The Shipping Association of Jamaica, SAJ and key stakeholders are urging importers and cargo owners to take immediate action by clearing goods that have already been stripped from containers.

In a statement, the SAJ says Jamaica’s ports and cargo warehouses continue to face significant congestion, weeks after the traditional holiday rush. 

The association notes that the backlog was compounded in October following Hurricane Melissa, which disrupted operations across western Jamaica, delaying the collection of cargo already landed at ports.

It says the surge of relief supplies from the diaspora and international donors, combined with peak holiday imports, created an unprecedented volume of shipments. 

SAJ says while some cargo was diverted from Montego Bay to Kingston as a contingency, terminals in the capital continue to operate at levels above their normal capacity.

President of the Association, Corah Ann Robertson-Sylvester is warning that uncollected cargo is slowing operations across the maritime sector.