History Of The Jamaica Manufacturing Sector

Though a few industries were in existence before 1939, war-time shortages of manufactured goods showed the need to establish new ones. The Jamaican government, following the lead given by Puerto Rico, therefore encouraged and protected many new industries, and Jamaica now has the widest range of manufactured products in the Commonwealth Caribbean. Most of the factories are in Kingston, where a large industrial estate has been developed on the waterfront, but some have been set up outside the capital to provide much- needed employment in the smaller towns and reduce the movement of people to Kingston.

Those industries concerned with the processing of local agricultural products employ most labor. These include sugar and its by-products, confectionery, tobacco, soap and edible oils, rice, leather, and canned goods. Other foodstuffs notably flour, bread, biscuits and bottled beverages rely mainly on imported raw materials. Some of the cloth and most of the clothes, boots and shoes sold in the island are made locally.

Straw goods and embroidered linens are popular with tourists. Some building materials, including cement, concrete pipes, bricks, building blocks, tiles and gypsum products, and are made from local raw materials. The importance of the cement industry is shown by the fact that in 196029 % of all Jamaican dwellings were made of concrete, as against only 4% in 1943. Other manufactures, such as metal products, industrial chemicals, paint, pharmaceuticals, gramophone records, plastic goods, paper bags and cardboard cartons, tin cans, tires, razor blades and electrical equipment are made from imported materials. In addition, there are some factories that make clothes, undergarments, buttons, footwear, sports equipment and other goods primarily or solely for export.

An oil refinery built on the industrial estate converts crude petroleum obtained from Venezuela into gasoline and other products. These are mainly for local use, though some are exported to some Caribbean and Central American countries. Electricity for domestic, commercial, industrial and agricultural purposes is generated in diesel-powered stations, and in small hydro-electric stations on the White River, at Maggotty on the Black River, and elsewhere.

In Jamaica, as in other West Indian territories, the main purpose of industry has been to create new jobs and reduce imports, not to develop a large export business. The Jamaican economy therefore differs from that of a country like Hong Kong which exports light manufactured goods to all parts of the world, including Jamaica itself. It differs also from that of Puerto Rico where direct access to the American market has enabled manufacturing to grow much more rapidly. Some increase in exports has taken place since the formation of the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) in 1968. This has benefited the Jamaican economy, but it has also created a feeling of dissatisfaction in the smaller islands.