Certain specified items require an import license and/or permit for export to Jamaica. Some of these items include meats, fish, coconut products, edible oils, soaps, milk powder, refined sugar, plants, and parts of plants for perfume or pharmaceutical purposes, gum-resins, vegetable saps and extracts, certain chemicals, motor vehicles and parts, arms and ammunition, and certain toys, such as water pistols and gaming machines. This list is not exhaustive, and it is the responsibility of the importer to confirm if goods being imported require a permit or license. The Trade Board, the Veterinary Services Division, and the Plant Quarantine Division, all of which fall under the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, are responsible for granting licenses and permits, which must be obtained before an item can be imported and sold.
Some of the documents required for the importation of goods are: (1) a supplier invoice; (2) certificate of origin; (3) bill of lading; (4) airway bill; and (5) a declaration of value and an import license, if necessary. Certain products may also require sanitary or phytosanitary certification.
Upon arrival of goods in Jamaica, documents are to be submitted to the Customs authorities and relevant duties paid before clearance. The importer may also be required to present a tax compliance certificate and a Taxpayer Registration Number (TRN).
The Jamaican government recently launched an online resource to ease access to trade-related information called the Jamaica Trade Information Portal.