The Trade Board Limited (TBL), an agency of the Ministry of Industry, Investment & Commerce (MIIC), in partnership with the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA), commenced issuance of digital Certificates of Origin (CO) on Monday, August 23, 2021. Jamaica is the second Caricom country to offer this service online, with Trinidad & Tobago being the first.

The TBL is Jamaica’s designated certifying authority for products or produce which comply with the Rules of Origin of a given preferential trade scheme. The process of certifying goods for export requires an analysis of the products/produce, application for a CO and approval. A release on Monday states that the TBL will no longer accept manual applications for CO and exporters who need this service will be required to apply via the Jamaica Single Window for Trade (JSWIFT) at www.jswift.gov.jm.

The board said the digital milestone forms another part of the suite of services being offered on JSWIFT by the TBL. Acting Trade Administrator/CEO of TBL Carl Morgan, said that “90 per cent of TBL’s services are now online. This move is even more significant and impactful during the COVID-19 pandemic when movement is restricted. While the onboarding of our permit service in 2020 created a bit of stir, we have learnt several lessons from that experience and have put in place a number of strategies to mitigate any eventualities.”

Joan Butler, director – Export Certification at TBL, said a significant benefit of the CO is the ability of other regions to authenticate within a much shorter time the validity of certificates issued, thereby enabling a smooth clearance process.”

Andre Williams, chief information officer (CIO) of the JCA and Project Manager for JSWIFT, said that based on interaction with exporters, the new portal is highly welcome. It offers faster processing time and real-time access to the approved certificate. Also, the CO provides a system generated Caricom invoice.

The issuance of a CO permits the qualifying product to be granted duty concession in the form of duty-free or reduction of duty.

TBL is custodian of the following nine trade agreements:

1- Caribbean Common Market (CARICOM)

2- CARICOM/Venezuela Trade & Investment Agreement

3- CARICOM/Colombia Trade Agreement

4- CARICOM/Dominican Republic Trade Agreement

5- CARICOM/Costa Rica Trade Agreement

6- CARICOM/Cuba Trade Agreement

7- Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI)/Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA)

8- Caribbean-Canada Trade Agreement (CARIBCAN)

9 – Generalized System of Preferences (GSP).