The International Merchandise Trade Statistics are compiled from administrative records of the Customs Department and are commonly referred to as Customs Based Trade Statistics. In addition, supplementary data for major trading commodities such as banana, sugar, bauxite, alumina, gypsum, petroleum, and petroleum products is collected from other relevant trading bodies.

Exports are a combination of domestic exports and re-exports, while domestic exports includes commodities grown in the island, extracted from its natural resources or manufactured in the country.

Re-exports are exports of goods of foreign origin which have not been transformed while in Jamaica. This includes goods moving outward from customs storage or manufacturing warehouses.

Effective January 1, 2010 the International Merchandise Trade Statistics presented by STATIN include data on the imports and exports of the Jamaica Free Zone. The Jamaica Free Zone includes the Kingston Free Zone, the Montego Bay Free Zone and Single Entity Free Zone companies. Prior to this date, only data on Single Entity Free Zone companies were included in the trade data.