KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica’s ports and cargo warehouses remain under heavy strain, weeks after the traditional holiday rush, as uncollected goods continue to clog storage facilities and slow operations across the maritime sector.

In a release on Friday, The Shipping Association of Jamaica, along with other industry stakeholders, called on importers and cargo owners to urgently clear goods that have already been stripped from containers. Officials warn that the failure to collect these items is exacerbating congestion at ports and warehouses islandwide.

“The longer stripped cargo remains uncollected, the bigger the problem becomes,” said Corah Ann Robertson-Sylvester, president of the Shipping Association of Jamaica. “All institutions within the maritime sector, including government agencies, are working together to resolve this issue. Some businesses have even extended their operating hours to facilitate faster clearance, but we need cargo owners to come forward and collect their goods.”

The congestion was intensified in October following Hurricane Melissa, which disrupted operations across western Jamaica and delayed the collection of cargo already landed at ports. This disruption coincided with a surge in relief supplies from the diaspora and international donors, as well as peak holiday imports, resulting in an unprecedented volume of shipments.

As a contingency measure, some cargo was diverted from Montego Bay to Kingston. However, terminals in the capital are still operating above their normal capacity, according to industry stakeholders.

Delays have also been attributed to expired Unaccompanied Baggage Allowance (UBA), commonly known as “yellow form”, documents. These have affected the clearance of personal and relief shipments. Importers, family members, brokers and registered charitable organisations are being encouraged to regularise the necessary documentation and collect these shipments promptly to free up warehouse space and allow additional cargo to be processed.

Beyond easing congestion, the timely clearance of goods is seen as critical to reducing demurrage and storage charges for businesses, maintaining supply chains for Jamaica’s tourism and retail sectors, and preventing increased costs from being passed on to consumers.

Members of the public with cargo ready for collection are being urged to contact their shipping agents, brokers or the relevant warehouse authorities as soon as possible to arrange clearance.