The following export product groups represent the highest dollar value in Jamaican global shipments during 2016. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Jamaica.

1. Inorganic chemicals: US$517.1 million (49.2% of total exports)
2. Beverages, spirits, vinegar: $124.1 million (11.8%)
3. Ores, slag, ash: $107.5 million (10.2%)
4. Coffee, tea, spices: $44.9 million (4.3%)
5. Vegetables: $36.3 million (3.5%)
6. Miscellaneous food preparations: $27.4 million (2.6%)
7. Vegetable/fruit/nut preparations: $25.8 million (2.5%)
8. Sugar, sugar confectionery: $17.1 million (1.6%)
9. Cereal/milk preparations: $16.7 million (1.6%)
10. Fruits, nuts: $13.6 million (1.3%)

Miscellaneous food preparations was the fastest-growing among the top 10 export categories, up by 50.4% for the 7-year period starting in 2009.

In second place for improving export sales was vegetables which was up by 48.1% led by yams.

Jamaican inorganic chemicals posted the third-fastest gain in value up by 38.5%.

The leading decliners among the top 10 Jamaican export categories was sugar and sugar confectionery (down by -77.2%) and beverages, spirits and vinegar (down by -54.4%).

The following types of Jamaican product shipments represent positive net exports or a trade balance surplus. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports.

In a nutshell, net exports is the amount by which foreign spending on a home country’s goods or services exceeds or lags the home country’s spending on foreign goods or services.

1. Inorganic chemicals: US$451.1 million (Up by 64.1% since 2009)
2. Ores, slag, ash: $106.5 million (Up by 25.5%)
3. Beverages, spirits, vinegar: $50.7 million (Up by 3.8%)
4. Coffee, tea, spices: $37.8 million (Up by 11.5%)
5. Vegetables: $16.6 million (Up by 913.8%)
6. Fruits, nuts: $8.8 million (Up by 178.6%)
7. Salt, sulphur, stone, cement: $6.6 million (Down by -146.5%)
8. Aircraft, spacecraft: $1.3 million (Down by -104.1%)
9. Woodpulp: $1.3 million (Up by 231.8%)
10. Collector items, art, antiques: $312,000 (Up by 171.3%)

Jamaica has highly positive net exports in the international trade of inorganic chemicals. In turn, these cashflows indicate Jamaica’s strong competitive advantages under the inorganic chemicals category.

Overall, Jamaica incurred a -$2.6 billion trade deficit for 2016 down from -$3.7 billion during 2009.

Below are exports from Jamaica that result in negative net exports or product trade balance deficits. These negative net exports reveal product categories where foreign spending on home country Jamaica’s goods trail Jamaican importer spending on foreign products.

1. Mineral fuels including oil: -US$443.3 million (Down by -62.6% since 2009)
2. Machinery including computers: -$400.6 million (Up by 33.8%)
3. Vehicles : -$355.4 million (Up by 70.5%)
4. Electrical machinery, equipment: -$263 million (Up by 11.2%)
5. Plastics, plastic articles: -$149.7 million (Down by -0.5%)
6. Cereals: -$96.1 million (Down by -44%)
7. Articles of iron or steel: -$80 million (Down by -20.6%)
8. Paper, paper items: -$71.6 million (Down by -39.5%)
9. Optical, technical, medical apparatus: -$70.2 million (Up by 46.9%)
10. Pharmaceuticals: -$68.1 million (Down by -56.1%)

Jamaica has highly negative net exports and therefore deep international trade deficits under the mineral fuels including oil category.

Jamaican Export Companies

No Jamaican corporations rank among Forbes Global 2000 for 2016.
Wikipedia also lists exports-related companies from Jamaica. Selected examples are shown below:

• Alpart (aluminum)
• Desnoes & Geddes (brewery)
• J. Wray and Nephew Ltd (alcoholic beverages)
• Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (oil, gas)
• Port Authority of Jamaica (ports/shipping)