Scores of Companies Benefit from JAMPRO’s Export Max Programme

To date, Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) has supported 135 companies under its Export Max Programme.

Launched in 2011, the Export Max Programme is implemented by JAMPRO, in partnership with the JBDC and the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA).

Vice President of Exports, Sonja Linton, told JIS News that the aim of the programme is to develop companies holistically to increase exports.

“So, the programme looks at capacity-building, mentorship and, of course, it looks at export market growth and penetration,” Ms. Linton said.

The programme is also supported by sponsors, including National Export-Import Bank of Jamaica (EXIM Bank), Bureau of Standards Jamaica, HEART/NSTA Trust, Carbyne Capital Investments Limited and Bank of Nova Scotia.

The main objective of Export Max is to increase Jamaica’s export earnings.

“A company coming into the programme, you’re going to benefit from capacity-building… we are going to strengthen you. The programme is set up in a kind of tripartite approach to it, where we do capacity building in terms of trainings and workshops. So, for this present cohort [Export Max IV], we’ve had, to date, around about six training courses,” Ms. Linton said.

“These training courses, we’ve focused on export logistics, digital transformation, we’ve helped with pricing strategies; we have a course dealing with certificates of origin because that was such a pain point for a lot of new and smaller, even some of the larger export customers. We’ve had also sessions helping persons understand trade agreements and how to leverage these trade agreements,” she noted.

Companies have also benefited from courses focusing on developing a go-to-market access plan.

Another objective of the programme is market penetration and market access.

Ms. Linton told JIS News that participating companies are taken on trade missions to markets, such as the United States (USA).

“The USA is our biggest export market. We’ve taken people into Atlanta, [and] we’ve taken cohort members to trade shows in Canada. We’ve exposed persons to Panama as a new market for some. Even through the JMEA Expo 2025, we had a number of our participants showcasing their goods and their services there and that, of course…I think we had buyers from over 25 countries who were there,” she said.

Another benefit of the programme is the provision of mentorship to participating businesses, which are paired with the 37 mentors assisting the programme now.

Ms. Linton explained that these mentors are helping companies to craft strategies, whether it be strategies for operation, sales, or for human resource.

“They are looking at their companies holistically and helping them to really chart a course for success. I think one of the highlights of the programme, certainly of this cohort [Export Max IV], is the type of mentors that we have. We have mentors who are Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of companies that are 70, 80 years old. We have mentors who are overseas who are mentoring companies locally,” she noted.

The JMEA pairs participants with mentors from established entities across diverse industries, enabling them to benefit from shared services, industry knowledge, and connections to distributors in targeted markets.