Jamaica’s latest trade figures present a familiar and uncomfortable picture. Imports are rising faster than exports, and the country’s visible trade deficit continues to widen. Yet within the data lies a clear bright spot. Exports to the Caribbean Community (Caricom) have surged, making the region Jamaica’s fastest-growing export market at a time when shipments elsewhere are stagnating or falling.

For the first nine months of 2025, Jamaica’s exports to Caricom climbed 33 per cent to US$142.3 million, even as total exports declined by 2 per cent overall. By contrast, exports to the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) bloc fell by 3.8 per cent, while shipments to the European Union (EU) rose by a more modest 11 per cent.