Jamaica spends five times more on imports than it earned from exports in Jan-March quarter – STATIN
KINGSTON, Jamaica—Jamaica spent five times more on imports than it earned from exports during the January to March quarter of 2026.
This is according to the latest International Trade Merchandise Bulletin issued on Wednesday by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN).
According to STATIN, Jamaica’s total spending on imports for January to March was valued at US$1,869.8 million while earnings from total exports was valued at US$376.6 million.
STATIN said the value of imports for the first quarter of 2026 decreased by 1.3 per cent compared to US$1,893.8 million recorded in the first quarter of 2025. This was driven by lower imports of consumer goods and fuels and lubricants, which fell by 2.4 per cent and 10.1 per cent, respectively.
Total exports for January to March was 22.3 per cent lower than the US$484.6 million earned in the similar 2025 review period. This was mainly driven by a 48.7 per cent fall in the value of crude materials excluding fuels.
Jamaica’s main trading partners over the three-month period were the United States of America (USA), China, Brazil, Japan and Trinidad and Tobago. Expenditure on imports of goods from these countries amounted to US$1,245.2 million representing a 6.6 per cent increase compared to US$1,168.4 million for January to March 2025.
The top five destinations for Jamaica’s exports during the period under review were the USA, the Russian Federation, the Netherlands, Canada and the United Kingdom. Export revenues from these countries declined by 14.2 per cent to US$283.2 million.
