KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Trade Board Limited (TBL), an agency of the Ministry of Industry, Investment & Commerce (MIIC), recently hosted an Import Policies and Procedures Webinar to explain the application processes and documents required for motor vehicle import permits, as well as licences for car dealerships.

The webinar was held against the background of The TBL rejecting 779 permit applications and querying 869 applications due to inconsistencies in relation to the Motor Vehicle Import Policy, since January 2023.

The agency’s efforts are intended to help facilitate importers to manoeuvre cross-border trade. Two hundred people participated in the event which was jointly staged with the Jamaica Customs Agency.

“This webinar provides focus on the regulatory framework and processes which guide motor vehicle import permit and licence applications but also provides an adequate overview of all major categories of imports to the island, ” said Trade Administrator and Chief Executive Officer of The TBL, Dr Hugh Blake.

Dr Blake said that custom brokers and importers would have benefited significantly from the session, noting that, “the key to diminishing the issues with imports, such as delayed clearance of goods and high costs, is a keen understanding and observance of the existing procedures.”

An important element of the webinar focused on the process for introducing new makes and models of motor vehicles in Jamaica.

Manager of Certification and Enforcement, Cheryl-Ann Powell said an importer or certified car dealership should submit a written application to the Trade Board Limited and a manual detailing the specifics of each make and model.

“Additionally, the certified car dealer should import a demonstration unit of each model to be inspected and tested by the Island Traffic Authority (ITA). Thereafter, the ITA will submit a written report to the Trade Board Limited detailing the suitability of the unit for importation,” she said

Meanwhile, Althea Matthews, director of Licensing, Enforcement and Certification Unit at The TBL encouraged importers to ascertain accurate information on the import processes.

She warned that “there are dangers to receiving second-hand information such as increased frustrations in navigating the systems and procedures of importation and possible breaches which would attract fines. Do not hesitate to contact The TBL for guidance because we are here to help.”

The Trade Board has indicated that the ongoing refinement of the import regulations and processes that leads to greater efficiency and service delivery will benefit from the discussions in the recent webinar.

Participants also benefited from a presentation on the Jamaica Single Window for Trade (JSWIFT) by the training, and implementation support specialist at the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA), Nickeisha Drummond, as well as on the Jamaica Trade Information Portal (JTIP) by Sharisa Buckle, manager of research, marketing and client relations.

Drummond explored the role and function of JSWIFT in enhancing cross-border trade as well as the various services and process types available in JSWIFT for TBL customers, and Buckle explored the usefulness of the JTIP in assisting importers and exporters with invaluable trade-related information.

This, Buckle said, included insights on laws, procedures, measures, commodities and forms that are key to facilitating trade in Jamaica.

The Import Policies and Procedures Webinar is one of several stakeholder engagements that have been planned by the Trade Board Limited for 2023, to provide information to importers to tackle trade obstacles and encourage compliance with trade policies and procedures.

This forms part of the agency’s strategy to assist in closing the knowledge gap which ultimately contributes to customers’ dissatisfaction.