Photo caption: A container ship sits at anchor as a small motorboat passes in the foreground in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran. (AP Photo)

With the impact of Hurricane Melissa in October 2025, Jamaica’s trade figures for that year were expected to register some decline.  The total imports of goods were valued at US$7.5 billion, while exports were US$1.6 billion, a decline of 13.5 per cent from 2024. The goods trade deficit was about US$5.9 billion. In the second half of 2025, trade in services, primarily tourism, was impacted by Hurricane Melissa in October 2025, a decline in projected earnings was expected.

The challenges to improving Jamaica’s trade figures in goods and services are many and include as follows: