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February 8, 2020February 11, 2020

Importing Your Household Belongings and Vehicle Into the Bahamas

A Pristine Beach in the Bahamas.

Are you ready to make your move, to any of the over 700 islands, islets or cays in the Bahamas? If so, you’re no doubt excited about your upcoming change of scenery. You’ll enjoy picturesque beaches, amazing snorkeling in the clear waters and sunny skies. The speed of life is also much slower and you’ll be able to savor the fresh seafood that’s prominently featured in Bahamian cuisine (1).

However, before you can relax, unwind and take in all of the sights and sounds the Bahamas has to offer – you must do the unpleasant chore of planning and executing your move. International relocation can be a difficult task, and it’s easy to find yourself in over your head. This is why working with an international moving company that has a proven track record is so important.

Yet, even with their professional guidance, you’ll still be responsible for collecting all of the necessary paperwork and paying all of the fees. For this reason, you’ll need to be informed beforehand, about everything that the process entails.

What Duties Will You Pay?

Staniel Cay, The Bahamas

Import duties to bring your shipment of household belongings into any foreign country, can range from free of charge to extremely burdensome. Unfortunately, this point isn’t clear, when it comes to your personal belongings and Bahamian customs.

Sources Disagree
One highly respected source claims that your used personal goods can be imported fully exempt from any duties. This is, provided that you only have reasonable amounts of each item in your shipment, and they are for your own personal use (not for commercial enterprise or to resell) (2).

However, a different source states just the opposite – asserting that you’ll be hit with an import duty of 35% of the CIF value. This is higher than just the value of your belongings, as it includes the cost of freight (or shipping) and insurance into the mix. A separate 7% stamp tax will be added to this as well, at least according to this particular source (3).

What Bahamian Customs Says
When sources disagree in this manner, it’s best to consult the customs website directly. Currently, the Bahamian customs website does have this 35% import duty listed. In addition, according to their site, your shipment will be charged value-added tax (VAT) of 7.5% – though whether this is assessed on all items isn’t clear (but it is likely). You’ll also be charged a separate environmental levy fee, however this is quite small. For example, on a $400 television this fee would be just $5. For a $10,000 vehicle, the environmental levy fee would still be a reasonable $200 (4).

Fee Calculation Examples
Where the process of calculating your charges gets more murky, is the status under which they are imported. For the examples given on the Bahamian customs pages, under both accompanied and unaccompanied baggage declaration forms (C17 or C18), you may be entitled to exempt $300 of a $400 television’s value for fee calculation. That means rather than paying the 35% import duty and 7.5% VAT on the full $400 value – you’d only be paying these charges on a value of $100 instead.

In contrast, examples on their website for courier/parcel list baggage declaration filing (C18A), do not show any such exemption. Therefore, duty and VAT are calculated using the full $400 value of the television.

Why Filing Status Matters
What’s the upshot of these different figures? When able to exempt most of the TV’s value under C17 or C18 filing – you’ll pay just $50.50 USD for duty, the environmental levy and VAT combined. When not able to exempt any of the TV’s value under C18A filing – you’ll pay the much higher $194.13 USD for all of these charges combined (5).

As you can see, filing status makes a profound difference on the total amount that you’ll pay. While a television was used in their examples, the differences in fee rates for different filing statuses, apply to many different items in your shipment.

Different Duty Rates For Specific Items
In addition to the varying total cost (dependent upon how you file and whether you can exempt most of the value of an item) – some specific items have different duty rates assigned to them. These changes were made after the recent implementation of VAT, and they can make the process of determining your import fees extremely complicated indeed.

For example, batteries are charged different rates, depending upon the exact type. Deep cycle batteries carry a 35% duty rate, whereas lead acid or automotive batteries are charged a 65% duty. The full list of items is extremely detailed, with barbeque sauce being charged just 5% duty but aluminum foil incurring a 30% duty. See here for a complete list of items, along with the rate they are charged.

Some Items Are Duty-Free
While duty exemption for your entire shipment isn’t offered, certain items are duty-free. The list is diverse, with items as different as computer printers and condensed milk both being exempt from import duty. See here for the full list of items.

Speak With Customs
With all of these intricacies in the duty and VAT calculation process, it’s vital that you learn beforehand the best filing choice for your shipment – and on what value these charges will be assessed. With such widely different final costs being possible, the best route is to speak to Bahamian customs for yourself. This will allow you to clear up any confusion, and determine how import duty, the environmental levy fee and VAT will be calculated on your shipment.

You will also need to work closely with a professional international moving company, who should help guide you through the process without any errors or missteps.

What Documents Will You Need?

Exuma, The Bahamas

While our discussion of fee calculation was quite involved, fortunately documentation requirements to import your shipment are refreshingly simple. When bringing in your personal goods, you’ll need to provide customs with your passport and entry visa. A packing list and a separate inventory list are also required. Also needed is a letter giving your shipping company or other third-party agent, permission to work with customs to clear your shipment (called a Letter of Authorization) (6).

You may also need receipts, your Original Bill of Landing or Air Waybill and possibly your driver’s license. A Home Consumption Entry Form (C13 Form) and a Declaration of Value (C43 Form) may also be required (7). Contact customs to determine the exact paperwork you’ll need to bring your items into the country.

Duties On Your Vehicle

One of the Famous Swimming Pigs in Staniel Cay, The Bahamas

In most countries around the world, your vehicle will be handled differently when attempting to clear customs. The Bahamas is no exception, and the import duty rate is based on the vehicle’s value. For a vehicle worth $10,000 USD or under, you’ll pay a 45% import duty. For a vehicle between $10,000 and $20,000 USD – this rate goes up to 50%. Finally, if your vehicle is worth greater than $20,000 USD, then a 65% import duty will be assessed (8).

Bear in mind, that an additional 7% stamp tax on your vehicle is reported by reputable sources (9). However, with the implementation of VAT in the Bahamas, stamp tax may have been rescinded or reduced. Again, you’ll fare far better if you speak with both Bahamian customs and your shipping company – to learn the exact fees that will apply to your specific situation.

Documents For Your Vehicle

Nassau, The Bahamas

The paperwork required to import your vehicle into the Bahamas, includes a Certificate of Title and Registration from your country of origin (copies are acceptable). You’ll also need the purchase receipt or invoice, if you bought the vehicle not long ago (10).

According to experienced international vehicle shipping company A1 Auto Transport, Inc – you’ll also need your passport, customs declaration form, Original Bill of Lading and proof of valid insurance. Once your vehicle is cleared for entry by customs, you’re also required to get it inspected, registered and licensed by the Bahamian Road Traffic Department (11). Registration charges are based upon the vehicle’s weight, and you’ll pay anywhere from $160 to $760 USD (which is virtually the same in Bahamian dollars at the current exchange rate) (12).

In order to process your vehicle, the Bahamian Road Traffic Department will need to see your Road Traffic Vehicle Information form – along with your driver’s license from your origin country. Be aware that while your current license will authorize you to drive in the Bahamas for the first three months after moving, you’ll then need to obtain a Bahamian driver’s license to legally operate your motor vehicle (13).

Continue reading “Importing Your Household Belongings and Vehicle Into the Bahamas”

January 11, 2020January 11, 2020

The Caribbean Shows the Way to a Renewable Future

Falling energy storage costs and sophisticated control systems are allowing renewables to be the backbone of some Caribbean nations—and providing lessons for mainlands.

GT M Creative Strategies

In the span of just a few years, the focus at the annual Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation conference has shifted from issues around producing electricity from thermal capacity — usually oil — to what blend of renewable options constitutes the best path forward.

It is not just a theoretical question for the future, says Risto Paldanius, director of business development for Wärtsilä’s Energy Storage and Optimization business unit, a longtime attendee of the conference.

“It has clearly shifted, and now that the [levelized cost of energy, or LCOE] for renewables is on par or lower than any thermal generation, it’s all about solar and wind,” said Paldanius. “Then the questions become how to achieve the 100 percent renewable future everyone is talking about without causing disturbances in the grid and effectively managing solar ramp rates and generation optimization.”

They are not questions rooted only in environmental sustainability; they also address life-saving resiliency, as seen with storms that have battered communities and their power grids on many islands with devastating outcomes in the past two years, including in Puerto Rico, the Bahamas and Anguilla.

Read full article on greentechmedia.com

Related advertisements in the Caribbean

Carib Solar Tech is located in St. Thomas US Virgin Islands.

Drive Green VI is located in St. Thomas US Virgin Islands

January 10, 2020January 11, 2020

15 Things You Need to Know Before You Go to the Caribbean

The Caribbean region is a tropical paradise, but there are things you need to know before you embark on your next sunny holiday to make sure everything runs smoothly.

Palm trees, sandy beaches, turquoise waters, great music… you’ll find all that, and more, throughout the Caribbean. Most islands are easy to get to, and easy to vacation at, but even so, there are some things every traveler needs to know before going to the Caribbean. These helpful tips will help you decide when and where to go, what to expect when you’re there, and what you might like to do.

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Bring Your Passport… and U.S. Dollars

You’ll need a valid passport to enter any of the Caribbean islands—and to re-enter the United States—except for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Most non-U.S. islands also require a return or ongoing airline ticket. But don’t worry about the local currency. U.S. dollars—but not coins—are widely accepted everywhere. Bring small bills, though, as you’ll almost always get change in local money—including from an ATM. Actually, there are 13 different currencies in the Caribbean: The Bahamas, Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean islands, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago all have their own dollars; Cuba and the Dominican Republic have pesos; the French islands use euros; the Dutch islands have guilders, although Aruba uses florin; and then there’s the Haitian gourde.

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English Is Widely Spoken

English is commonly understood, spoken, and written throughout the Caribbean, although French is the preferred language on Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Barth, St. Martin, and Haiti. You’ll also hear a French-Creole patois spoken in Jamaica, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent, Grenada, and Haiti. On the Dutch islands, you’ll hear both Dutch and English spoken, while Papiamento (which adds Spanish, Portuguese, French, African, and Arawakan elements to the Dutch/English mix) is the local patois in Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao. Spanish, of course, is the most prevalent language in the Dominican Republic and Cuba; but in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, Spanish and English are both official languages. All of that said, English-speakers should have no problem understanding or being understood in the Caribbean.

Read full article on www.fodors.com

November 25, 2019November 25, 2019

Brand New Oasis class Cruise Ship Pier in Saint Kitts

Last week the Government of St. Kitts proudly announced the completion of the second pier in Basseterre, St. Kitts. After two years of continuous hard work and $48 million invested, the new cruise ship dock in port Zante is ready to receive its first passengers.

The new pier means Port Zante can now simultaneously host up to three of the world’s largest cruise ships. With a population of just 55,000 residents, our small yet ambitious Caribbean nation can now claim the status held by many of the region’s larger passenger cruise-ship destinations. It’s a necessary and logic expansion, considering that the islands have welcomed one million visitors during each of the past two cruise seasons. A milestone visitor volume for our small and still developing destination.

The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) met with officials in St. Kitts and Nevis this week to discuss further development of the country’s cruise sector. They believe that we can soon become the Caribbean destination where cruise-goers choose to spend the most money. According to FCCA’s president, Michele Paige, her organization estimates that this could become a reality with the next three years.

Read Full Article on StKittsWatersports.com

October 13, 2019October 14, 2019

Electric Cars Gaining Energy in the V.I.

When St. Thomian Adrien Austin founded Drive Green VI six years ago, he dreamed of igniting a revolution in how Virgin Islanders drove – or what they drove – and in a bid to accelerate the process, he put electric cars at the forefront of his venture.

“Nowhere in the world does a car depreciate or break down as fast as in the Virgin Islands,” said Austin. “The goal was to bring in a few new kinds of technology, do my own R&D out of my own pocket, figure out what works, try and push this technology, see what the market is receptive to.”

Since then, electric cars, vehicles that run purely on batteries as opposed to internal combustion engines, have multiplied on the roads of St. Thomas as demand continues to rise, driven by expensive per-gallon cost of gas in the territory and an increasing awareness of climate change pushing residents to pursue a neutral carbon footprint. Austin’s company has so far sold roughly 50 electric cars, and he estimates St. Thomas has about 150 in total.

But it was a bumpy road to normalizing the use of electric cars on island. About five years ago, Austin brought down five Wheegos, another type of electric car, and one Nissan Leaf. He wanted to explore how these vehicles would fare on the island’s terrains, find out if they had enough power-to-weight ratio to maneuver the hilly, tortuous roads, and identify which cars performed better than others. Austin said.

Read full article on St. John Tradewinds

September 22, 2019

Top Caribbean Ecotourism Destinations

Travelers tend to think of all Caribbean islands as verdant and lush, but some Caribbean destinations are decidedly “greener” than others. Dominica, for example, has a well-earned reputation as the Nature Island of the Caribbean, while Bonaire is known for its pristine marine environment and Costa Rica and Belize are among the top eco-friendly travel locales in the world. As for eco-resorts, the ones selected here boast low-impact integration with the native environment, commitment to reduced energy use and/or renewable energy, and activities that support and foster knowledge of the local ecosystem.

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Dominica

Dominica benefits from its marvelous biodiversity, and has chosen to make ecotourism (and the conservation and preservation practices that go along with it) the foundation of its economic development. Dominica has lush jungles for hiking and mysterious rivers for exploring, and visitors can meet Carib Indians and even walk in the footsteps of Capt. Jack Sparrow — some of the wilder scenes in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies were filmed here.

With a focus on renewable energy as well as self-sustaining energy, Dominica’s eco-friendly resorts and lodgings continue to expand as the island moves more and more towards 100% energy efficiency.

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St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

Maho Bay, St. John — Matt Wade/CC BY SA 2.0

Americans are not generally known for their restraint when it comes to development, so St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands is a pleasant surprise. Just twenty square miles, the island is devoted primarily to National Parks, and has some of the best beaches and finest snorkeling in the world. Most of the eco-resorts here are modest, more akin to campgrounds than resorts, generally speaking, but great locations for those looking to appreciate the natural environment in a quiet, more off-the-grid setting.

Read full article on Tripsavvy.com

September 22, 2019September 22, 2019

Costa Rica Set To Become The Worlds First Plastic-Free And Carbon-Free Country By 2021

Costa Rica is in the top 5 of countries that are leading the way into renewable resources. It might seem small but it has a really big environmental impact. Since 2014 the country’s energy has been coming from 99% renewable sources, and it has been running on 100% renewable energy for over two months twice in the last two years. Then, since June 2017 they have been set on eradicating single-use plastic by 2021. The first be the first country in the world to do this. And most recently, in the summer of 2018, the country announced its aims to become completely carbon-neutral by the year 2021 – The first completely carbon-free country in the whole world.

“Basing [electricity] generation on renewable resources allows the country to achieve one of the lowest ratios of greenhouse gas emissions to electrical consumption on the planet,” the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) indicated in a statement.

Over the past 4 years, Costa Rica has generated all but 1 percent of its electricity from renewable sources such as its rivers, volcanoes, wind and solar power. The hydroelectric plant on the Reventazón River, on the Caribbean slope, began operations in 2016. It’s the largest plant of its kind in Central America. They also have seven wind turbine plants, six hydroelectric plants and a solar plant. A statement from ICE indicated that ¾ of renewable energy came from hydroelectric plants using river water; the rest was geothermal and wind power, with biomass then solar power constituting the smallest percentage.

Read full article on Intelligentliving.co

September 10, 2019

The Best Beaches on St. Barth, According to Locals

In the Caribbean paradise of St. Barth, there are no less than 14 beaches spread across the enclave, each radiating with its own singular character and charm.

From isolated stretches of sand to entertainment-laden hotspots, there’s something for every type of beach enthusiast on the island. Explore beyond Le Guanahani’s stunningly beautiful Grand-Cul-de-Sac and Marechal beaches to discover St. Barth’s seaside treasures and all they have to offer. Below, local staff members at the hotel share their personal favorites.

Gouverneur Beach

According to Le Guanahani Managing Director Martein van Wagenberg, the beach at Gouverneur Bay provides one of the island’s most exclusively idyllic shoreline experiences.

“It has clear waters, soft sand, natural sun protection by sea grape trees, and scooping pelicans,” he says. “It’s your own quiet and private beach in the mornings.”

Because of its remote location, Gouverneur remains relatively untouched compared to other St. Barth beaches. A ten-minute drive southeast from Gustavia, it’s a sanctuary for swimming, sunbathing, or diving into a gratifying beach read. While parking here is easy to find and close to the beach, there are no facilities available, so it may be a good idea to bring along water and chairs.

From its abundant wildlife to the mountains that plunge into the sea on either side of the white strip of sand, the bay shimmers with natural beauty. Find the rocks on its east side for spectacular snorkeling conditions. And looking seaward from the beach, visitors can savor resplendent views of neighboring Saba, St. Eustatius, and St. Kitts rising in the background.

Read full article blog.leguanahani.com

September 8, 2019

Emergency aid pours into the Bahamas following Dorian’s destruction

Cruise ships, charities and international relief organizations are rushing to deliver aid to the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian battered the Caribbean country, leaving at least 76,000 people in need of urgent support, according to the United Nations.

The state of play: Dorian has destroyed at least 13,000 homes and led to extensive flooding in the Abaco Islands, believed to have contaminated wells with saltwater, and resulted in “an urgent need for clean water,” per the International Red Cross. The rush to provide aid to the country has begun with numerous organizations and individuals offering to donate goods and resources.

The cost of the damages: Preliminary estimates value damages in the billions of dollars for the Bahamas.

Who has helped:

The UN arranged for 8 tons of food to be sent to the Bahamas Sept. 5 as part of a $5.4 million overall funding package. A UN hub in Panama is also preparing an airlift to drop off storage units, generators and and more.
USAID is on the ground in the Bahamas after the Trump administration requested “airlift and logistics support” from the Defense Department, reports the Miami Herald. The agency has delivered food and water.

Read full article here.

August 26, 2019

Sustainable Seafood

Oistins. Friday night. Enjoying some delicious local fish? Bridgetown Fish Complex. Saturday morning. Choosing some fresh local fish to cook for Sunday lunch? Chances are that close to ¾ of the ‘local’ fish that you are buying and consuming is not even local. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, approximately 70% of seafood consumed in Barbados is imported.

The fisheries sector, one of the established sectors within the Blue Economy is important for employment, livelihoods and food security. Barbados has a history and culture strongly linked to fish with fishing and associated activities having been integral components of the social and economic fabric of Barbados for years. Approximately 8,000 people are employed in this sector which accounts for ~6% of the labour force with over 1,000 active fishing vessels. Bajans also eat a lot of fish with consumption per capita being very high in the Caribbean region.

However in recent years, annual catches have declined with marine capture production being between 2000 – 2500 tonnes of fish, with flying fish, dolphin fish and yellowfin tuna contributing to the majority of landings. Lower catches and high imports are not the only threats that the fishing industry faces. In addition, overfishing and unsustainable fishing, land based and marine sources of pollution, coastal development and loss of coral reefs, changes in climate and the introduction of invasive species such as lionfish and the influx of sargassum further threaten the fisheries sector.

Read Full Article Here