G/LIC/Q/LCA/3  
 
2 May 2014  
(14-2664)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Import Licensing  Original: English  
 
IMPORT LICENSING SYSTEM OF SAINT LUCIA 
RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS RAISED BY THE UNITED STATES (G/LIC/Q/LCA/1) 
TO SAINT LUCIA IN RELATION TO THE IM PORT LICENSING SYSTEM OF SAINT LUCIA 
The following communication, dated 11 April 2014, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Saint Lucia.  
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Question 1:  
The laws and regulations relating to Saint Lucia’s import licensing procedures are contained in the following: 
 
 External Trade Act Chapter 13.11 
 External Trade (Restricted Imports) (Amendment) Order No. 118 of 2012 
 
These laws and regulations are published in the Official Gazette of Saint Lucia, prior to and after assent. The Official Gazette is published weekly. 
 
Question 2 
Saint Lucia is a small island developing state with an economy that is extremely vulnerable to natural disasters, particularly hurricanes. Man-made externalities such as climate change are also 
posing additional risks to the country’s agriculture sector, its food security and rural development.  
The island has the further vulnerability of a high level of dependency on external sources for most 
of its food supplies including animal protein.
1 This dependency is currently estimated at 
approximately eighty (80 percent) for poultry products and seventy (70%) for pork respectively.  
Given the importance of these key sources of animal protein for the diet and for the nutritional wellbeing of the resident population, the Government has taken the policy decision to increase 
local production of these products thereby reducing the country’s external dependence and 
susceptibility to any disruption in their supply from outbreaks of animal health disease or other threats.   
This action which is part of ongoing efforts to boost non-banana agriculture has the added 
objective of increasing rural employment which has been particularly low especially in the wake of the decline in the island’s banana industry which once served as the main source of rural 
employment and economic stability.  
 Accordingly the Government’s rationale for its action is based on its efforts and strategy to 
respond to these challenges and threats. The policy change is intended to achieve multiple 
objectives including increased food and nutritional  security and the promotion of rural employment 
and development.    
This action is also taken in the context of the Declaration of the World Summit on Food Security in 
Rome in 2009  which noted that food security should be a national issue that reflects highly in 
national programmes.  
 
                                               
1 This has led to an unsustainably high food import bill with potential adverse balance of payment 
implications in terms of a widening current account deficit. G/LIC/Q/LCA/3 
 
- 2 - 
 
  Notwithstanding, the Government of Saint Lucia wishes to notify that this policy is 
non-discriminatory in its application and that the measure which aims at a 10% increase in the domestic purchase requirement for poultry prod ucts is being implemented in an incremental 
manner of 5% in two phases and is subject to periodic review.  
 
Question 3 
The Government of Saint Lucia ensures that import licensing procedures are administered in a 
manner consistent with the principles and obligations of the WTO Agreement by ensuring that all 
importers are notified, in advance of the implemen tation of any amendments in relation to Saint 
Lucia’s Import Licensing Procedures.  
 
Stakeholders and importers are notified after consultations by letter and via publications in the Government’s Official Gazette.   
Question 4 
The Government of Saint Lucia’s most recent notification on Import Licensing Procedures was 
submitted to the Import Licensing Committee on Ju ly 16, 2013. Saint Lucia’s Notification under 
Article 1.4 (a), and Article 8.2 (b) of the Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures can be 
obtained in WTO document No. 13-4913 (G/LIC/N/1/LCA/4) dated 17 September 2013. Notification under Article 7.3 of the Agreem ent is available in WTO document No. 13-4910 
(G/LIC/N/3/LCA/6) of 17 September 2013. 
 Question 5 
Please refer to the Market Access Division of the WTO Secretariat, for July 2013 notifications and 
relevant copies of laws and regulations including Schedule 2 of the External Trade Act, 
Chapter 13.11 of the Revised Laws of Saint Lucia.  
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