Importers urged to clear backlog at ports, cargo warehouses
/ Our Today
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Jamaica’s ports and cargo warehouses continue to face significant congestion, weeks after the traditional holiday rush.
To this end, the Shipping Association of Jamaica and key stakeholders are urging importers and cargo owners to take immediate action by clearing goods that have already been stripped from containers, warning that uncollected cargo is worsening the backlog and slowing operations across the maritime sector.
“The longer stripped cargo remains uncollected, the bigger the problem becomes,” said Corah Ann Robertson-Sylvester, President of the Shipping Association of Jamaica. “All institutions within the maritime sector, including government agencies, are working together to resolve this issue. Some businesses have even extended their operating hours to facilitate faster clearance, but we need cargo owners to come forward and collect their goods.”
The backlog was compounded in October following Hurricane Melissa, which disrupted operations across western Jamaica, delaying the collection of cargo already landed at ports.
The surge of relief supplies from the diaspora and international donors, combined with peak holiday imports, created an unprecedented volume of shipments. While some cargo was diverted from Montego Bay to Kingston as a contingency, terminals in the capital continue to operate at levels above their normal capacity. Industry stakeholders also note that expired Unaccompanied Baggage Allowance (UBA), or “yellow form”, documents have contributed to delays in clearing personal and relief shipments.
Importers, family members, brokers, and registered charitable organisations are encouraged to take the necessary steps to regularise and collect these shipments to free up warehouse space and allow additional cargo to be processed.
Beyond easing congestion, prompt clearance of cargo is critical to reducing demurrage and storage charges for businesses, maintaining supply chains for Jamaica’s tourism and retail sectors, and keeping costs from being passed on to consumers.
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