That calculated dollar amount reflects a -22.6% reduction from $1.48 billion five years earlier in 2021.
Year over year, revenues from Jamaican export sales plunged by -39.9% compared to $1.91 billion for 2024.
Based on average exchange rates, the Jamaican dollar appreciated by 1.7% against the US dollar from 2024 to 2025. Jamaica’s stronger local currency made Jamaican exports paid for in weaker US dollars relatively more expensive for international buyers starting with American currency.
The top 5 goods by value exported from Jamaica in 2025 were aluminum oxides or hydroxides, aluminum ores and concentrates, alcoholic beverages including spirits and liqueurs, a subgroup of yams, sweet potatoes and artichokes, then sauces, mixed condiments and seasonings.
Combined, Jamaica’s quintet of most valuable exported products exceeded three-fifths (61%) of the Caribbean island’s overall export tally.
Jamaica’s Major Trading Partners
The latest available country-specific data shows that 88.8% of products exported from Jamaica was bought by importers in: United States of America (40.7% of the Jamaican total), Russia (12.4%), Netherlands (10.1%), Canada (7.1%), Iceland (6.6%), United Kingdom (3.5%), Trinidad and Tobago (1.92%), Cayman Islands (1.89%), Latvia (1.3%), Barbados (1.2%), Guyana (1.1%) and India (0.9%).
From a continental perspective, 47.9% of Jamaica’s exports by value was delivered to buyers in North American countries while 35.2% was sold to importers in Europe.
Jamaica shipped another 12.5% worth of goods to customers in Latin America excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean.
Smaller percentages went to buyers in Asia (2.6%), Africa (1.5%), and Oceania’s (0.2%) New Zealand and Australia.
Given Jamaica’s population of 2.8 million people, its total US$1.15 billion in 2025 exports translates to roughly $415 for every resident in the West Indian Island. That dollar amount lags the average $420 per capita one year earlier during 2024.
Jamaica’s Top 10 Exports
The following export product groups at the 2-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level represent the highest dollar value in Jamaican global shipments during 2025. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Jamaica.
- Inorganic chemicals: US$449.5 million (39.2% of total exports)
- Beverages, spirits, vinegar: $175.6 million (15.3%)
- Ores, slag, ash: $86 million (7.5%)
- Miscellaneous food preparations: $68.4 million (6%)
- Vegetables: $46.1 million (4%)
- Cereal/milk preparations: $33.4 million (2.9%)
- Vegetable/fruit/nut preparations: $30.6 million (2.7%)
- Coffee, tea, spices: $30.1 million (2.6%)
- Ships, boats: $25.9 million (2.3%)
- Mineral fuels including oil: $25.1 million (2.2%)
Jamaica’s top 10 export categories accounted for 84.7% of the overall value of its global shipments.
Ships and boats represent the fastest grower among the top 10 export categories, up by 176.5% from 2024 to 2025.
In second place for improving export sales was the ores, slag and ash grouping via a 53.8% advance led by aluminum ores and concentrates.
Jamaica’s shipments of miscellaneous food preparations posted the third-fastest gain in value, up by 28%.
The leading decliner among Jamaica’s top 10 export categories was mineral fuels including oil, thanks to a -94.9% year-over-year drop.
At the more granular four-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level, Jamaica’s most valuable exported products were aluminum oxides or hydroxides (39.1% of the Jamaican total), aluminum ores and concentrates (7.5%), alcoholic beverages including spirits and liqueurs (6.8%), a subgroup of yams, sweet potatoes and artichokes (3.9%), sauces, mixed condiments and seasonings (3.8%), bread, biscuits, cakes and pastries (2.7%), malt beer (also 2.7%), miscellaneous fermented beverages (2.4%), yachts and other pleasure or sports boats (2.2%), then non-alcoholic drinks (2.1%) excluding water, juices and milk.
Products Generating Jamaica’s Largest Trade Surpluses
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 represent 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.
- Inorganic chemicals: US$355.7 million (Down by -50.8% since 2024)
- Ores, slag, ash: $85.9 million (Up by 53.8%)
- Coffee, tea, spices: $18.4 million (Up by 21.5%)
- Vegetables: $10.4 million (Down by -30.4%)
- Copper: $6.1 million (Reversing a -$1.8 million deficit)
- Woodpulp: $1.3 million (Up by 119.1%)
- Gums, resins, other vegetable saps: $55,000 (Reversing a -$734,000 deficit)
Jamaica generated highly positive net exports in the international trade of aluminum oxides and hydroxides. In turn, these cashflows indicate Jamaica’s strong competitive advantages under the inorganic chemicals product category.
Products Generating Jamaica’s Worst Trade Deficits
Jamaica incurred an overall -US$5.7 billion trade deficit for 2025, expanding by 5.2% from the -$5.4 billion in red ink one year earlier in 2024.
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.
- Mineral fuels including oil: -US$1.1 billion (Down by -22% since 2024)
- Vehicles: -$686 million (Up by 6.6%)
- Machinery including computers: -$578.7 million (Up by 2.5%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: -$407.5 million (Up by 11.2%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: -$296.6 million (Up by 13.5%)
- Cereals: -$157.8 million (Down by -22.2%)
- Pharmaceuticals: -$157.1 million (Down by -20.4%)
- Furniture, bedding, lighting, signs, prefab buildings: -$149.9 million (Up by 14.7%)
- Articles of iron or steel: -$138 million (Up by 7.2%)
- Paper, paper items: -$128.8 million (Down by -4.4%)
Jamaica incurred highly negative net exports and therefore deep international trade deficits under the mineral fuels including oil category. Historically, deficits were for both refined and crude petroleum oils and petroleum gases.
Jamaican Export Companies
No Jamaican-based corporation ranks among the Forbes Global 2000.
Wikipedia does list 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)
In macroeconomic terms, Jamaica’s total exported goods represent 3.3% of its overall Gross Domestic Product for 2025 ($34.7 billion valued in Purchasing Power Parity US dollars). That 3.3% for exports to overall GDP in PPP for 2024 compares to 3.5% for 2024. Those percentages suggest a relatively decreasing reliance on products sold on international markets for Jamaica’s total economic performance, albeit based on a relatively short timeframe.
Another key indicator of a country’s economic performance is its unemployment rate. Jamaica’s jobless rate was 3.3% at the end of 2025, down from 3.5% one year earlier according to Trading Economics metrics.
Jamaica’s capital city is Kingston.
See also Bermuda’s Top 10 Exports, Cuba’s Top 10 Exports, Dominican Republic’s Top 10 Exports, Wine Exports by Country and Beer Exports by Country
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Country Profiles. Accessed on May 19, 2026
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on May 19, 2026
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on May 19, 2026
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on May 19, 2026
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on May 19, 2026
The World Bank, Official Exchange Rate (LCU per US$, period average) – Jamaica. Accessed on May 19, 2026
Wikipedia, Gross domestic product. Accessed on May 19, 2026
Wikipedia, Jamaica. Accessed on May 19, 2026
Wikipedia, List of Companies of Jamaica. Accessed on May 19, 2026
Wikipedia, Purchasing power parity. Accessed on May 19, 2026