Barrel delay leaves Canadian visitor stranded

A Canadian woman, who shipped two barrels to Jamaica more than five months ago, says she has been forced to extend her stay on the island indefinitely, after the items failed to arrive despite repeated assurances.

She told THE STAR that she sent the barrels from Canada on November 17, 2025, expecting them to arrive in time for her December trip.

"Since the 17th of January and up till now, every day I keep calling them and they say 'Next week, next week, next week'," she said. "When is next week coming?" The delay has disrupted her travel plans and finances.

"When I came in December, I expected to stay no longer than two months, but I am here up till now," she said. "I have to rebook my ticket, extend my stay like twice, and I can't do it again."

The woman, who said she has used other shipping companies before without issue, explained that this was her first time using this service after finding it online. She estimates that she spent more than CAD$2,000 (approximately J$230,000) preparing and shipping the barrels, which contain food and clothing.

"By now those food should be, I don't know, spoiled?" she said.

Her experience comes amid ongoing concerns about shipping delays that were highlighted earlier this year, as Jamaica's ports and warehouses remained congested well beyond the typical post-Christmas slowdown. In January, industry stakeholders reported that goods were still backed up across the island, with shipments arriving faster than they could be processed, pushing facilities beyond their limits. The Shipping Association of Jamaica had warned that the situation had reached a critical stage, as cargo that had already been cleared remained uncollected, taking up space needed to process new shipments.

The backlog was partly linked to disruptions caused by Hurricane Melissa last October, which left some businesses unable to collect cargo due to damaged infrastructure and financial setbacks. Increased shipments from the diaspora and relief supplies also added pressure to an already strained system.

For members of the diaspora, who rely on barrel shipments to send essential items home, the delays have proven especially frustrating. Storage and related costs can also accumulate, increasing the financial burden on customers already paying thousands to ship goods. The woman said the lack of clear and consistent communication has been one of the most frustrating parts of the experience, with timelines repeatedly shifting without firm explanation.

"A couple weeks ago they said two weeks, yesterday they said next week - the same excuse all the time," she said.

She added that the person designated to clear the barrels locally is also preparing to leave the island

"This is really what's stopping me from going back home. I need my barrel, I need my stuff. I'm not going to let them keep my stuff I spend too much money," she said.

When contacted, a representative from the company said the delay may have originated in Canada, where shipments were not dispatched within the expected timeframe, leading customers to anticipate earlier arrival dates. The company said the container carrying the customer's items only arrived in Jamaica in March, months after it was initially sent. The company added that there have also been backlogs locally, and explained that the Jamaican operation functions as an agent receiving cargo on behalf of its overseas counterpart.

"When the container gets to Jamaica it has to go through a process, and if they don't release the container to us, we cannot do anything to the container unless a release is done," the representative said.

"Sometimes the containers will be here and we don't get the release until a month after. We can't do anything from our end because the release is something very important."