JMEA urges importers to clear shipments at Kingston Freeport

The Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA) is supporting the call for local importers to urgently clear shipments being stored at the Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited (KFTL).

The JMEA says the situation at the port is grave and will impact local businesses as failure to clear shipments will result in continued backlogs at the port.

The association says it is cognisant of the challenges that are being encountered due to a myriad of issues including disruption to global supply chains caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to many businesses ramping up inventory.

However, it says that for normalcy to be restored and maintained at the ports, importers will have to explore other storage options for their containers and ensure that additional storage remains a consistent investment.

Importers that are facing challenges are encouraged to work together to find solutions to get their containers off the port.

“We continue to implore all importers, including our members, to do the right thing and urgently move your goods.

“The port is not a storage facility, its primary function to get goods in and out of the country is critical and should be maintained,” said a spokesperson in a media release today.

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