Key points

•Importers who skip the required pre-shipment inspection will now pay a US$500 verification fee.

•The new charge applies to used vehicles imported from countries where pre-shipment inspections are mandatory.

•Pre-shipment inspection and vehicle sanitisation fees have also increased to US$187 and US$75, respectively.

IMPORTERS of used vehicles who fail to secure the required pre-shipment inspection certificate before shipping their vehicles to Jamaica will now be charged a US$500 verification fee, under revised measures announced by the Jamaica Trade Board Limited (JTBL).

The agency said the fee takes effect June 1, 2026, and will apply to vehicles imported from countries where pre-shipment inspections are mandatory, including Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Singapore and China.

According to a public notice issued by the JTBL, the verification process will be triggered whenever a vehicle arrives in Jamaica without the required inspection certificate.

The process is intended to confirm whether the vehicle has been reported stolen and to validate its ownership history.

“The verification fee applies only in cases of non-compliance with PSI requirements,” the JTBL said, adding that the charge will be payable to Auto Terminal Jamaica Limited (ATJ).

The agency warned that failure to comply with pre-shipment inspection requirements constitutes a breach of the Motor Vehicle Import Policy and urged importers to ensure all documentation is in order before vehicles are shipped.

The move comes as the JTBL also announced revisions to fees associated with the inspection regime.

Also effective June 1, the fee for a pre-shipment inspection certificate has increased to US$187 from US$175, while the vehicle sanitisation fee has been raised to US$75 from US$70.

Pre-shipment inspections are designed to verify a vehicle’s identity and condition before export and form part of Jamaica’s framework for regulating used motor vehicle imports.

The JTBL said the revised fees reflect changes to the inspection and sanitisation programme and urged importers to familiarise themselves with the updated requirements to avoid delays and additional costs.

— Karena Bennett