THE Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) has cleared a pile-up of illegally imported used tyres at the island’s ports, releasing approximately 18,000 into the marketplace.

According to Orine Henry-Blair, director of the regulatory division at the BSJ, at the end of the last quarter in 2009, there was a large build-up of used tyres at the customs department, leading to congestion.

Used tyres are not allowed into the island.

Henry-Blair said that a protocol was put in place based on collaboration with Trinidad and other islands in the region, which accepted used tyres.

“…We collaborated with them and benchmarked what they did and tailored it to fit our situation. So we put a protocol in place to inspect the used tyres coming in,” said Henry-Blair.

The BSJ executive was speaking at this week’s Monday Exchange meeting held at the Observer’s Beechwood Avenue head office in Kingston.

“We had a six-week period to clear the ports, we still have a few shipments coming in at this point in time,” said the BSJ regulatory division director.

She said, among other things, checks on the tyres are being made for thread depth, age, carcass, and dry rotting. To date, she said, the BSJ has inspected 20,801 tyres, accepted 17,959 and rejected 2,842.

Noel Osbourne, BSJ executive director, made it clear that used tyres are not

usually permitted to enter Jamaica, except in special cases.

“In the past, we have managed to facilitate returning residents, for example, on their own vehicle but we have never been allowing used tyres into the country for commercial purposes,” said Osborne.

He said, however, that there is now an influx of used tyres imported by enterprising businessmen, suspected to be dealers in used parts.

“Used parts dealers will go to Japan and buy a Toyota, say 2003 or 2004, which can’t be imported into Jamaica now (because of age) but those cars are in Jamaica,” said Osborne.

He explained that the dealers would then strip the car at their expense and decide what part will be shipped to Jamaica.

“But this car also has wheels and tyres on it,” said Osbourne.

“So why not put it in the container with the other parts and ship it to Jamaica?” he remarked.

Osborne said a technical committee of the BSJ is currently working to draft new regulations to deal with tyres.

“Right now, we are trying to minimise the amount that comes into the country and we are working on new regulations to control it,” he said.