PIOJ Growth-Inducement Strategy - Planning Institute of Jamaica

Table 5.5. Inflation
2009 2010
All Divisions 10.2 11.7
Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages 8.1 12.8
Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco 23.3 14.4
Clothing & Footwear 10.6 9.0
Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels 23.0 8.4
Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance 9.8 7.0
Health 4.1 2.9
Transport 6.2 25.7
Communication 3.2 5.3
Recreation & Culture 9.6 6.9
Education 6.6 8.0
Restaurants & Accommodation Services 7.2 5.5
Miscellaneous Goods & Services 13.0 8.7
Source: Statistical Institute of Jamaica
2.3 External Trade Performance 16
Merchandise Trade
For the period January - August 2010, Jamaica recorded a merchandise trade deficit
(including single entity free zone) of US$2,452.8 million compared with US$2,301.3
million for the corresponding period of 2009. This performance is attributable to the
increase in the value of imports and fall in the value of exports for the period under
review compared with the corresponding period of 2009.
Merchandise Exports
During January - August 2010, total exports (including single entity free zones) were
valued at US$879.6 million, a reduction of US$45.9 million compared with the
corresponding period in 2009. Earnings from domestic exports were US$829.6 million, a
reduction of 5.3 per cent. Re-exports were valued at US$50.0 million.
Traditional Domestic Exports
For the January - August 2010 period, earnings from Traditional Domestic Exports
totalled US$413.5 million, declining by US$38.4 million or 8.5 per cent relative to the
corresponding period of 2009. While all groups within this category declined,
Agriculture, which earned US$19.9 million, registered the greatest loss, falling by 43.0
per cent. The decline in Agriculture receipts was due mainly to a 50.4 per cent fall in
coffee sales stemming from reduced demand by Japan, Jamaica’s primary purchaser of
coffee exports.
16 Data for this section relate to the period up to August 2010, due to the unavailability of more recent data.
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