Report by the WTO Secretariat

This is Jamaica’s fourth Trade Policy Review. During the review period 2011-17, Jamaica has made major strides in restoring macroeconomic stability, pursuing prudent fiscal policy, reducing public debt and undertaking significant changes to its tax policy. Moreover, the financial system has become more resilient to shocks, inflation is at historic lows, the current account deficit has more than halved, net international reserves have doubled and business confidence is high. Nonetheless, economic growth remains elusive with an average real GDP growth rate below 1% since 2011. As a result, one fifth of the population still lives below the poverty line.