WT/L/1146  
 
7 July 2022  
(22-5251) Page: 1/7 
General Council  
25-26 July 2022  Original: English/French  
 
 
CANADIAN TARIFF TREATMENT FOR  COMMONWEALTH CARIBBEAN COUNTRIES  
2022 REPORT OF THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA ON THE   
TRADE -RELATED PROVISIONS OF CARIBCAN  
The following communication, dated 6 July 2022, is being circulated at the request of the delegation 
of Canada.  
 
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1  INTRODUCTION  
1.1.  CARIBCAN is an economic and trade development assistance program for the Commonwealth 
Caribbean countries and territories established as a result of a commitment by Canada at the 
Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Nassau in October 1985.  
1.2.  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 encou rage enhanced economic integration and co -operation.  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 commodities originating in Commonwealth 
Caribbean countr ies. 
1.3.  On 28 November 1986, a decision by the Contracting Parties to the General Agreement on 
Tariffs and Trade (GATT) waived until 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 Commonwealth 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 28 July 2015 the WTO extended the 
CARIBCAN waiver (WT/L/958) until 31 December 2023.  The conditions associated with the 
CARIBCAN waiver remain unchanged.  
1.4.  This report is being made in accordance with paragraph 3 of the WTO waiver of 28  July 2015 
and Article IX of the WTO Agreement.  
2  COUNTRY COVERAGE  
2.1.  The Customs Tariff  lists 18 countries or dependent territories which are eligible to receive the 
duty-free benefits accorded under CARIBCAN, namely:  Anguilla, Antigua -Barbuda, Bahamas, 
Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Dominica, Gren ada, 
Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, S aint Christopher (S aint Kitts) and Nevis, S aint Lucia, S aint Vincent 
and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.  No country or territory 
additions or deletions from this list have occurred s ince CARIBCAN was enacted on 15 June 1986.  
3  PRODUCT COVERAGE  
3.1.  There have been no amendments to CARIBCAN product coverage since the changes made in 
February 1998.  WT/L/1146  
 
- 2 - 
 
  3.2.  Today, product exclusions from the duty -free provisions of CARIBCAN are:  
- Goods of HS Chapte rs 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  
4.1.  The rules of origin for the purposes of the Commonwealth Caribbean Countries Tariff (CCCT) 
treatment are set out in regulations enacted pursuant to Section 16 of the Customs Tariff . 
4.2.  To qualify for the duty -free treatment accorded to Commonwealth Caribbean countries, at least 
sixty per cent of the ex -factory price of the goods as packed for shipment t o 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 Certificate 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  
5.1.  Canada -CARIBCAN trade statistics are annexed in a series of tables to this report and include 
2021 trade data.  In general, these trade statistics indicate that:  
- In 2021, 95 per cent of total Canadian imports from CARIBCAN ben eficiaries entered Canada 
free of duty.  As shown in Annex III (i), just over $583 million of this trade entered under MFN 
free rates while $3.3 million entered duty -free under General Preferential Tariff (GPT).  $50 
million of this trade entered under the p referential CARIBCAN tariff (CCCT).  Annex IV shows 
the top twenty -five commodity imports benefiting from the CARIBCAN preference.   
 
- Total Canada -CARIBCAN trade (exports plus imports) was CAN $1.75 billion in 2021.  The value 
of Canadian imports from the reg ion had steadily risen from $851 million in 2009 to 
$939 million in 2019; however this figure dropped to $847 million in 2020 and $673 million in 
2021 most likely due to the COVID -19 pandemic.  Similarly, the value of Canadian exports to 
CARIBCAN countries had increased from $736 million in 2009 to $939 million in 2019 before 
falling to $694 million in 2020 before rebounding to $1.08 billion in 2021.  
 
6  STATISTICAL ANNEXES  
Annex I:    Total Imports from CARIBCAN Beneficiaries 2009 - 2021 
 
Annex II:    Total Canadian exports to CARIBCAN Beneficiaries 2009 - 2021 
 
Annex III (i) and (ii):  2021 Imports from CARIBCAN Beneficiaries by Tariff Treatment   
 
Annex IV:  Top 25 Merchandise Imports from CARIBCAN Beneficiaries which entered 
Canada under the CARIBCAN Duty -Free Tariff Treatment (CCCT) in 2021  
 
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  WT/L/1146  
 
- 3 - ANNEX I  
Total Canadian Imports from CARIBCAN Beneficiaries 2009 – 2021  
(thousands of Canadian dollars)  
Country  2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 
Anguilla  308 320 271 272 606 360 226 29 105 59 333 2,542  183 
Antigua 
and 
Barbuda  446 422 414 1,741  625 448 466 216 282 184 425 145 408 
Bahamas  30,995  55,121  21,881  146,573  44,069  92,051  35,720  13,641  12,901  4,834  19,301  8,057  8,175  
Barbados  8,663  9,680  6,921  9,578  18,851  12,942  11,557  11,888  12,173  14,212  14,844  15,484  18,889  
Belize  7,247  6,177  7,516  3,221  2,579  1,777  3,786  2,080  1,904  1,941  1,361  1,631  2,971  
Bermuda  10,968  1,389  979 29,015  17,709  31,013  35,319  38,650  30,160  1,133  449 514 570 
British 
Virgin 
Islands  720 622 821 1,102  28,258  2,529  1,520  938 2,868  1,392  1,633  861 291 
Cayman 
Islands  645 304 778 415 210 215 662 2,102  2,299  6,373  1,830  3,945  3,860  
Dominica  390 145 289 264 1,153  356 728 231 397 187 2,191  305 614 
Grenada  509 601 1,718  2,268  1,904  2,018  2,211  1,577  819 1,539  849 1,619  2,389  
Guyana  300,318  290,736  394,657  453,997  486,488  335,752  271,554  666,959  661,486  573,917  505,664  417,646  199,595  
Jamaica  164,764  161,934  275,412  101,951  205,772  264,949  241,310  204,888  191,258  141,791  113,527  84,834  69,839  
Montserrat  69 327 291 197 36 333 233 59 164 211 258 168 7,195  
Saint 
Christopher 
(Kitts) and 
Nevis  7,033  8,092  9,166  9,638  8,784  6,249  4,072  2,971  3,503  2,710  3,179  2,452  2,947  
Saint 
Lucia 2,289  203 273 268 349 423 509 692 688 265 667 1,002  928 
Saint 
Vincent and 
the 
Grenadines  219 162 259 170 173 126 110 143 71 1,888  73 114 75 
Trinidad 
and 
Tobago  314,955  459,179  388,961  246,424  188,761  557,843  342,388  189,494  176,076  334,882  271,981  305,886  354,012  
Turks and 
Caicos 
Islands  299 112 119 186 254 416 843 148 107 36 118 86 175 
Total:  850,837  995,526  1,110,726  1,007,280  1,006,581  1,309,800  953,214  1,136,706  1,097,261  1,087,554  938,683  847,291  673,116  
Source:  Statistics Canada.  
   
  WT/L/1146  
 
- 4 - ANNEX II  
Total Canadian Exports to CARIBCAN Beneficiaries 2009 -2021  
(thousands of Canadian dollars)  
Country  2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 
Anguilla  1,833  865 2,318  607 850 1,007  1,271  1,612  1,873  2,868  1,461  854 1,790  
Antigua and 
Barbuda  20,095  19,211  9,590  18,273  15,172  10,112  9,990  8,495  8,328  12,318  16,928  8,839  28,719  
Bahamas  146,232  150,620  127,275  486,780  189,761  242,015  68,832  114,895  214,579  395,061  258,733  145,903  350,863  
Barbados  55,448  36,675  44,248  58,853  147,317  187,559  66,607  37,412  33,649  33,119  34,974  42,163  43,136  
Belize  5,544  5,536  4,976  7,464  7,295  19,133  9,258  10,597  14,799  10,135  9,382  5,405  6,318  
Bermuda  56,630  37,647  73,760  22,122  33,658  29,914  36,408  67,260  44,494  41,076  37,343  63,551  82,177  
British Virgin 
Islands  3,271  22,175  48,168  1,619  2,536  28,628  12,399  3,531  3,774  3,976  2,478  4,430  2,392  
Cayman 
Islands  6,403  6,224  6,993  8,189  58,645  8,136  8,345  9,674  23,332  22,732  27,484  37,693  44,661  
Dominica  4,386  4,447  3,748  3,864  4,595  6,157  4,551  3,452  5,717  8,288  5,945  3,291  4,721  
Grenada  5,535  5,092  4,423  5,288  4,537  5,648  5,786  7,608  8,664  6,168  90,522  6,890  8,858  
Guyana  27,705  28,076  35,385  25,201  17,902  25,081  23,849  34,114  26,056  28,800  35,729  25,138  31,251  
Jamaica  117,954  125,076  106,081  129,416  114,177  111,919  104,329  101,674  112,932  122,808  126,686  110,241  126,291  
Montserrat  272 226 325 380 264 164 232 256 503 155 82 399 251 
Saint 
Christopher 
(Kitts) and 
Nevis  6,242  6,706  5,678  6,524  7,355  9,116  6,756  6,056  8,474  6,017  7,742  5,676  4,675  
Saint Lucia 10,040  35,745  8,476  9,183  10,247  11,202  9,925  9,561  8,303  7,784  7,927  13,646  17,753  
Saint Vincent 
and the 
Grenadines  11,583  10,788  6,742  6,538  8,760  13,045  9,530  6,201  4,964  3,953  3,900  11,669  20,624  
Trinidad and 
Tobago  251,109  289,026  332,950  319,383  333,293  307,597  293,762  205,405  292,312  388,882  267,607  204,804  299,801  
Turks and 
Caicos Islands  6,181  4,290  1,814  2,076  1,738  2,574  3,674  2,697  4,481  3,723  3,763  3,350  5,432  
Total:  736,463  788,425  822,950  1,111,760  958,102  1,019,007  675,504  630,500  817,234  1,097,863  938,686  693,942  1,079,713  
Source:  Statistics Canada.  
Notes:  Includes Canadian domestic exports only.  
 
   
  WT/L/1146  
 
- 5 - ANNEX III ( i) 
Duty Free  2021 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  182,960  148,002  0 0 148,002  81% 
Antigua and Barbuda  408,137  333,147  0 0 333,147  82% 
Bahamas  8,175,195  7,665,374  0 191 7,665,565  94% 
Barbados  18,889,028  1,388,533  0 4,528,276  5,916,809  31% 
Belize  2,970,594  2,237,676  18,659  246,456  2,502,791  84% 
Bermuda  569,685  168,798  0 191,646  360,444  63% 
British Virgin Islands  291,451  236,546  0 20,264  256,810  88% 
Cayman Islands  3,860,120  3,815,889  0 10 3,815,899  99% 
Dominica  613,610  507,649  0 0 507,649  83% 
Grenada  2,388,705  2,355,566  0 6,806  2,362,372  99% 
Guyana  199,564,838  185,053,681  3,327,324  8,123,659  196,504,664  98% 
Jamaica  69,839,478  30,471,014  0 27,795,232  58,198,542  83% 
Montserrat  7,194,785  7,182,467  0 0 7,182,467  100%  
Saint Christopher (Kitts) and Nevis  2,946,910  2,527,792  0 0 2,527,792  86% 
Saint Lucia  927,783  499,474  0 154,551  654,025  70% 
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines  75,364  45,504  0 14,833  60,337  80% 
Trinidad and Tobago  354,011,723  338,567,864  0 8,994,128  347,537,495  98% 
Turks and Caicos Islands  174,741  158,568  0 0 158,568  91% 
Total  673,085,107  583,363,544  3,345,983  50,076,052  636,693,378  95%  
Source:  Statistics Canada.  
 
 
   
  WT/L/1146  
 
- 6 - ANNEX III ( ii) 
Dutiable  2021 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  182,960  34,958  0 0 34,958  19% 
Antigua and Barbuda  408,137  74,990  0 0 74,990  18% 
Bahamas  8,175,195  509,630  0 0 509,630  6% 
Barbados  18,889,028  12,972,219  0 0 12,972,219  69% 
Belize  2,970,594  467,803  0 0 467,803  16% 
Bermuda  569,685  209,241  0 0 209,241  37% 
British Virgin Islands  291,451  34,641  0 0 34,641  12% 
Cayman Islands  3,860,120  44,221  0 0 44,221  1% 
Dominica  613,610  105,961  0 0 105,961  17% 
Grenada  2,388,705  26,333  0 0 26,333  1% 
Guyana  199,564,838  3,090,032  142 0 3,090,174  2% 
Jamaica  69,839,478  11,573,232  0 67,704  11,640,936  17% 
Montserrat  7,194,785  12,318  0 0 12,318  0% 
Saint Christopher (Kitts) and Nevis  2,946,910  419,118  0 0 419,118  14% 
Saint Lucia  927,783  273,758  0 0 273,758  30% 
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines  75,364  15,027  0 0 15,027  20% 
Trinidad and Tobago  354,011,723  6,449,731  0 24,497  6,474,228  2% 
Turks and Caicos Islands  174,741  16,173  0 0 16,173  9% 
Total  673,085,107  36,329,386  142 92,201  36,421,729  5% 
Source:  Statistics Canada.  
 WT/L/1146  
 
- 7 - 
 
  ANNEX IV  
Top 25 Merchandise Imports from CARIBCAN Beneficiaries which entered Canada Under 
CARIBCAN Duty -Free Tariff Treatment (CCCT) in 2021  
(in Canadian Dollars)  
HS Tariff  Description  Imports under 
CARIBCAN 
Treatment (CCCT)  
22084010  Rum 10,249,432  
22071000  Undenatured ethyl alcohol >= 80% vol for use in the manufacture of 
spirituous or alcoholic beverages  7,271,717  
29051100  Methanol (methyl alcohol)  4,098,994  
21039020  Mixed condiments and mixed seasonings  3,874,304  
07143000  Yams ( Dioscorea spp. ) 3,363,354  
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, carambolas, chayotes, 
cherimoyas (Jamaica apples)….  3,363,162  
19059039  Other [bread]  2,050,164  
22029990  Other [waters containing added sugar or other sweetening matter or 
flavoured]  1,984,555  
21039090  Other [sauces]  1,575,231  
22021000  Waters, including mineral waters and aerated waters, containing added 
sugar or other sweetening matter or flavoured  1,315,548  
07142000  Sweet potatoes  704,089  
19059043  Other biscuits: Containing 25% or more by weight of wheat, in packages of 
a weight not exceeding 1.36 kg each, over access commitment  578,919  
09109100  Other Spices: Mixtures not including Cubeb pepper  444,423  
22029939  Other [beverages containing milk]  434,204  
21069099  Other food preparations, including flavouring powders, extracts and 
essences; frozen or not frozen  393,990  
12119010  Herbal "tea" in bags for individual servings  370,128  
19053122  Other sweet biscuits [Containing 25% or more by weight of wheat, in 
packages of a weight not exceeding 1.36 kg each]  363,926  
09109900  Other spices  360,596  
08039000  Other bananas, fresh or dried  339,644  
03038900  Other [other fish, excluding edible fish offal]  315,760  
21069029  Other [Syrups derived from cane or beet sugar, containing added colouring 
matter; Food concentrates and fruit syrups for use in beverages or other 
food preparations]  306,328  
19053192  Sweet biscuits containing 25% or more by weight of wheat, in packages of 
a weight not exceeding 1.36 kg each, over access commitment  304,756  
20089710  Mixtures consisting of two or more of 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, carambolas, chayotes, ch erimoyas (Jamaica 
apples)….  286,072  
09011100  Coffee, not roasted, not decaffeinated  247,148  
19021929  Other [pasta, containing flour and water only]  233,081  
22042110  Wine, of an alcoholic strength by volume not exceeding 13.7% vol  228,730  
Source:  Statistics Canada import data.  
 
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