St Lucia government approves Christmas barrel concessions

CASTRIES, St Lucia, CMC – The St Lucia government Wednesday said that it had approved Christmas barrel concessions, allowing citizens to import various goods without having to pay the necessary taxes.

It said that the policy will be in place from November 1 this year to February 2027, and that the Order amending Schedule 3 of the Value Added Tax (VAT) Act provides the VAT exemption for qualifying items contained in barrels during this period.

The concessions also allow for a 100 per cent waiver of customs duty on personal items, food, clothing, toys and other household consumables contained in barrels, but electronic items do not qualify for the concessions.

The government said that the number of barrels qualifying for the concessions is limited to two per household, with an upper limit of EC$3,000 per barrel on the value of items qualifying for the concessions.

“The qualifying items must be for personal use only and not for commercial use, and the usual penalties and fines will apply if the goods are used for commercial purposes,” the statement from the Office of the Prime Minister stated, noting that residents and their relatives overseas are encouraged to note the qualifying measures before arranging shipments.

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