Commercial Relations

Commercial Agreements
Belize enjoys incentives, thanks to the commercial agreements signed with different Countries which are able to grant the following:

1. The preferential access to CARICOM markets;
2. The preferential treatment by the USA  on the basis of CBI (Caribbean Basin Initiative);

1. Duty Free entry for some items, as bananas and sugar, according to “Lome VI Convention”;
2. According to CAIBCAN Agreement, some products of Belize can enter Canada duty free.

Regulation of Imports.
According to CARICOM Agreement, all the  imported products entering Belize from one of the Countries which are members of CARICOM, are exempted from custom duties.  To receive an exemption,  at the moment of custom clearance, Importers have to show a certificate of origin, valid for CARICOM.  In Belize, taxes on imports are based on “Common External Tariffs” which are enforced on goods at the moment of entering the Country. Therefore, import duties must be paid at the moment of arrival and they are charged to the Importer, while the Custom Official is responsible to collect custom duties. A custom mediation is necessary  only when the commercial value of the imported goods is over 100 thousand US$. The imported goods for personal use do not need any custom mediation service.