Nedd advice on sending & picking up barrels

I would like to get some definitive information (haha - as you see I have a sense of humor) on the process of not only sending to, which is probably the easy part, but also of retrieving a barrel of goods from Montego Bay. I have a TRN but am not a resident. What is the best way? Would I do better to address the barrel to a JA national with a TRN? How difficult and/or expensive is it? I spend time in Ja, I have someplace to stay where I leave things behind for my use as well as for the household and would like to find a way to get some bulkier items down there or at least limit the need to lug around a big extra suitcase when I travel.

there has been a recent post in the last month or so on this process with tips on costs, time frames, etc .......... it was the best I have seen on this subject .......... maybe do a search on the topic

Thanks but I looked & did not find. Do you remember the particulars or who wrote it ?

http://negril.com/forum/showthread.p...tems-to-Negril

I am the author of the post above, re shipping barrels to Jamaica. Feel free to PM me or ask public questions so others can become more informed.

I hope you will keep it public ... I would love to see the discussion as well.

Tom - may I be so bold to ask ... do you have the permanent residency? I read your last post, and looked at it again recently regarding you carrying in your TV.

I bought one last fall - only a 20" ... I was all packed up with 5 checked cases so there was no space to pack or check it then. When I got home in December, my son had pitched the box. For my flight next week, I could not fit it into a normal size carry on, so I am attempting to bring it in a 'slightly larger size' carry on case.

my question is ... how do you approach the $500.00 entry allowance? As a returning non-Jamaican resident? with proof of your land ownership, home building? with a TRN or Jamaican Drivers License? or as a long term visitor / building a home?

I am not married (and I am not paying the fees for permanent residency) - our land is paid for, but the title & deed are not issued to us yet - (convoluted details). Our home is nearly finished being built - I have a TRN and Jamaican Drivers License.

Customs can be so random - I have had to pay duty on the craziest items; and when I arrived in September with my mountain of overweight cases and explained the circumstances surrounding my long time stay - they waved me thru and did not even have me open a case. I pray for the same thing this time!

but - I would LOVE to figure out the barrel shipping thing from here in Minneapolis.

Laurel,

I am not a JA citizen either. I believe I qualified for the $500 exemption as I checked the box indicating I had unaccompanied baggage, re the barrels. I showed the airport customs officer my bill of lading for the barrels.

OK ... now that is clear to me - I remember that.

Mine is a computer monitor/TV combo ... and my computer is just a teeny tiny mini dell - hard to see the screen ~ yada yada - I hope they will not make an issue out of it.

Thanks so much for your helpful information regarding shipping!!

I am not sure what works with regards to the $500 exemption - if you did not have unaccompanied luggage, how would that have changed things? I thought that the exemption was for residents & citizens, or am I mistaken? I am not prepared to take up residency just yet but I would love to be able to send down at least one or two barrel per year of misc. items to make life a bit more convenient - especially power tools, clothing, certain food items, etc. I know many things can be purchased on the island but between the cost AND the inconvenience of getting around to shop, sometimes it is just easier and more cost effective to bring certain things down with me.

With regards to the value assigned to your goods, how did you handle that? It seems that the value assigned was much less than what you actually spent. Is there any way of knowing in advance what the duty fees are likely to be?

Did you have to deal with customs directly or did the agent handle all of that? What was the process at the wharf like? I think I would have needed something a little stronger than a Red Stripe after all was said & done. :)

I have a TRN - would I do better to ship to myself or to a JA national? Would it behoove me to get a Jamaican driver's license as well?

Thanks for sharing. I wish you all the best with the completion of your home.

You've got different things going on. The exemption is described at http://www.jacustoms.gov.jm/home_tem...ors&group_id=1 but I'll paste it here:

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The Customs Tariff allows for each passenger to receive duty concessions in respect of the following:

• Instruments and tools to be used for the purpose of their profession, trade, occupation or employment, provided that the items have been in the passengers’ possession and bonafide use for a reasonable period;
• Tobacco and some potable articles including wines and spirits in the baggage or on the person which they might reasonably be expected to carry with them for personal use, in such quantities as the Commissioner may from time to time approve;
• Used household effects which have been in the passenger’s use for a reasonable period of time and are not imported for sale;
• A passenger who is eighteen (18) years or older and who is the holder of a Jamaican passport or is ordinarily resident in Jamaica is entitled to additional duty concession in respect of other personal or household effects not specified in (1), (2) or (3) above which the proper officer is satisfied are not imported for sale or commercial exchange and do not exceed US$500 in total value. This concession will not be granted to a person who has been permitted duty free importation under this section within the six-month period immediately preceding the date of return to Jamaica.

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So there is no exemption for anything intended for sale or commercial exchange. In general, gifts are treated as commercial exchange (otherwise everything would be "I give you a gift of a TV set, and surprise! you give me a gift of cash!").

Once you're speaking with an actual customs agent, she needs to make a determination as to whether the items are your household effects that you've owned for a reasonable period of time. Someone might get lucky with a "new in box" monitor, but clearly that can't be relied on. Whether it arrived as your luggage on a plane or in a barrel of stuff you shipped commercially doesn't matter to customs.

The customs laws are so complex that the determination of an inspector on a given day will vary. This is true at all borders; I used to regularly carry merchandise across the US/Canada border (both ways) and had a variety of experiences, including once being completely turned back and then going to a different border crossing where the result was better.

Courtesy to customs officials always goes a long way. I'm often astounded to watch tourist getting into it with the officials insisting that, for one example, their travel agent told them that something was OK so the customs official had to accept that.

gotta be as polite to them guys/gals..................... respect 'em like the "Pope"......and chances are they will do the same back......we always
found that the older gals were usually the best to deal with,,,,the worst was the young gals who have just started...lol

To answer your questions below:

I know other non resident, non citizens who have brought TV's down and not paid duty on them. I don't have a code section to refer you to to confirm this, but it applied to me and I paid no duty on my carried on TV in its original box. The values assigned to my goods were done by the customs officer. I've had people say that most barrels are valued at an amount that will create $5,000J of duties unless they are clearly more valuable items in your barrel.

You have to deal with customs directly at the Wharf. I've been told that you can use a customs broker to handle that for you, but I have no first hand knowledge of the cost of their services. I beleieve they are set up for commercial activities, not personal stuff.

I highly recommend that you use a qualified Jamaican resident to clear the items for you. In my case, we labelled the barrels with my name and/or my Jamaican friends name. Make sure your name is the exact same as on your passport/TRN. Do not use nicknames. I had to pay $600J to have my documents amended for Tom vs Thomas.

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Originally Posted by SweetSue

I am not sure what works with regards to the $500 exemption - if you did not have unaccompanied luggage, how would that have changed things? With regards to the value assigned to your goods, how did you handle that? It seems that the value assigned was much less than what you actually spent. Is there any way of knowing in advance what the duty fees are likely to be?

Did you have to deal with customs directly or did the agent handle all of that? What was the process at the wharf like? I think I would have needed something a little stronger than a Red Stripe after all was said & done. :)

I have a TRN - would I do better to ship to myself or to a JA national? Would it behoove me to get a Jamaican driver's license as well?

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Absolutely - always polite to the nice people at Customs. With one exception, I really have not had any hassle coming in with my baggage and even then I was not charged anything. I am honest. Any gifts I bring are generally of a personal nature and could not be misconstrued as a commercial exchange. Any household items I bring are for my own use. Granted they will continue to be used after my departure but it is not an untruth.

I would just like to investigate the process of sending a barrel so as to save myself the hassle of an extra bag - or free up space for some special item I would prefer to carry down. If that can be done without excessive cost, then I would be most happy.

@ TOM: Sorry to sound obtuse - what do you mean by "qualified" Jamaican resident?
:confused:

Does anyone know of a shipping company out of Canada? I would like to ship at least one barrel from Ottawa. Any information is much appreciated. Tom, when are you back in Negril so we can link up and I can question you on all this lol?

Someone with a valid TRN, transportation to pick up the barrel, and, most importantly, has cleared items before and knows all the in and outs/do's and dont's

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Originally Posted by SweetSue

@ TOM: Sorry to sound obtuse - what do you mean by "qualified" Jamaican resident?
:confused:

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I'll be back in Negril 4/16, hopefully for good this time. That depends on the sale of my house here in the US. But my house in JA will be done by 4/16 so I'll have my own place to live then. No more hotels/condos, etc. Yea!

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Originally Posted by Gabrielle

Tom, when are you back in Negril so we can link up and I can question you on all this lol?

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I will still be here Tom so we should link up then.....

good luck with the house sale