Prior to shipping the items, the shipper should communicate with the National Education Trust (NET) to determine the suitability of the goods and whether or not they attract customs duties.
Information on computers being donated must be submitted prior to shipping to ensure that they are suitable for the intended purpose.
Adequate notice is to be given prior to shipping to allow for all the necessary approvals (Notice of at least one (1) week is required). This will prevent extended delays at the port of entry and possible storage/demurrage charges.
This information can be emailed to either of the following addresses: info@ net.org.jm
Letters of offer to the institutions should be sent prior to shipping of the goods. Schools are required to send to NET an acknowledgment letter for the items (Letters can be emailed and must be on the schools letter head and signed by authorized personnel).
The goods must be consigned to the NET. Do not consign the goods to an individual or school. However, you must indicate the recipient school. For example, National Education Trust for Rainbow High School.
Do not package educational and non-educational goods (e.g. medical supplies) together as the approval processes and requirement for customs clearance differ.
Do not package personal items and educational materials together.
A Customs Broker is required for goods valued over US$5,000
Customs Administrative Fee (CAF) is required to be paid and cannot be waived. Where donations of education materials, equipment and supplies are consigned to NET, the GCT, Special Consumption Tax, Stamp Duty and Import Duties are waived. However, 50% of the Customs Administrative Fees (CAF) and the Environmental Levy is required to be paid by the donor or the beneficiary at the time of clearing the items.
It's recommended to ship items by way of pallets, container, D container, crates, skids, drums or barrels as shipping large quantities of small packages outside of these package types will attract a higher CAF.
Upon shipping, please indicate to the Shipper that the ‘Arrival Notice’ should be emailed to info@ net.org.jm
Upon receipt of the ‘Arrival Notice’ NET will prepare the relevant paperwork for clearance.
Failure to abide by the guidelines may result in delays at the ports. Where relevant requirements are not met, goods may have to be detained until the relevant approval is received or full duties will become payable.
For Clearance: The following documentation is to be sent ahead of the arrival of the goods to the NET.
The Bill of Lading and/or Air Waybill
Invoice ( if goods are new)
List of goods and approximate value (if the goods were pre-owned.)
Completed Electronic Donation Form (Excel Format). The Donation Form should be properly completed. Mandatory fields on the form are the (a) Description of Goods, (b) Quantity and (c) Value. Please state the Currency type for the value of the items at the top of the form (for e.g. Canadian or US Dollar, Euro, or Pound Sterling). Other fields should be completed as appropriate.
When goods are accompanying passengers, it is critical that the approvals are obtained and that the necessary letter is obtained ahead of the arrival of the person, as they will have to be shown to the Customs Officer. This may be done either by having the letters sent to the arriving passengers before they leave their country of residence or by the letters being presented to the Customs Officer by a representative of the receiving institution upon arrival of the persons.
The itinerary of person(s) traveling with the goods is also to be provided in advance. The approval process takes a maximum of ten (10) working days.
Once NET is satisfied with the items and the Donation Form, Invoices and Bill of Laden has been provided, a letter will be issued to the school and/or representative for them to clear the items.
NET reserves the right to audit the schools to ensure that items are in fact in use at the beneficiary school.
For further information you may contact the following officers at the NET:
Director, Donor & Partnership Management
National Education Trust (NET)
37 Arnold Road, Caenwood Centre
Kingston 4
Office: 1-(876)-922-3134 or 967-7962
Email: info@ net.org.jm