WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/L/804 
23 November 2010 
 (10-6257) 
General Council 
14-15 December 2010 Original:   English/ 
 French 
 
 
 
CANADIAN TARIFF TREATMENT FOR COMMONWEALTH 
CARIBBEAN COUNTRIES 
 
2010 Report of the Government of Canada on the  
Trade-Related Provisions of CARIBCAN  
   The following communication, dated 19 November 2010, is being circulated at the request of 
the Delegation of Canada. 
_______________ 
 
Introduction 
 
 CARIBCAN is an economic and trade development 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. 
  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 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 comm odities originating in Commonwealth Caribbean 
countries.   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 15 December 2006 the WTO extended the 
CARIBCAN waiver until 31 December 2011 (WT/L/ 677).  The conditions associated with the 
CARIBCAN waiver remain unchanged. 
  This report is being made in accordance with paragraph 3 of the WTO waiver of 
15 December 2006 and Article IX of the WTO Agreement. 
 
Country Coverage  
 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,  Bahamas, Barbados, 
Belize, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, 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 additions or deletions from this list have 
occurred since CARIBCAN was enacted on 15 June 1986.  WT/L/804 
Page 2  
 
  Product Coverage  
 
 There have been no amendments to CARIBCAN product coverage since the changes made in 
February 1998.   
 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 . 
 
Rules of Origin  
 
 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 . 
 
 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.  
Trade under CARIBCAN  
 
 Canada-CARIBCAN trade statistics are annexed in a series of tabl es to this report and include 
2009 trade data.  In general, these trade statistics indicate that:   - In 2009, 98 per cent of total Cana dian imports from CARIBCAN beneficiaries 
entered Canada free of duty.  As show n in Annex III, $608 million of this trade 
entered under MFN free rates while $8 million entered duty-free under General 
Preferential Tariff (GPT).  $215 million of th is trade entered under the preferential 
CARIBCAN tariff (CCCT).  Annex IV show s the top twenty-five commodity imports 
benefiting from the CARIBCAN preference.   
 
- Total Canada-CARIBCAN trade (e xports plus imports) for 2009 was 
CDN $1.6 billion in 2009.  The value of Canadian imports from the region has risen from $550 million in 1999 to $851 million in 2009.   The value of Canadian exports to 
CARIBCAN countries has risen from $477 milli on in 1999 to $736 million in 2009. 
 
Statistical Annexes:  
 
Annex I:  Total Imports form CARIBCAN Beneficiaries 1999 - 2009  Annex II:  Total Canadian exports to CARIBCAN Beneficiaries 1999 - 2009 
 
Annex III:  2009 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 2009  
   WT/L/804
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Total Canadian Imports from CARIBCAN Beneficiaries 1999 – 2009 Annex I 
(thousands of Canadian dollars)          
Country 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 
Anguilla 8 9 10 13 8 27 145 153 149 211 308 
Antigua - Barbuda 402 10,380 340 954 748 579 558 407 564 5,468 446 
Bahamas 25,959 14,003 13,785 16,941 48,149 55,652 56,816 23,274 63,303 73,519 30,995 
Barbados 10,652 7,375 9,118 7,543 6,282 8,508 7,368 13,615 8,117 8,498 8,663 
Belize 14,027 9,868 3,739 6,381 4,501 8,325 9,651 9,558 10,959 10,842 7,247 
Bermuda 19,689 17,614 2,369 3,803 1,655 12,511 17,738 16,783 3,192 1,910 10,968 
British Virgin Islands 614 1,376 1,324 501 1,146 1,785 2,699 4,120 1,994 13,246 720 
Cayman Islands 654 522 27,571 3,818 2,242 1,108 441 280 314 193 645 
Dominica 1,642 1,698 775 944 358 313 775 253 398 337 390 
Grenada 1,602 1,523 1,037 1,476 1,082 1,259 944 957 701 877 509 
Guyana 192,020 197,800 209,474 225,368 201,099 197,704 147,206 142,093 161,534 225,084 300,318 
Jamaica 201,074 197,727 324,783 270,927 264,871 346,608 393,028 418,261 370,906 327,580 164,764 
Montserrat 248 94 113 267 453 238 104 542 222 139 69 
St. Christopher (Kitts) and Nevis 5,120 4,399 6,121 7,458 8,722 8,185 7,868 8,798 4,270 5,236 7,033 
St. Lucia 580 1,413 237 411 266 366 512 164 313 155 2,289 
St. Vincent and the Grenadines 152 404 310 619 124 123 125 297 568 136 219 
Trinidad & Tobago 73,688 72,327 195,141 166,704 232,921 156,281 237,073 307,597 413,473 341,400 314,955 
Turks & Caicos Islands 1,823 1,647 1,007 2,347 7,980 6,871 7,525 6,917 5,146 1,933 299 
Total: 549,954 540,178 797,254 716,475 782,607 806,443 890,576 954,069 1,046,123 1,016,764 850,837 
            
Source :  Statistics Canada.           
Notes:  A dash (-) indicates that an amount is nil or  negligible.          
 
  
  WT/L/804 
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Total Canadian Exports to CARIBCAN Beneficiaries 1999-2009                                                                                                                                                  Annex II 
(thousands of Canadian dollars)           
Country 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 
Anguilla 673 651 2,802 1,301 802 1,215 1,559 1,564 1,386 2,590 1,833 
Antigua - Barbuda 11,402 10,727 10,434 7,970 17,273 15,534 14,968 68,527 17,174 21,194 20,095 
Bahamas 26,301 26,018 27,706 33,245 28,883 30,392 59,949 51,275 91,210 226,436 146,232 
Barbados 41,087 33,783 29,104 33,629 41,979 44,769 55,729 59,411 55,216 45,392 55,448 
Belize 3,332 2,598 3,505 5,079 5,271 5,425 6,347 8,693 6,395 6,594 5,544 
Bermuda 42,973 34,540 34,715 107,599 42,945 59,301 66,405 68,131 59,035 61,823 56,630 
British Virgin Islands 28,743 60,187 2,240 2,167 2,129 2,637 2,786 3,672 2,057 8,694 3,271 
Cayman Islands 8,127 8,286 63,858 6,807 7,671 10,738 22,374 33,523 55,092 14,019 6,403 
Dominica 5,560 4,436 2,671 2,614 7,668 4,967 4,585 5,456 4,531 5,619 4,386 
Grenada 4,839 4,023 3,142 4,450 5,868 6,056 6,956 6,550 5,928 5,653 5,535 
Guyana 14,655 8,073 8,068 10,373 9,536 10,603 15,330 22,968 25,710 20,318 27,705 
Jamaica 96,699 99,815 121,933 158,212 124,650 163,755 144,312 142,636 190,138 187,298 117,954 
Montserrat 83 289 214 291 300 434 510 364 252 383 272 
St. Christopher (Kitts) and Nevis 10,646 9,633 16,147 27,036 12,059 3,982 5,380 7,101 8,753 7,930 6,242 
St. Lucia 12,524 9,683 7,375 7,804 7,423 8,059 7,020 11,494 15,083 12,309 10,040 
St. Vincent and the Grenadines 4,633 4,906 3,941 3,743 5,874 5,130 6,978 9,830 9,767 7,688 11,583 
Trinidad & Tobago 161,936 110,822 156,222 136,808 125,507 121,475 141,525 178,797 210,182 262,673 251,109 
Turks & Caicos Islands 2,357 2,341 2,366 2,933 10,372 7,182 8,258 12,387 11,556 7,044 6,181 
Total: 476,570 430,811 496,443 552,061 456,210 501,654 570,971 692,379 769,465 903,657 736,463 
            
Source :  Statistics Canada.           
Notes:  A dash (-) indicates that an amount is nil or negl igible.  Includes Canadian domestic exports only.     
  WT/L/804 
 Page 5 
 
 
   
Annex III (i) 
       
Duty Free  2009 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 307,983 95,250 - - 95,250 31% 
Antigua and 
Barbuda 445,866 232,978 - 1,648 234,626 53% 
Bahamas 30,995,326 26,118,696 - 1,301,092 27,419,788 88% 
Barbados 8,662,745 569,069 3,841,809 3,500,677 7,911,555 91% 
Belize 7,247,101 5,031,826 72,650 923,588 6,028,064 83% 
Bermuda 10,967,865 10,114,060 - 373 10,114,433 92% 
Br. Virgin Is. 720,216 614,198 - - 614,198 85% 
Cayman Islands 644,610 496,597 - 5,801 502,398 78% 
Dominica 390,327 87,528 - - 87,528 22% 
Grenada 508,724 152,326 342,595 642 495,563 97% 
Guyana 300,317,525 292,683,536 3,531,714 3,022,535 299,237,785 100% 
Jamaica 164,764,382 139,596,821 254,001 17,919,035 157,769,857 96% 
Montserrat 68,984 45,188 - - 45,188 66% 
St. Christopher 
(Kitts) and Nevis 7,032,955 7,008,115 - - 7,008,115 100% 
Saint Lucia 2,289,225 2,254,024 532 - 2,254,556 98% 
Saint Vincent/Gren. 218,607 100,965 - 94,062 195,027 89% 
Trinidad and 
Tobago 314,954,661 122,241,817 339,710 188,363,120 310,944,647 99% 
Turks/Caicos Is. 298,879 274,094 - - 274,094 92% 
Total 850,835,981 607,717,088 8,383,011 215,132,573 831,232,672 98% 
       
Source : Statistics Canada.      
Notes:  A dash (-) indicates that an amount is nil or  negligible.      
 WT/L/804 
Page 6  
 
   
Annex III (ii)
       
Dutiable  2009 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 307,983 212,733 - - 212,733 69% 
Antigua and Barbuda 445,866 211,240 - - 211,240 47% 
Bahamas 30,995,326 3,575,538 - - 3,575,538 12% 
Barbados 8,662,745 733,865 17,325 - 751,190 9% 
Belize 7,247,101 1,219,037 - - 1,219,037 17% 
Bermuda 10,967,865 853,432 - - 853,432 8% 
Br. Virgin Is. 720,216 95,952 10,066 - 106,018 15% 
Cayman Islands 644,610 142,212 - - 142,212 22% 
Dominica 390,327 297,676 5,123 - 302,799 78% 
Grenada 508,724 13,161 - - 13,161 3% 
Guyana 300,317,525 839,788 239,952 - 1,079,740 0% 
Jamaica 164,764,382 6,897,558 96,967 - 6,994,525 4% 
Montserrat 68,984 23,796 - - 23,796 34% 
St. Christopher (Kitts) and Nevis 7,032,955 24,840 - - 24,840 0% 
Saint Lucia 2,289,225 34,669 - - 34,669 2% 
Saint Vincent/Gren. 218,607 23,580 - - 23,580 11% 
Trinidad and Tobago 314,954,661 3,970,116 39,898 - 4,010,014 1% 
Turks/Caicos Is. 298,879 24,785 - - 24,785 8% 
Total 850,835,981 19,193,978 409,331 0 19,603,309 2% 
       
Source : Statistics Canada.      
Notes:  A dash (-) indicates that an amount is nil or  negligible.      
 
  WT/L/804 
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Annex IV
   
Top 25 Merchandise Imports from CARIBCAN Beneficiaries which entered Canada Under 
CARIBCAN Duty-Free Tariff Treatment (CCCT) in 2009 (in Canadian Dollars) 
HS 
Tariff Description Imports under 
CARIBCAN 
Treatment 
(CCCT) 
29051100 Methanol (methyl alcohol) 99,235,945 
27111100 Liquefied natural gas 85,583,335 
22084010 Rum 10,883,653 
22071010 Undenatured ethyl alcohol >= 80% vol for use in the manufacture of 
spirituous or alcoholic beverages 4,478,192 
03061100 Rock lobster and other sea crawfish ( Palinurus spp ., Panulirus spp. , 
Jasus spp. ) 2,270,654 
20059990 Other [Other vegetables and mixtures of vegetables] 1,335,957 
21039020 Mixed condiments and mixed seasonings 1,258,796 
22021000 Waters, including mineral waters and aerated waters, containing added 
sugar or other sweetening matter or flavoured 1,116,070 
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] 968,522 
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 (Jam aica apples)…. 749,421 
19059049 Other biscuits [Containing less than 25% by weight of wheat] 712,578 
73269090 Other [articles of iron or steel] 525,100 
21039090 Other [sauces] 491,141 
19053122 Sweet biscuits containing 25% or more by weight of wheat, in 
packages of a weight not exceeding 1.36 kg each, over access commitment 480,831 
85369091 Other: Junction boxes;
Receptacle boxes of metal 467,984 
22029090 Other [nectars] 419,812 
42031000 Articles of apparel of leather or of composition leather 351,563 
20089990 Other [Berries, berry pulp, other fruit and pulps] 278,857 
04063010 Processed cheese, not grated or powdered, within acces s commitment 230,615 
22030000 Beer made from malt 206,227 
83061090 Other [Bells, gones and the like, other than church bells] 201,201 
17049090 Other [Sugar confectionery (including white chocolate), not containing 
cocoa, not including chewing gum, whether or not sugar-coated] 177,470 
19053199 Other [sweet biscuits, waffles and wafers] 140,114 
19021992 Other pasta contacing 25% or more by weight of wheat, in packages of 
weight not exceeding 2.3 kg  each, over access commitment 132,279 
20079990 Other [nut purée; fruit purée] 128,778 
   
Source : Statistics Canada import data.  
 
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