The Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA) has welcomed the decision by the Government to remove the Customs Administrative Fee (CAF) for exports with a value less than or equal to US$$500.

This move will make a significant difference for members of the micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) community, which accounts for 74 per cent of the JMEA membership.

MSMEs will now be encouraged to export more and capitalise on opportunities previously missed due to the prohibitive cost, which rendered their offering uncompetitive.

Since the pandemic, the significance of e-commerce has become a major vehicle for MSMEs to market their products and reach potential end users, irrespective of geographical boundaries. This move by the Government will encourage more businesses to embrace digitisation to drive productivity and business expansion.

Baughaus Design Studio, a member of the JMEA and a lead MSME voice on the issue, commented that the move “will certainly encourage more sales and a greater push to increase our online marketing efforts without fear that we operate and service our overseas customers at a loss, using the current logistics systems available to MSMEs”.

Other members within the apparel, cosmetics, and personal-care subsectors, have also expressed great joy at the announcement, describing it as “a brand-new survival platform” that will help them to expand and seek new opportunities.

The JMEA is encouraging businesses to start the preparation to shift from pandemic survival to recovery, and to maximise all the available incentives to ensure Jamaica has a robust, sharp and inclusive recovery.