WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/L/595 
3 December 2004 
 (04-5273) 
General Council 
13-14 December 2004 Original:   English/ 
 French 
 
 
 
CANADA – TARIFF TREATMENT FOR COMMONWEALTH 
CARIBBEAN COUNTRIES 
 
2004 Report of the Government of Ca nada on the Trade-Related Provisions  
of CARIBCAN under the Decision of 14 October 19961 
 
  The following communication, dated 1 December 2004, is being circulated at the request of 
the Delegation of Canada.  
_______________ 
 
 
1. Introduction 
1. CARIBCAN is an economic and trade de velopment assistance program for the 
Commonwealth Caribbean countries and territories esta blished as a result of a commitment by Canada 
at the Commonwealth Heads of Governme nt meeting in Nassau in October 1985. 
2. The objectives of CARIBCAN are to enhance Commonwealth Caribbean trade and export 
earnings, improve the trade and economic development prospects of the region, promote new 
investment opportunities, and encourage enhanced economic integration and cooperation.  The main 
feature of CARIBCAN is the unilateral extension by  Canada, beginning on 15 June 1986, of duty-free 
access to the Canadian market for most comm odities originating in Commonwealth Caribbean 
countries. 
3. On 28 November 1986, a decision by the Contracting Parties to the General Agreement on 
Tariffs and Trade (GATT) waived un til 15 June 1998, the provisions of paragraph 1 of Article 1 of the 
General Agreement, "only to the extent necessary to permit the Government of Canada to provide 
duty-free treatment to eligible imports of Comm onwealth Caribbean countries benefiting from the 
provisions of CARIBCAN, without being required to extend the same duty- free treatment to like 
products of any other contracting party."  (L/ 6102).  On 14 October 1996, the WTO extended the 
CARIBCAN waiver until 31 December 2006. (WT/L/ 185).  The conditions associated with the 
CARIBCAN waiver remain unchanged. 
4. This report is being made in accordance w ith paragraph 3 of the WTO waiver of 
14 October 1996 and Article IX of the WTO Agreement. 
2. Country Coverage 
5. The Customs Tariff  lists 18 countries or dependent territori es which are eligible to receive the 
duty-free benefits accorded under CARIBCAN:   Anguilla, Antigua-Barbuda, The Bahamas, 
                                                     
 
1 WT/L/185. WT/L/595 
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 Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, the British Virgin Is lands, the Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, 
Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Christopher (St. Kitts) and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.  No addi tions or deletions from 
this list have occurred since CARIBCAN was enacted on 15 June 1986.  
3. Product Coverage 
6. There have been no amendments to CARIBCAN product coverage since the changes made in 
February 1998. 
7. Today, product exclusions from the duty-free provisions of CARIBCAN are:  
 - Goods of HS Chapters 50 to 65 inclusive; 
 
 - Goods covered by tariff items with “over access commitment” rates of duty 
established in the “tariffication” process . 
 
4. Rules of Origin 
8. The rules of origin for the purposes of the Commonwealth Caribbean Countries Tariff 
(CCCT) treatment are set out in regulations  enacted pursuant to Section 24 of the Customs Tariff . 
9. To qualify for the duty-free treatment accorded  to Commonwealth Caribbean countries, at 
least sixty per cent of the ex-factory price of th e goods as packed for shipment to Canada must 
originate in one or more beneficiary countries or  Canada.  The sixty per cent qualifying content may 
be cumulated from various CARIBCAN  beneficiary countries or Canada.  The goods must be finished 
in the beneficiary country in the form in which they  are imported into Canada.  Pursuant to the Proof 
of Origin Regulations, either a duly completed Certif icate of Origin, Form A, or a written statement of 
origin signed by the exporter, must be presented to Customs at the time of release, accounting or 
refund. 
5. Trade under CARIBCAN 
10. Canada-CARIBCAN trade statistics are annexed in a series of tabl es to this report and include 
2003 trade data.  In general, these trade statistics indicate that: 
 - In 2003, just over Can$758 million or 97 pe r cent of total Canadian imports from 
CARIBCAN beneficiaries entered Canada free of duty.  $109.4 million of this trade 
entered under the preferential CARIBCAN ta riff (CCCT).  Annex V shows the top 
twenty-five commodity imports benefiti ng from the CARIBCAN preference.  As 
shown in Annex III, $634.5 million of this  trade entered under MFN free rates while 
$14.2 million entered duty-free under Ge neral Preferential Tariff (GPT).  
 
- Total Canada-CARIBCAN trade (expor ts plus imports) has grown from 
Can$690 million in 1993 to just over $1.2 b illion in 2003.  The value of Canadian 
imports from the region has risen from $420 million in 1993 to $783 million in 2003.  The value of Canadian exports to CA RIBCAN countries has risen from $270 million 
in 1993 to $456 million in 2003.  WT/L/595 
 Page 3 
 
 
 6. Statistical Annexes: 
Annex I:  Total Imports form CARIBCAN Beneficiaries 1993 - 2003 
 Annex II:  Total Canadian exports to CARIBCAN Beneficiaries 1993- 2003 
 
Annex III:  2003 Imports from CARIBCAN Beneficiaries by Tariff Treatment 
 Annex IV:  Top 25 Merchandise Imports fro m CARIBCAN Beneficiaries which entered 
Canada under the CARIBCAN Duty-Free Tariff Treatment (CCCT) in 2003 
  
 WT/L/595 
Page 4  
Total Canadian Imports from CARIBCAN Beneficiaries 1993 – 2003 Annex I 
 
(thousands of Canadian dollars)          
Country 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
Anguilla - 5 - 11 41 7 8 9 10 13 8 
Antigua - Barbuda 393 368 389 1,857 1,256 2,698 402 10,380 340 954 748 
Bahamas 34,806 44,867 16,715 23,432 8,056 22 ,002 25,959 14,003 13 ,785 16,941 48,149 
Barbados 9,594 14,098 16,990 15,703 13,736 11,722 10,652 7,375 9,118 7,543 6,282 
Belize 11,419 17,686 11,688 7,953 12,737 8,263 14,027 9,868 3,739 6,381 4,501 
Bermuda 4,315 13,988 4,173 2,317 3,751 7,602 19,689 17,614 2,369 3,803 1,655 
British Virgin Islands 44 37 91 1,299 199 615 614 1,376 1,324 501 1,146 
Cayman Islands 1,628 586 638 1,968 624 1,070 654 522 27,571 3,818 2,242 
Dominica 206 423 2,381 1,180 1,390 1,910 1,642 1,698 775 944 358 
Grenada 337 440 639 559 1,112 1,067 1,602 1,523 1,037 1,476 1,082 
Guyana 152,172 203,865 171,208 204,033 203,375 203,107 192,020 197,800 209,474 225,368 201,099 
Jamaica 181,495 211,328 199,952 239,135 257,507 256,384 201,074 197,727 324,783 270,927 264,871 
Montserrat 15 78 18 203 341 28 248 94 113 267 453 
St. Lucia 245 463 1,222 1,602 1,287 1,595 580 1,413 237 411 266 
St. Christopher (Kitts) and Nevis 225 1,888 2,937 2,958 4,426 4,494 5,120 4,399 6,121 7,458 8,722 
St. Vincent and the Grenadines 210 247 183 138 137 200 152 404 310 619 124 
Trinidad & Tobago 23,108 16,122 18,469 46,599 26,215 34,157 73,688 72,327 195,141 166,704 232,921 
Turks & Caicos Islands - 66 17 93 338 686 1,823 1,647 1,007 2,347 7,980 
Total: 420,212 526,555 447,890 551,046 536,630 557,608 549,954 540,178 797,254 716,475 782,607 
            
Source :  Statistics Canada.           
Notes :  A dash (-) indicates that an amount is nil or negligible.          
  
  WT/L/595
 Page 5 
Total Canadian Exports to CARIBCAN Beneficiaries 1993-2003 Annex II 
 
(thousands of Canadian dollars)           
Country 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
Anguilla 272 127 548 588 881 1,007 673 651 2,802 1,301 802 
Antigua - Barbuda 9,014 6,022 6,160 28,133 9,384 8,492 11,402 10,727 10,434 7,970 17,273 
Bahamas 16,949 15,170 15,231 19,292 21,610 24,513 26,301 26,018 27,706 33,245 28,883 
Barbados 20,490 33,459 31,554 35,872 37,193 36,396 41,087 33,783 29,104 33,629 41,979 
Belize 12,543 4,776 4,232 2,586 9,847 3,760 3,332 2,598 3,505 5,079 5,271 
Bermuda 41,891 22,004 34,302 33,453 39,177 40,165 42,973 34,540 34,715 107,599 42,945 
British Virgin Islands 1,010 4,551 1,381 898 3,417 2,628 28,743 60,187 2,240 2,167 2,129 
Cayman Islands 1,885 4,483 11,490 7,281 1,369 12,266 8,127 8,286 63,858 6,807 7,671 
Dominica 1,672 1,613 1,891 2,238 1,840 3,236 5,560 4,436 2,671 2,614 7,668 
Grenada 3,863 1,936 3,789 4,649 3,321 4,901 4,839 4,023 3,142 4,450 5,868 
Guyana 9,118 5,517 8,144 11,171 10,671 9,968 14,655 8,073 8,068 10,373 9,536 
Jamaica 85,549 89,578 96,645 90,784 86,937 98,032 96,699 99,815 121,933 158,212 124,650 
Montserrat 248 208 128 185 149 81 83 289 214 291 300 
St. Lucia 7,400 10,425 12,521 5,426 8,729 11,493 12,524 9,683 7,375 7,804 7,423 
St. Christopher (Kitts) and Nevis 1,680 4,098 2,498 2,560 2,011 5,675 10,646 9,633 16,147 27,036 12,059 
St. Vincent and the Grenadines 2,630 3,015 2,815 3,116 4,063 3,676 4,633 4,906 3,941 3,743 5,874 
Trinidad & Tobago 53,023 65,192 94,658 83,913 102,544 129,703 161,936 110,822 156,222 136,808 125,507 
Turks & Caicos Islands 557 387 654 514 537 1,379 2,357 2,341 2,366 2,933 10,372 
Total: 269,794 272,561 328,641 332,667 343,680 397,371 476,570 430,811 496,443 552,061 456,210 
            
Source :  Statistics Canada.           
Notes :  A dash (-) indicates that an amount is nil or negligible.  Includes Canadian domestic exports only.     
 WT/L/595 
Page 6  
 
  
 
Annex III(i) 
Duty Free  2003 Imports from CARIBCAN Beneficiaries by Tariff Treatment  
 
(in Canadian dollars)      
Country Total 
Imports MFN Free GPT Free Caribcan 
(CCCT) 
Free Total Free Total 
Free as 
% of 
Total 
Imports 
Anguilla 7,623 5,474 - - 5,474 72%
Antigua and Barbuda 748,304 718,099 1,430 12,406 731,935 98%
Bahamas 48,149,418 39,908,568 - 5,579,221 45,487,789 94%
Barbados 6,282,264 822,446 3,500,531 977,768 5,300,745 84%
Belize 4,501,154 3,752,566 17,729 67,833 3,838,128 85%
Bermuda 1,654,905 1,037,091 76,861 8,620 1,122,572 68%
Br. Virgin Is. 1,146,455 844,432 114,376 - 958,808 84%
Cayman Islands 2,241,901 2,185,361 - - 2,185,361 97%
Dominica 358,019 145,299 - 33,600 178,899 50%
Grenada 1,082,446 830,102 77,646 117,614 1,025,362 95%
Guyana 201,098,967 193,701,532 4,701,285 1,624,999 200,027,816 99%
Jamaica 264,870,623 240,983,572 3,089,699 13,514,225 257,587,496 97%
Montserrat 452,999 450,884 - - 450,884 100%
St. Christopher (Kitts) and Nevis 8,721,557 4,909,672 32,572 - 4,942,244 57%
Saint Lucia 265,770 212,892 - 2,831 215,723 81%
Saint Vincent/Gren. 123,756 50,463 - - 50,463 41%
Trinidad and Tobago 232,920,742 136,187,605 2,602,106 87,430,678 226,220,389 97%
Turks/Caicos Is. 7,980,319 7,772,949 - - 7,772,949 97%
Total 782,607,222 634,519,007 14,214,235 109,369,795 758,103,037 97%
         
Source : Statistic Canada.      
Notes :  A dash (-) indicates that an amount is nil or negligible.     
  WT/L/595 
 Page 7 
 
 
  
Annex III(ii)
Dutiable  2003 imports from CARIBCAN Beneficiaries by Tariff Treatment  
 
(in Canadian dollars)  
Country Total 
Imports MFN 
Dutiable GPT 
Dutiable Caribcan 
Dutiable Total 
Dutiable Total 
Dutiable as 
% of Total 
Imports 
Anguilla 7,623 2,149 - - 2,149 28%
Antigua and Barbuda 748,304 16,369 - - 16,369 2%
Bahamas 48,149,418 2,661,629 - - 2,661,629 6%
Barbados 6,282,264 388,915 403,137 189,462 981,519 16%
Belize 4,501,154 656,746 6,280 - 663,026 15%
Bermuda 1,654,905 452,743 77,465 2,125 532,333 32%
Br. Virgin Is. 1,146,455 95,972 91,675 - 187,647 16%
Cayman Islands 2,241,901 53,487 3,053 - 56,540 3%
Dominica 358,019 150,687 - 28,433 179,120 50%
Grenada 1,082,446 56,619 465 - 57,084 5%
Guyana 201,098,967 861,743 192,693 16,715 1,071,151 1%
Jamaica 264,870,623 6,052,747 1,005,028 225,352 7,283,127 3%
Montserrat 452,999 2,115 - - 2,115 0%
St. Christopher (Kitts) 
and Nevis 8,721,557 3,771,668 7,645 - 3,779,313 43%
Saint Lucia 265,770 35,289 - 14,758 50,047 19%
Saint Vincent/Gren. 123,756 73,293 - - 73,293 59%
Trinidad and Tobago 232,920,742 3,406,895 502,746 2,790,712 6,700,353 3%
Turks/Caicos Is. 7,980,319 207,370 - - 207,370 3%
Total 782,607,222 18,946,436 2,290,187 3,267,557 24,504,185 3%
       
Source : Statistic Canada.      
Notes :  A dash (-) indicates that an amount is nil or negligible.      
 WT/L/595 
Page 8  
 
  
  Annex IV  
Top 25 Merchandise Imports from CARIBC AN Beneficiaries which entered Canada 
Under CARIBCAN Duty-Free Tariff Treatment in 2002 
 (in Canadian Dollars) 
HS Tariff Description Imports 
under 
CARIBCAN 
Treatment 
(CCCT) 
29051100 Methanol (methyl alcohol) 61,725,135 
72031000 Ferrous products obtained by direct reduction of iron ore 13,130,252 
72139999 Other [Bars and rods, hot-rolled, in irregularly wound coils, of iron or non-alloy 
steel 11,861,235 
03061100 Rock lobster and other sea crawfish ( Palinurus spp ., Panulirus spp. , Jasus spp. ) 5,576,455 
22084010 Rum 4,254,081 
20089930 Akalas, akees, anchovy pears, apple-pears, avocados, bananas, banana chips (thin 
banana slices fried or otherwise prepared whether or not salted, sweetened or otherwise flavoured), bread fruit, car ambolas, chayotes, cherimoyas (Jamaica 
apples)…. 1,405,793 
07149090 Other [Arrowroot, salep, Jerusalem artichokes and similar roots and tubers with 
high starch or inulin content, fresh, chilled or dried, whether or not sliced or in the 
form of pellets; sago pith] 1,276,987 
20059090 Other [Other vegetables and mixtures of vegetables] 1,134,150 
22071010 [Undenatured alcohol of an alcoholic strength by volume of 80% vol or higher] 
for use as a spirituous beverage or for use in the manufacture of spirituous 
alcoholic beverages 1,078,447 
22021000 Waters, including mineral waters and aerated waters, containing added sugar or 
other sweetening matter or flavoured 987,891 
19019020 Food preparations of flour, meal, starch or malt extract 960,206 
21039020 Mixed condiments and mixed seasonings 929,190 
85369091 Other: Junction boxes; Receptacle boxes of metal 897,823 
07142000 Sweet potatoes 565,260 
19059049 Other biscuits [Containing less than 25% by weight of wheat] 560,218 
19053192 Other: Wafers and frozen waffles containing 25% or more by weight of wheat, in 
packages of a weight not exceeding 454 g each, and sweet biscuits containing 
25% or more by weight of wheat, in packages of a weight not exceeding 1.36 kg 
each, over access.... 413,744 
21039090 Other [Sauces and preparations] 394,081 
04063010 Within access commitment [Process cheese, not grated or powdered] 343,875 
08129010 Akalas, akees, anchovy pears, apple-pears, avocados, bananas, bread fruit, 
carambolas, chayotes, cherimoyas (Jamaica a pples), citris fruit, dates, durians, 
feijoas, figs, fu quas (alsam pears) genipes, guavas, imbus, jujubes, kiwi fruit,… 322,420 
07099090 Other [Vegetables , fresh or chilled, not including: glove artichokes, asparagus, 
Aubergines (egg-plants), celery, mushrooms and truffles, fruits of the genus 
Capsicum or the genus Pimenta , spinach, New Zealand spinach and orche spinach 
(garden spinach)] 274,426 
17049090 Other [Sugar confectionery (including white chocolate), not containing cocoa , 
not including chewing gum, whether or not sugar-coated] 265,914 
09109990 Other spices 254,822 
19059020 Bread, leavened  with yeast; Unleavened brea d for sacramental purposes and 
communion wafers 213,322 
20089210 Mixtures of akalas, akees, anchovy pears, apple-pears, avocados, bananas, bread 
fruit, carambolas, chayotes, cherimoyas (Jamaica apples), citris fruit, dates, 
durians, feijoas, figs, fu quas (alsam pears) genipes, guavas, imbus, jujubes, kiwi 
fruit… 171,452 
33012900 Other [Essential oils other than those of citrus] 157,023 
Source : Statistics Canada import data.  
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