The People’s National Party is calling on the Government to respond with seriousness and urgency to the latest trade figures released by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN), which confirm that Jamaica’s chronic trade imbalance continues to widen under this Administration’s watch.

STATIN’s data shows that between January and April this year, Jamaica spent US$2.5 billion on imports while earning only US$547.4 million from exports — a ratio of roughly US$4.50 spent on imports for every US$1 earned in exports. Import spending rose on higher costs for raw materials, intermediate goods, and capital equipment, while export earnings fell 10.6 per cent compared to the same period last year, driven in large part by a sharp 41.2 per cent decline in crude materials exports.

Opposition spokesman on Industry, Trade & Global Logistics,  Anthony Hylton, expressed, “This is not a new problem, and the PNP has repeatedly raised concerns about the Government’s failure to build a resilient, diversified export sector capable of reducing Jamaica’s dependence on imported goods. Today’s figures are further evidence that these warnings were not exaggerated.”

As a result of these latest figures the PNP is calling on the Government to:

– Table a comprehensive, costed strategy to diversify Jamaica’s export base beyond raw and crude materials, with clear targets and timelines.

– Explain what concrete steps are being taken to address the decline in export earnings, sector by sector.

– Provide full transparency on how the widening trade gap is affecting the Jamaican dollar, the cost of living, and the country’s foreign exchange reserves.

– Engage meaningfully with exporters, manufacturers, and the private sector to identify and remove barriers to competitiveness.

– Commit to regular, transparent public reporting on trade performance, rather than allowing these trends to be addressed only when the data becomes politically inconvenient.

Mr. Hylton said, “Jamaicans deserve a Government that treats the country’s trade imbalance as the structural economic challenge it is — not as a talking point to be managed until the next news cycle passes.” 

He expressed that the PNP stands ready to engage constructively on solutions, but the Administration must first acknowledge the scale of the problem and present a credible plan to address it.