Motor vehicles entering the island will be required to go through pre-shipment inspection beginning next month, before they can be cleared.

Minister of Industry and Commerce Karl Samuda made the announcement of the start date at a press conference this morning (Jan 23).

Mr. Samuda says beginning the first of February, dealers will be required to have a certificate from the pre-shipment inspectors along with their import permits for their vehicles to be cleared.

The certificate will prove that the vehicle was inspected to ascertain its history, model year, road worthiness, radioactive/microbial contamination and odometer reading, among other things.

Mr. Samuda says the system is aimed at ensuring consumer protection and fair trade.

The minister says the date was selected because there have been reports of an accumulation of vehicles to be shipped to Jamaica which he suspects is in anticipation of the pre-shipment inspection.

Mr. Samuda says a company in Japan has been chosen by the government to conduct the pre-shipment inspection of vehicles.

Approximately $100 b is spent annually to import used cars into Jamaica.

The pre-shipment inspection element is already contained in the motor vehicle import policy which was adopted on April 3, 2014.