The Ministry of Commerce, International Trade, Investment, Enterprise Development and Consumer Affairs wishes to inform All Importers and the General Public that effective April 01, 2019, the tariff rates on items listed in Table 1 below will be adjusted upwards (depending on country of import) in accordance with a decision of the 74th Special Meeting of the CARICOM Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED).

This decision was made pursuant to the provisions of Article 164 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, which seeks to promote industrial development in the Less Developed Countries (LDCs) of CARICOM including Saint Lucia. Article 164 provides a regime of support to eligible goods produced in LDCs on a temporary basis to help boost their competitiveness and their level of participation in intra-regional trade in the CSME.

Pursuant to Article 164, Saint Lucia in common with other beneficiary LDC CARICOM states, is required to suspend community origin treatment and apply the approved rates on similarly classified goods imported from the More Developed Countries (MDCs)*  of CARICOM or from outside the region until December 2028, except for curry powder and pasta which expires on December 2023. The associated tariff rates will soon be published by way of Statutory Instrument (SI) in the Saint Lucia Government Gazette.

It should be noted however, that imports of the items in Table 1 from CARICOM LDCs which include countries of the OECS* , Haiti and Belize, benefit from community origin treatment and would attract a tariff rate of zero percent.

The Public is hereby invited to take note of the foregoing and to be guided accordingly.

Table 1

Description of Items,              Tariff Classification

Curry Powder,               0910.99.30
Wheat or Meslin flour,             1101.00.90
Pasta (not including 1902.40 Couscous and 1902.11 pasta cooked with eggs),   Ex. 1902
Aerated Waters,               2201.10.20
Ordinary Natural Waters,            2201.90
Aerated Beverages,              2202.10.10
Other Waters,               2202.10.90
Malt,                 2202.91.40
Beer,                2203.00.10
Stout,                2203.00.20
Prepared Poultry feed,             2309.90.30
Prepared complete cattle feed,            2309.90.40
Prepared complete pig feed,            2309.90.50
Other prepared complete animal feed,           2309.90.60
Other,                2309.90.90
Oxygen,                2804.40.00
Carbon Dioxide,               2811.21.00
Acetylene,                2901.29.20
Paint and varnishes (including enamels and lacquers),        Ex. 3209
Candles of paraffin wax,             3406.00
Solar water heaters,              8419.19
Chairs and other seats, with wooden frames,         9401.60.00
Upholstered,               9401.61.00
Other,                9401.69.00
Wooden furniture of a kind used in offices,          9403.30.00
Wooden furniture of a kind used in the kitchen,         9403.40.00
Wooden furniture of a kind used in the bedroom,         9403.50.00
Other furniture of wood and upholstered fabric,         9403.60.00

*The More Developed Countries (MDCs) of CARICOM are Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Guyana and Suriname.

*The eligible countries which make up the OECS include Antigua & Barbuda,  Dominica, Grenada,Montserrat, St Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Minister of Commerce, International Trade, Investment, Enterprise Development and Consumer Affairs

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