Jamaica Customs to speed up release of new motor vehicles
KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) has announced an enhancement to its Trade Facilitation Programme that will allow new motor vehicles imported by authorised new car dealers to be released immediately, effective Monday, June 22, 2026.
Previously, vehicles required mandatory verification before they could be removed from the port, but will now undergo post-clearance verification.
The JCA, in a statement on Friday, said the change followed the ongoing assessment of new motor vehicles imported by authorised new car dealers, which has been determined to be low risk.
Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Fayval Williams, said the move is part of the Government’s productivity objective, geared toward increasing efficiency.
“This initiative reflects the Government’s commitment to improving efficiency, productivity and the ease of doing business in Jamaica,” Williams said.
She said this enhanced measure will accelerate the clearance process and create a more reliable environment for legitimate businesses in the sector to operate and grow.
“This is one part of a broader public sector modernisation agenda,” she said, adding that the Government will continue to review operating procedures and services, identifying opportunities to simplify processes with the aim of increasing efficiency.
Acting CEO and the Commissioner of Customs, Kirk Benjamin, said the previous system added unnecessary time and cost to a category of imports that carried minimal risk.
“For years, new motor vehicles imported by authorised dealers had to be physically verified before they could leave the port. This change will reduce time, cost and congestion at our ports of entry,” Benjamin said.
He reiterated that the change is an expansion of its Trade Facilitation Programme rather than a one-off adjustment.
“These vehicles come from a small group of authorised dealers, in high volumes, with a high level of compliance, and they present a very low risk profile. That combination makes them an ideal fit for post-clearance verification,” Benjamin noted, adding that resources previously assigned to complete physical inspections can now be redirected elsewhere.
