G/SCM/N/284/BLZ  
G/SCM/N/290/BLZ  
 
22 January 2016  
(16-0451)  Page: 1/4  
Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures  Original: English  
 
SUBSIDIES 
NEW AND FULL NOTIFICATION PURSUANT TO ARTICLE XVI:1  
OF THE GATT 1994 AND ARTICLE 25 OF THE AGREEMENT  
ON SUBSIDIES AND COUNTERVAILING MEASURES 
TRANSPARENCY NOTIFICATION CONCERNING  THE EXTENSIONS PROVIDED FOR IN 
ARTICLE 27.4 OF THE AGREEMENT ON SUBSIDIES AND COUNTERVAILING 
MEASURES OF THE TRANSITION PERIOD FOR THE ELIMINATION OF 
EXPORT SUBSIDIES, GRANTED PU RSUANT TO THE PROCEDURES 
IN THE GENERAL COUNCIL DECISION WT/L/691 
BELIZE 
The following communication, dated 19 January 2016, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of Belize.  
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Pursuant to the procedures contained in the General Council Decision in document WT/L/691, 
Belize hereby submits the following notification for 2014 assuring the Committee of our compliance to the standstill and transparency requirements und er the Decision. Belize made no changes to the 
following applicable subsidy programmes: 
 
 Programme under the Fiscal Incentives Act (Cap. 54) 
 Programme under the Export Processing Zone Act (Cap. 280) 
 Programme under the Commercial Free Zone Act (Cap. 278) 
During 2011-12 Belize notified all beneficiaries (ver bally and in writing) of the amendment of the 
export subsidy programmes, within the meaning of  Article 3 of the SCM Agreement, to ensure 
conformity with the conditions of the extensio n granted under Article 27.4 of the SCM Agreement 
and the GC Decision of 2007. A Technical Workin g Group (TWG) was instituted and this group 
created an Action Plan which was approved by Ca binet. In 2012, the country notified its Action 
Plan for reforming its subsidy programmes and on technical assistance received from the 
Caribbean Community Secretariat in its efforts to meet its obligations under the ASCM within the 
agreed timeframe.   
As per Belize's Action Plan, in 2014 the Commonwealth Secretariat provided a consultancy which 
undertook a comprehensive assessment of the three programmes with objectives of: an economic assessment of the cost/benefits of operating the programmes; examination of best practices in 
legislative reform; and drafting legal instruments in conjunction with the Attorney General's 
Ministry for presentation to Cabinet for considerat ion and approval. Additionally, over the past two 
years, Belize executed a number of items in the Action Plan which is outlined in Annex I (attached). The commitment of the Working Grou p to meet the compliance requirement has 
remained resolute on meeting the deadline for compliance. G/SCM/N/284/BLZ • G/SCM/N/290/BLZ 
 
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  ANNEX I 
Executed activities of the Action Plan 
 
Number Deliverable Status 
1 Formalization of the inter-institutional technical working group and 
development of its TOR Completed 
2 Request technical assistance in conducting a comprehensive 
assessment of the incentives programs Completed 
3 Solicit technical assistance in legal drafting from the Office of Trade 
Negotiations of the Commonwealth Secretariat and have initiated the collaborative process and established broad parameters of the way 
forward Completed 
4 Completion of economic  assessments Completed 
5 Review the results of the assessment on the incentive programs Completed 
6 Examination and agreement on the of policy and legislative options Completed 
7 Continue the sensitization program and informal dialogue with the 
private sector Completed 
8 Continue the sensitization program and informal dialogue with 
stakeholders, including the private sector with a view to updating and eliciting feedback on the legislative changes envisaged Completed 
9 Finalization of the framework to allow unrestricted sales of products 
from the EPZs and Free Zones into the national customs territory 
of Belize Completed 
10 Finalization of the eligibility criteria for the fiscal incentives program 
and approaches to grant of "Tax Holidays" Completed 
11 Commencement of legal drafting along with the Attorney General's 
Ministry and the Office of Trade Negotiations, Commonwealth 
Secretariat Ongoing 
 G/SCM/N/284/BLZ • G/SCM/N/290/BLZ 
 
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  ANNEX II 
Section A: The Fiscal Incentives Programme 
1. Description of the programme 
 See paragraph A:1 of document G/SCM/N/114/BLZ. 
2. Period covered by the notification 
 July 2013 - June 2015 3. Policy objective and/or purpose of subsidy 
See paragraph A:3 of document G/SCM/N/114/BLZ.  
4. Background and authority for the subsidy 
See paragraph A:4 of document G/SCM/N/114/BLZ.  
5. Form of the subsidy 
See paragraph A:5 of document G/SCM/N/114/BLZ.  
6. To whom and how the subsidy is provided 
See paragraph A:6 of document G/SCM/N/114/BLZ.  
7. Subsidy per unit 
See paragraph A:7 of document G/SCM/N/114/BLZ.  
8. Duration of the subsidy 
See paragraph A:8 of document G/SCM/N/114/BLZ.  
9. Statistical data on  impact of the programme  
Section B: The Export Processing Zone Programme  
1. Description of the programme 
 See paragraph B:1 of document G/SCM/N/114/BLZ. 
2. Period covered by the notification 
 July 2013 - June 2015 3. Policy objective and/or purpose of subsidy 
 See paragraph B:3 of document G/SCM/N/114/BLZ. 4. Background and authority for the subsidy 
 See paragraph B:4 of document G/SCM/N/114/BLZ. 5. Form of the subsidy 
 See paragraph B:5 of document G/SCM/N/114/BLZ. G/SCM/N/284/BLZ • G/SCM/N/290/BLZ 
 
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  6. To whom and how the subsidy is provided 
 See paragraph B:6 of document G/SCM/N/114/BLZ. 
7. Subsidy per unit 
 See paragraph B:7 of document G/SCM/N/114/BLZ. 8. Duration of the subsidy 
 See paragraph B:8 of document G/SCM/N/114/BLZ. 9. Statistical data on impact of the programme 
Year Exports (EPZ) (BZ$) Total Belize Exports (BZ$) 
2005 243,242,009 413,270,000 
2006 249,032,720 536,404,348 
2007 277,708,615 507,900,000 
2008 254,057,559 585,170,000 
2009 167,493,118 501,150,000 
2010 241,180,614 541,276,766 
2011 185,960,452 (provisional) 703,700,000 (provisional) 
2012 316,165,831.52 (provisional) 683,300,000 (provisional) 
2013 221,872,740.72 (provisional) 645,600,000 (provisional) 
2014 274,122,750.89 (provisional) 611,500,000 (provisional) 
1 BZ$ = 0.5 US$. 
Section C: Commercial Free Zone Programme 
1. Description of the programme 
 See paragraph C:1 of document G/SCM/N/114/BLZ. 
2. Period covered by the notification 
 July 2013 - June 2015. 3. Policy objective and/or purpose of subsidy 
 See paragraph C:3 of document G/SCM/N/114/BLZ. 4. Background and authority for the subsidy 
 See paragraph C:4 of document G/SCM/N/114/BLZ. 5. Form of the subsidy 
 See paragraph C:5 of document G/SCM/N/114/BLZ. 6. To whom and how the subsidy is provided 
 See paragraph C:6 of document G/SCM/N/114/BLZ. 7. Subsidy per unit 
See paragraph C:7 of document G/SCM/N/114/BLZ. 
8. Duration of the subsidy 
See paragraph C:8 of document G/SCM/N/114/BLZ. 
9. Statistical data on impact of the programme 
 See paragraph C:9 of document G/SCM/N/114/BLZ. 
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