Summary
- Exports
- $1.2billion
- Imports
- $6.3billion
- Trade balance
- -$5.1billion
Products
What it exports
Aluminum oxide and hydroxide (33.1%) and spirits (6.2%) together make up 39.3% of its exports.
What it imports
Refined petroleum (13.2%) and cars (6.5%) together make up 19.8% of its imports.
By Harmonized System chapter (96)
| Chapter | Exports | Imports |
|---|---|---|
| 28 · Inorganic chemicals | $410 million | $95 million |
| 22 · Beverages and spirits | $188 million | $171 million |
| 20 · Preserved fruit and vegetables | $87 million | $124 million |
| 21 · Food preparations | $66 million | $151 million |
| 27 · Oil, gas and coal | $63 million | $1.4 billion |
| 26 · Ores and slag | $54 million | $85 thousand |
| 89 · Ships and boats | $49 million | $32 million |
| 19 · Baked goods and cereal products | $37 million | $124 million |
| 09 · Coffee, tea and spices | $34 million | $9 million |
| 03 · Fish and seafood | $21 million | $52 million |
| 72 · Iron and steel | $19 million | $127 million |
| 15 · Fats and oils | $15 million | $53 million |
| 25 · Salt, stone and cement | $15 million | $27 million |
| 04 · Dairy, eggs and honey | $14 million | $110 million |
| 87 · Vehicles | $13 million | $626 million |
| 02 · Meat and offal | $13 million | $108 million |
| 16 · Prepared meat and fish | $12 million | $60 million |
| 74 · Copper | $11 million | $4 million |
| 08 · Fruit and nuts | $8 million | $11 million |
| 76 · Aluminum | $7 million | $59 million |
| 07 · Vegetables | $7 million | $31 million |
| 17 · Sugar and sweets | $7 million | $74 million |
| 39 · Plastics | $7 million | $289 million |
| 84 · Mechanical machinery | $7 million | $509 million |
| 33 · Perfumes and cosmetics | $7 million | $52 million |
| 85 · Electrical and electronic equipment | $6 million | $335 million |
| 73 · Iron and steel products | $5 million | $128 million |
| 11 · Milling products and malt | $5 million | $21 million |
| 38 · Miscellaneous chemicals | $5 million | $40 million |
| 30 · Pharmaceuticals | $5 million | $84 million |
| 94 · Furniture and lighting | $4 million | $139 million |
| 71 · Gems and precious metals | $4 million | $16 million |
| 68 · Stone, plaster and cement articles | $4 million | $21 million |
| 23 · Animal feed and food waste | $3 million | $88 million |
| 48 · Paper and paperboard | $2 million | $145 million |
| 12 · Oilseeds and grains | $2 million | $6 million |
| 32 · Dyes, paints and tanning agents | $2 million | $28 million |
| 44 · Wood | $2 million | $92 million |
| 47 · Wood pulp | $1 million | $213 thousand |
| 18 · Cocoa and chocolate | $1 million | $17 million |
| 62 · Woven clothing | $1 million | $32 million |
| 34 · Soap and cleaning products | $1 million | $55 million |
| 90 · Precision and medical instruments | $1 million | $77 million |
| 70 · Glass | $1 million | $45 million |
| 40 · Rubber | $1 million | $63 million |
| 49 · Books and printed matter | $831 thousand | $23 million |
| 13 · Gums and plant extracts | $825 thousand | $737 thousand |
| 61 · Knitted clothing | $742 thousand | $40 million |
| 52 · Cotton | $713 thousand | $1 million |
| 69 · Ceramics | $477 thousand | $50 million |
| 29 · Organic chemicals | $380 thousand | $20 million |
| 95 · Toys and sports gear | $354 thousand | $22 million |
| 24 · Tobacco | $332 thousand | $11 million |
| 63 · Home textiles and used clothing | $326 thousand | $37 million |
| 58 · Special fabrics and lace | $323 thousand | $2 million |
| 97 · Art and antiques | $315 thousand | $2 million |
| 82 · Tools and cutlery | $286 thousand | $19 million |
| 78 · Lead | $278 thousand | $59 thousand |
| 06 · Live plants and flowers | $241 thousand | $2 million |
| 91 · Watches and clocks | $210 thousand | $12 million |
| 10 · Cereals | $207 thousand | $175 million |
| 83 · Miscellaneous metal goods | $170 thousand | $25 million |
| 57 · Carpets and rugs | $136 thousand | $7 million |
| 86 · Railway equipment | $121 thousand | $45 million |
| 65 · Hats | $115 thousand | $3 million |
| 36 · Explosives and matches | $113 thousand | $670 thousand |
| 96 · Other manufactured goods | $97 thousand | $15 million |
| 42 · Leather goods and bags | $88 thousand | $20 million |
| 64 · Footwear | $75 thousand | $24 million |
| 31 · Fertilizers | $72 thousand | $9 million |
| 53 · Other plant fibers | $64 thousand | $124 thousand |
| 05 · Other animal products | $54 thousand | $603 thousand |
| 67 · Feathers and artificial flowers | $15 thousand | $4 million |
| 92 · Musical instruments | $13 thousand | $804 thousand |
| 01 · Live animals | $13 thousand | $2 million |
| 56 · Felt, nonwovens and rope | $13 thousand | $6 million |
| 55 · Synthetic staple fibers | $12 thousand | $3 million |
| 37 · Photographic goods | $11 thousand | $839 thousand |
| 35 · Glues, starches and enzymes | $5 thousand | $8 million |
| 59 · Coated and technical textiles | $5 thousand | $3 million |
| 46 · Wicker and basketware | $5 thousand | $159 thousand |
| 66 · Umbrellas and canes | $3 thousand | $4 million |
| 88 · Aircraft and spacecraft | $3 thousand | $709 thousand |
| 60 · Knitted fabric | $2 thousand | $2 million |
| 54 · Synthetic filaments | $1 thousand | $5 million |
| 93 · Weapons and ammunition | $125 | $3 million |
| 51 · Wool | $67 | $22 thousand |
| 14 · Other plant products | $64 | $196 thousand |
| 81 · Other base metals | $32 | $975 thousand |
| 41 · Hides and leather | $4 | $243 thousand |
| 75 · Nickel | $0 | $622 thousand |
| 79 · Zinc | $0 | $150 thousand |
| 80 · Tin | $0 | $104 thousand |
| 43 · Fur and fur goods | $0 | $52 thousand |
| 45 · Cork | $0 | $15 thousand |
| 50 · Silk | $0 | $11 thousand |
Trading partners
The United States is its main destination (28.7% of exports) and source (39.7% of imports).
Who it sells to
| Partner | Value (USD millions) | Share | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 354 | 28.7% | Sea |
| Iceland | 149 | 12.1% | Sea |
| Netherlands | 138 | 11.2% | Sea |
| Canada | 92.9 | 7.5% | Sea |
| United Kingdom | 68.2 | 5.5% | Sea |
| Cayman Islands | 64.7 | 5.2% | Sea |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 49.1 | 4% | Sea |
| South Korea | 40.4 | 3.3% | Sea |
| Guyana | 37.6 | 3.1% | Sea |
| Barbados | 32.2 | 2.6% | Sea |
Who it buys from
| Partner | Value (USD billions) | Share | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2.5 | 39.7% | Sea |
| China | 1.1 | 17.1% | Sea |
| Japan | 0.32 | 5.1% | Sea |
| Brazil | 0.22 | 3.5% | Sea |
| Colombia | 0.21 | 3.4% | Sea |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 0.21 | 3.3% | Sea |
| Turkey | 0.12 | 1.9% | Sea |
| Dominican Republic | 0.12 | 1.9% | Sea |
| Spain | 0.1 | 1.7% | Sea |
| Guyana | 0.09 | 1.5% | Sea |
Overview 1995–2024
In 2024, Jamaica accounted for 0.01% of world exports, compared with 0.03% in 1995.
Exports and imports
Exports fell 30% since 1995
USD billions (current). Bars: trade balance (green surplus, red deficit).
- Exports 1.2
- Imports 6.3
- Balance -5.1
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Exports | Imports | Trade balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | $1.8 billion | $2.4 billion | -$606 million |
| 1996 | $2 billion | $3.2 billion | -$1.3 billion |
| 1997 | $1.9 billion | $3.4 billion | -$1.5 billion |
| 1998 | $1.8 billion | $3.4 billion | -$1.5 billion |
| 1999 | $1.7 billion | $3.1 billion | -$1.4 billion |
| 2000 | $1.7 billion | $3.4 billion | -$1.7 billion |
| 2001 | $1.6 billion | $3.7 billion | -$2.1 billion |
| 2002 | $1.5 billion | $3.9 billion | -$2.3 billion |
| 2003 | $1.6 billion | $4.1 billion | -$2.5 billion |
| 2004 | $1.7 billion | $4.3 billion | -$2.6 billion |
| 2005 | $1.9 billion | $5.2 billion | -$3.3 billion |
| 2006 | $2.5 billion | $5.8 billion | -$3.3 billion |
| 2007 | $2.8 billion | $7.1 billion | -$4.3 billion |
| 2008 | $3 billion | $8.9 billion | -$6 billion |
| 2009 | $1.6 billion | $5.3 billion | -$3.7 billion |
| 2010 | $1.5 billion | $5.5 billion | -$4 billion |
| 2011 | $1.8 billion | $6.6 billion | -$4.8 billion |
| 2012 | $1.7 billion | $6.8 billion | -$5.1 billion |
| 2013 | $1.6 billion | $6.4 billion | -$4.8 billion |
| 2014 | $1.5 billion | $5.9 billion | -$4.4 billion |
| 2015 | $1.5 billion | $5 billion | -$3.5 billion |
| 2016 | $1.3 billion | $5 billion | -$3.7 billion |
| 2017 | $1.6 billion | $6.3 billion | -$4.7 billion |
| 2018 | $2.1 billion | $6.4 billion | -$4.3 billion |
| 2019 | $1.9 billion | $6.6 billion | -$4.7 billion |
| 2020 | $1.2 billion | $5.1 billion | -$3.9 billion |
| 2021 | $1.6 billion | $6.2 billion | -$4.6 billion |
| 2022 | $1.5 billion | $8 billion | -$6.5 billion |
| 2023 | $2.3 billion | $8.1 billion | -$5.8 billion |
| 2024 | $1.2 billion | $6.3 billion | -$5.1 billion |
World rank
Jamaica fell from 93rd to 152nd among the world's exporters
Rank among 222 countries by export value (1st at the top).
- 93rd in 1995
- 152nd in 2024
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 93rd |
| 1996 | 93rd |
| 1997 | 99th |
| 1998 | 100th |
| 1999 | 104th |
| 2000 | 114th |
| 2001 | 114th |
| 2002 | 115th |
| 2003 | 118th |
| 2004 | 124th |
| 2005 | 126th |
| 2006 | 123rd |
| 2007 | 121st |
| 2008 | 122nd |
| 2009 | 138th |
| 2010 | 145th |
| 2011 | 145th |
| 2012 | 146th |
| 2013 | 149th |
| 2014 | 150th |
| 2015 | 146th |
| 2016 | 147th |
| 2017 | 146th |
| 2018 | 138th |
| 2019 | 141st |
| 2020 | 151st |
| 2021 | 154th |
| 2022 | 155th |
| 2023 | 144th |
| 2024 | 152nd |
What it sells
Its top export group is still inorganic chemicals: 33% in 2024
% of exports by Harmonized System chapter.
- Other 23%
- Baked goods and cereal products 3%
- Ships and boats 4%
- Ores and slag 4%
- Oil, gas and coal 5%
- Food preparations 5%
- Preserved fruit and vegetables 7%
- Beverages and spirits 15%
- Inorganic chemicals 33%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Chapter | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Inorganic chemicals | 32.1% | 33.2% |
| Beverages and spirits | 5.8% | 15.3% |
| Preserved fruit and vegetables | 0.4% | 7.1% |
| Food preparations | 0.44% | 5.4% |
| Oil, gas and coal | 0.78% | 5.1% |
| Ores and slag | 6.7% | 4.4% |
| Ships and boats | 0.1% | 3.9% |
| Baked goods and cereal products | 0.3% | 3% |
| Other | 53.4% | 22.7% |
Who it trades with
The United States went from 53% to 38% of Jamaica's trade
% of total trade (exports + imports) with each partner.
- United States 38%
- China 14%
- Japan 5%
- Trinidad and Tobago 3%
- Brazil 3%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Partner | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 53.4% | 37.9% |
| China | 0.62% | 14.4% |
| Japan | 3.9% | 4.5% |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 5.1% | 3.4% |
| Brazil | 1.4% | 2.9% |
Production hubs
Largest industrial emission sources (Climate TRACE, 2025)
- Bauxite Mine & Alumina Refinery
Sources and methodology
Sources and licenses
- CEPII BACI · Licence Ouverte Etalab 2.0
- Climate TRACE · CC BY 4.0 (emissions by asset; the 3 largest per country are shown)
- Kummu et al., gridded GDP · CC BY 4.0 (hubs aggregated by this site)
- Natural Earth · Public domain
Methodology
Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), in current US dollars, with exports and imports reconciled between countries. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Ranks are computed among the countries with data each year. Services are not included. Data up to 2024.