Customs plugs hole in used-tyre trade

WITH THE ban on the importation of used tyres being strictly enforced, Commissioner of Customs Danville Walker is moving to plug a loophole used by some persons to take the tyres into Jamaica.

"People have been bringing in used tyres on the guise that they are casings for local tyre retreaders," Walker told The Sunday Gleaner.

"But I have met with the retreading people who tell me that they don't buy used tyres from third parties," Walker added.

He noted that there is no entity in Jamaica which retreads car tyres.

"The only retreading we do local is for trucks and buses and other heavy-duty vehicles," Walker said.

According to Walker, he has a recent letter from Industry and Commerce Minister Karl Samuda underlining that the ban on used tyres remains in place.

"So I have passed it to all the customs officers to remind them that the used tyres should not be allowed even when persons claim that they are casings for retreading," Walker declared.

The importation of used tyres has been on the front burner since last month when news emerged that Samuda was on the verge of licensing importers as a first step towards lifting the ban imposed last year.

Samuda has since declared that the ban remains in place and no decision will be made on its lifting until the Bureau of Standards complete the development of new policy standards.

The bureau has said the standards should be ready by the end of this month.

In the meantime, one local importer of used tyres has challenged claims that they pose a threat to motorists.

Michael Powell, head of the little known Jamaica Used Tyres Association, says the tyres imported and sold locally meet international safety standards and there is no justification for the ban.

"Our tyres are just as safe as any tyre on the market. There is no empirical evidence or data to suggest otherwise and to place restrictions on their importation is disingenuous to say the least," Powell argued while ignoring international studies which have pointed to the dangers of used tyres.

Powell noted that the price of used tyres make them a bargain for under-pressure Jamaicans.

"To ban the importation of the tyres shows scant disregard for consumers who are already overburdened by the present financial crisis," Powell said.