Jamaica Customs Agency
What Exactly Do They Do?

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Jamaica Customs Agency | Shipping to Jamaica

by Venesha Johnson | Associate Writer

“Boi customs tief!” exclaims every Jamaican citizen when it’s time to collect a barrel and pick an order from overseas. We know for certain that customs regulate what we pay for taking goods onto the island, but what else do we know about them?

History of the Jamaica Customs Agency

It is difficult to pinpoint an exact start date for customs duty collection in Jamaica. However, in 1867, a detailed list of import and export duties was established. A law was passed in 1877 that provided for:

• The construction of wharves, ports, and warehouses
• Customs officers are appointed.
• Payment of benefits, bonds, and securities
• Ships and aeroplanes are registered.
• Required modes of entry for the importer and/or exporter
• Goods importation and warehousing

The Collector General's Department is the first revenue agency to be documented in history. Except for the Post Master General, it was established in 1868 with the primary responsibility of collecting revenue on all imports. It was also in charge of collecting income and property taxes, licensing fees, and other business-related taxes.

The Jamaican government established the Inland Revenue Department in 1985 to promote greater accountability and increase revenue collection. The Department was divided into two parts: Customs and Excise and Inland Revenue.

The Jamaican government, in collaboration with the World Bank, reorganized the revenue service along functional lines in October 1991. The further subdivision of the Customs and Excise Department into the Jamaica Customs Department and the General Consumption Tax (GCT) Department was one aspect of the reorganisation.

The Jamaica Customs Department was designated as an Executive Agency on March 28, 2013, and will begin full operations on April 2, 2013.

The Role of Jamaica Customs

Jamaica Customs has three distinct mandates: equitable revenue collection, border protection against illicit imports, and trade facilitation. JCA performs these duties by:

• Import customs duties, fees, and penalties must be assessed and collected.
• Interdiction and seizure of contraband, such as narcotics and illegal drugs;
• Passengers, baggage, cargo, and mail are all processed.
• Detecting and apprehending individuals engaged in fraudulent practices intended to circumvent Customs laws;
• Protecting Jamaica's industries, labour, and intellectual property rights by enforcing Jamaica's anti-illegal trade practices laws, including quota provisions; the Anti-Dumping Act; and by providing Customs Records for copyrights, patents, and trademarks.
• Enforcing import and export restrictions and prohibitions, including money laundering, to protect the general welfare and security of Jamaica.
• The Customs Act governs all customs activities. Customs enforces over 125 other legal provisions for other agencies in addition to its own.
• List of Customs Legislation and Acts.

Customs Act

• Charities Act
• Executive Agency Gazette
• Customs Regulations
• The Customs Duties (Dumping and Subsidies) Act
• The procedure of Crimes Act
• The Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Act
• Omnibus Incentive Leglislation
• The Proceeds of Crime Act
• Trademarks Act
• Executive Agencies Act
• Revenue Administration Act
• Revenue Administration Act Amendment
• Merchandise Marks Act
• Tax Administration Jamaica Act
• Fiscal Incentives (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act
• Firearms Act
• Copyright Act
• Customs (Amendment) Act
• The Proceeds of Crime Act
• The Customs Duties (Dumping and Subsidies) Act
• Executive Agency Gazette
• The Disaster Risk Management

Jamaica Customs also has quite a few divisions, each covering a myriad of issues. These are:

• Valuations
• Border Protection
• Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Programme
• International and Industry Liaison
• Returning Resident
• Customs Operations

Now, onto what we really know customs for, Trading. Customs covers:

• Import Procedure
• Export Procedure
• Stakeholders
• Integrated Tariff

Let’s take a brief look into the Import and Export Procedures.

Import Procedure - this covers the procedures for importing barrels, importing from Caricom countries, importing Personal items, and importing for Charities. It also covers what Passengers are allowed to carry into the island.

Commercial goods, Motor vehicles, Restricted Items, Prohibited Items, Duties and Taxes, Returning residents, Returning Resident Entitlements and Goods Imported for Temporary Use are all part of the Import Procedure.

Export Procedure - this simply covers the export of personal and commercial goods

Their website https://www.jacustoms.gov.jm/ provide in-depth details about all their policies, rules and regulations, divisions and so much more.

Contact Information

Customs House

• Address: Myers Wharf, Newport East, Kingston 15
• Phone: 876 922 5140-8 | 922 8770-3

Corporate Office

• Address: 2-4 King Street, Kingston
• Phone: 876 948 5151

Opening Hours

• Monday - Thursday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
• Friday: 8:00am - 4:00pm

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Return to Shipping A Barrel to Jamaica from Jamaica Customs
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References & Sources For Jamaican Customs

1. Jacustoms.gov.jm. 2022. Jamaica Customs Agency Website | Country Above Self. [online] Available at: [Accessed 26 August 2022].

Jamaica Customs | Written: August 27, 2022

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