariff bindings?  
256. The United States follows the recommendations of the OIE with regard to maintaining 
pseudorabies disease virus (PRV) freedom.   The co mmercial swine population of the United States 
has been free of PRV since early 2003 and has succes sfully maintained PRV freedom; we have shared 
this program information with Jamaica.  Moreove r, the OIE has determined that if appropriate 
safeguards are in place, then no trade restrictions sh ould be imposed regardless of the PRV status of 
the country or region. The United States encour ages Jamaica to recognize the OIE guidelines as 
appropriate and allow full market a ccess for all U.S. pork products.   WT/TPR/M/242 
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  257. In its response to a question by the United States regarding Jamaica's telecommunications 
Universal Service Obligations, Jama ica has stated that its current regime expires on May 31, 2011 and 
"decisions relative to the Regime will be informed  by a comprehensive review of same".  Please 
provide information on this comp rehensive review.  Has it already been initiated?  When is it 
scheduled to be completed?  And will all decisions about the Regime be made  prior to May 31, 2011?  
258. With regard to the universal service fee, Jamai ca responded that the results of the audit will be 
tabled in parliament for public reference. When  will Jamaica publish the results? Will they be 
available on the internet? 
EUROPEAN UNION 
259. The EU would like to thank the delegation of Jamaica for the hard work in replying to our 
questions, and also for the very informative statemen t this morning.  We have examined the replies, 
both here and in Brussels, and have no further questions at this stage.   WT/TPR/M/242 
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  VI. CONCLUDING REMARKS BY THE CHAIRPERSON 
260. This third Trade Policy Review of Jamaica has allowed Members to assess developments 
since 2005 and help develop a deeper understanding of  Jamaica's trade and investment regime.  The 
participation of Dr. Baugh, Deputy Prime Minister an d Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, 
Ambassador McCook and their delegation greatly cont ributed to the success of this meeting.  I am 
also grateful to our discussant, Ambassador Pi antini Munnigh of the Dominican Republic for his 
insightful observations.  
261. Members noted that despite a series of external  shocks and the burden of large public debt, 
Jamaica has persevered w ith the reform of its economy.  Members pointed out that as a small island 
economy Jamaica had not been able to improve its economic, including its export, performance 
during the review period.  Jamaica was encouraged to  continue efforts to lower trade costs, expand its 
limited export base, improve infrastructure and en ergy supply as well as enhance the competitiveness 
of its goods and services trade.  
262. Members commended Jamaica for its active pa rticipation in the WTO and acknowledged 
Jamaica's contributions to the multilateral tradi ng system through its strong commitment to a 
successful conclusion of the Doha Round negotiati ons and its initiatives to advance special and 
differential treatment for developing countries.  Memb ers noted Jamaica's participation and leadership 
in the regional Caribbean Single Market a nd Economy integration process and in CARICOM 
negotiations with other trading partners.   
263. Members highlighted the overall openness of th e Jamaican economy, witnessed by the large 
share of trade in GDP.  While it was observed that tariffs and numerous other duties and charges 
remain Jamaica's main trade policy instrument, con cerns were raised about their costs and whether 
excessive import taxation might be constraining Jamaica's competitiveness.  Members expressed concerns about the use of non-tariff charges such as customs fees and additional stamp duties on certain agricultural products.  Members also raised questions on other measures such as 
modernization of customs procedures, challeng es in meeting international quality standards, 
divestment of state-owned enterprises, SPS require ments for imports of certain agricultural products, 
and IPR legislation and enforcement, in particular in the area of patents. Members appreciated that 
Jamaica expects to eliminate its remaining export su bsidies by 2015 in line with WTO requirements.  
264. Services continues to play an increasingly importa nt role in the economy in terms of share of 
GDP and employment, and services exports help to  offset Jamaica's overall trade imbalance.  
Members expressed confidence that Jamaica could capitalize on its numerous strengths, such as its natural beauty, which remains a powerful engine fo r tourism expansion.  Jamaica was commended for 
its liberalization of financial services and telecommunications but the issue was raised of Jamaica levying a surcharge on international calls.  Members noted that Jamaica had still not ratified the Fifth 
Protocol to the GATS and encouraged it to do so.  
265. Members appreciated the replies to written qu estions provided by the Jamaica delegation and 
looked forward to further responses.   
266. In conclusion, the numerous questions a nd active discussion indicate the importance 
Members attach to this Review.  Members acknow ledged the progress made by Jamaica in reforming 
its economy, while recognizing the challenges it fa ces on account of changes affecting the world 
economy.  I encourage Jamaica to take to heart Me mbers' concerns and at the same time I invite 
Members to assist Jamaica by taking appropriate steps,  including through aid for trade, to build trade 
capacity in policy formulation and improved infrastructure, and by further opening their markets to 
Jamaica's exports. 
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