Belize Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in belize, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Import Tariffs
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Belize Customs and Excise Department (https://www.customs.gov.bz/) administers tariffs and collection of customs duties and taxes at the point of entry. Excises, customs and import duties accounted for 35 percent of Belize’s revenue in 2021. Belize’s customs tariff is modeled from the Harmonized Description and Coding System (HS) and is based on the Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) Common External Tariff (CET). The two main duties applied to imported goods and products are the Import Duty and Revenue Replacement Duty (RRD). 

Import Duties range between zero and 120 percent, with the average rate applied to commodities at 20 percent. Goods without duties include various food items and medicines; while 45 percent is applicable to certain automobiles and other goods, such as fresh peppers, pepper sauces, live animals, and boats. Import duties on industrial products average at a rate of 20 percent but may be higher for products of national interest and protected for Belizean investment. Duties are calculated on the CIF Value of goods (Cost, Insurance, plus Freight). 

Imports from CARICOM countries are exempt from import duties, but Revenue Replacement Duty (RRD) may be applicable to some commodities originating from CARICOM countries. The RRD rates are applied between 10 percent and 50 percent with the majority averaging 40 percent.  

Other taxes on imports include General Sales Tax (GST) and Environmental Tax. GST is applied at a rate of 12.5 percent, based on the aggregate of the customs value and other duties. Environmental Tax is charged at a rate of three percent on all imports, excluding some medicines and food items; however, automobiles are charged at the rate of from two to five percent depending on the type of vehicle. 

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