WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/LIC/N/3/BRB/3 
6 January 2006 
 (06-0039) 
Committee on Import Licensing Original:   English 
  
 
REPLIES TO QUESTIONNAIRE ON IMPORT LICENSING PROCEDURES
1 
 
Notification under Article 7.3 of the  
Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures  
 
BARBADOS 
  
 The following notification, dated 13 December 2005,  is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of Barbados. 
 
_______________ 
  
Outline of system
 
 
1. The Government of Barbados maintains an import licensing system to regulate the 
importation of goods, which are subject to the licensi ng regime.  The system is administered by the 
Ministry of Commerce, Consumer Affairs a nd Business Development under the Miscellaneous 
Controls Act Chapter 329 of the Laws of Barbados.  
Purposes and coverage of licensing
 
 2. Products which are subject to import licen sing under the Miscellaneous Controls (General 
Open Import Licence) Regulations are listed in A nnex I and Annex II.  These products are permitted 
to be imported under licence, which are considered on a case-by-case basis.  
3. The system applies to goods originating out side Caricom (First Schedule of Annex I) and 
goods originating within Caricom (Third Schedule of Annex I).  4. The import licensing system is applied for:  
• Regulating and monitoring purposes; 
• Security purposes; 
• Protection of public morals; 
• Health purposes; and  
• Environmental purposes 
  Its objective is in no way to restrict the quantity or value of imports. 
                                                     
 
1 See G/LIC/3, Annex, for the Questionnaire. G/LIC/N/3/BRB/3 
Page 2  
 
Legislative Basis
 
 5. The import licensing scheme is a statutory re quirement maintained under the Miscellaneous 
Controls Act Chapter 329 of the Laws of Barbados.  
 
 The legislation does not leave designation of pr oducts to be subjected to automatic licensing 
to administrative discretion. However, in the inst ance of licensing to be issued for products which 
give rise to issues such as public morals, public saf ety and public health these licences are not issued 
automatically and are therefore subjected to admi nistrative discretion.  The respective statutory 
instruments are made available to the public by pu blication in the Official Gazette. Any changes such 
as subjecting new products to import licensing or re moval of existing products therefrom require 
legislative approval.  Procedures
 
 
6. No quantitative restrictions. 
 7.(a) Import authorization for applications must be  made in advance of importation.  Licences are 
processed within three to five working days, but can be granted within a shorter time limit.  
Applications for goods, which arrive owing to inadvertency, may be facilitated depending on 
the particular circumstance. 
 
(b) A licence can be granted immediately on re quest depending on the circumstance and/or the 
type of good. 
 (c) There are no time limits for the submission of import licence applications. 
 
(d) In some cases, the consideration of import licence applications is effected by a number of 
administrative bodies, which are competent to give advice on the issuance of a licence 
according to the type of imported good(s).  Appli cations for meat and meat products must be 
reviewed by the Veterinary Services of the Mi nistry of Agriculture and Rural Development 
before issuance by the Ministry of Commerce, Consumer Affairs and Business Development. 
In addition, applications for motorized vessels for pleasure or sports are considered by a 
Committee which makes recommenda tions to the Minister responsible for Commerce.  The 
representatives of the Committee comprise the Ba rbados Port Authority, the Customs and 
Excise Department,  the Ministry of Tourism a nd International Transport, the Barbados Coast 
Guard and the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. 
 
8. All licences are issued automatically, excep t goods falling under the following categories: 
 
• Health and safety 
• Public moral 
• Security 
  An application for an import licence is normally granted if it meets the ordinary criteria.  In 
the event of refusal to issue a li cence the applicant will be informed of the reasons for any refusal.  
Applicants have the right to appeal to any of the following persons:  
• Director 
• Permanent Secretary 
• Minister 
  G/LIC/N/3/BRB/3 
 Page 3 
 
 
 An applicant may approach the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and/or the Barbados 
Manufacturers’ Association to mediate on their behalf or seek redress in Civil Court.   Eligibility of importers to apply for licence
 
 
9. All importers may apply for an import licen ce under the Miscellaneous Controls Act Cap 329. 
 Documentation and other requirements for application for licence
 
 10. Applicants are required to state their pers onal or business name; address; the country from 
which the goods are sourced and the country from wh ich it is being consigned; the expected date and 
time of arrival; the relevant tariff heading; the descr iption of goods; the quantit y and the quoted c.i.f. 
value in Barbados dollars. No other document is required.  
 11. For the importation of goods from Caricom countri es, a certificate of origin is required as 
well as the commercial invoice.  For the importation of goods from non-Caricom sources only the 
commercial invoice is required.  12.  There is no licensing fee or administrative charge.  13. There is no deposit or advance payment requirement associated with the issuance of import 
licence. 
 Conditions of licensing
 
 14. A licence is valid for a period up to three m onths and can be extended by renewal upon expiry 
of that period by issuance of a new licence under the same procedure. 
 15. There are no penalties for the non-utilisation of an import licence or a portion thereof. 
 16. Import licences are not transferable between importers.  
17.(a) There are no other conditions attached  to the issuance of an import licence. 
 (b) The other conditions that may be attached to  the issuance of an import licence are as follows: 
 
• an import licence may be issued for manufacturing purposes only. 
• an import licence may be issued for goods to be re-exported.  
 
Other procedural requirements
 
 18. Imports are not subject to any other administrative procedures.  19. There are no hindrances to obtaining foreign exchange from the banking authorities for goods 
to be imported.  Licences are not required as a condition to obtaining foreign exchange.  Foreign 
exchange is readily available to cover licences issued and can be obtained from commercial banks 
once the importer is in possession of original invoices for the importation of goods.  Those without invoices are required to complete a Foreign Currency Import Form (FCI) from the Central Bank, after which authorization is given to obtain the currency.  G/LIC/N/3/BRB/3 
Page 4  
 
ANNEX I 
 Statutory Instruments Supplement No. 6  Supplement to Official Gazette No. 15 dated 16
th February 2004 
 S.I. 2004 No. 18 
 
Miscellaneous Controls Act 
Cap. 329 
 
MISCELLANEOUS CONTROLS (GENERAL OPEN 
IMPORT LICENCE) (NO. 2) REGULATIONS, 
2004 
 
 The Minister in exercise of the powers conferred on her by section 3(1) of the 
Miscellaneous Controls Act , makes the following regulations:  
 
1. These regulations may be cited as the Miscellaneous Controls (General Open 
Import Licence)(No.2) Regulations, 2004  
 
2. (1) No person shall, except in accord ance with the terms of a licence granted 
under section 10 of the Act, import any goods set out in the First Schedule  
from any country other than:  
 Second Schedule 
Act 2003-8 
First Schedule 
 
 (a) a country listed in the Second Schedule  being a country specified in 
section 5 of the Caribbean Community  Act; or  
 (b) a country that is declared to be a member of the CARICOM Single 
market and Economy under section 5(2) of the Caribbean Community  
Act.  
 
 (2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), no person shall, except in accordance 
with the terms of a licence granted under section 10 of the Act, import 
any goods set out in the Third Schedule  from any country referred in 
paragraph 1.  
 Third Schedule 
 
 (3) Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with any of the 
provisions of these Regulations is guilty of an offence and is liable on 
summary conviction to a fine of $100 000 or to imprisonment for a term of 2 years or to both such fine and imprisonment.  
 
3. The Miscellaneous Controls (Genera l Open Import Licence) Regulations, 
2004  are revoked.  
S.I. 2004 
No. 1 
  G/LIC/N/3/BRB/3 
 Page 5 
 
 
FIRST SCHEDULE  
 
(Regulation 2(1)) 
 
Tariff heading No. 
 Description of goods 
01.05 Live poultry 
02.01 Meat of bovine anim als, fresh or chilled 
02.02 Meat of bovine animals, frozen 
02.03 Meat of swine, fresh, chilled or frozen 
02.04 Meat of sheep or goats, fresh, chilled or frozen 
Ex 02.07 Meat of poultry of heading No. 01.05 fresh, chilled or frozen 
0210.101 Ham 
0210.102 Bacon 
03.02 Fish, fresh or chilled, excluding fish fillets and other fish meat of heading 
No. 03.04 
03.03 Fish, frozen, excluding fish f illets and other fish meat of 
heading No. 03.04 
03.04 Fish fillets and other fish meat, fresh, chilled or frozen 
04.01 Milk and cream, not concentrated nor containing added sugar or other 
sweetening matter 
04.02 Milk and cream concentrated or containing added sugar or other 
sweetening matter 
Ex 04.07 Birds' eggs in shell, fresh, excluding hatching eggs 
0702.00 Tomatoes, fresh or chilled 
0703.101 Onions, fresh or chilled 
0703.102 Shallots (échalot es) fresh or chilled 
07.04 Cabbages, cauliflowers, kohlrabi, kale  and similar edible brassicas, fresh 
or chilled 
07.05 Lettuce and chicory, fresh or chilled 
07.06 Carrots and turnips, beetroots, salsif y, celeriac, radishes and similar edible 
roots fresh or chilled 
07.07 Cucumbers and gherk ins fresh or chilled 
07.08 Leguminous vegetables, shelle d or unshelled fresh or chilled 
07.09 Other vegetables fresh or chilled 
07.10 Vegetables, uncooke d or cooked, frozen 
0714.20 Sweet potatoes 
Ex 08.07 Melons G/LIC/N/3/BRB/3 
Page 6  
 
Tariff heading No. 
 Description of goods 
1501.01 Lard 
15.07 Soya bean oil and its fractions, whether or not refined, but not 
chemically modified 
15.08 Groundnut oil and its fractions, whether or not refined, but not 
chemically modified 
15.09 Olive oil and its fractions, whethe r or not refined, but not chemically 
modified 
15.10 Other oils and their fractions, obtained solely from olives, whether or 
not refined but not chemically modi fied, including blends of these oils 
or fractions with oils or fractions of Heading No. 15.09 
15.11 Palm oil and its fractions, whethe r or not refined, but not chemically 
modified 
15.12 Sunflower seed, safflower or co tton-seed oil and fractions thereof, 
whether or not refined, but not chemically modified 
15.13 Coconut (copra), palm kernel or babassu oil and fractions thereof, 
whether or not refined, but not chemically modified 
15.14 Rape, colza or mustard oils and frac tions thereof, whether or not refined, 
but not chemically modified 
15.15 Other fixed vegetable fats and o ils and their fractions, whether or not 
purified, but not chemically modified 
16.01  Sausages and similar products of meat, meat offal or blood, food 
preparations based on these products 
16.02 Other prepared or preserved meats, meat offal or blood (excluding 
corned beef) 
Ex 17.01 Beet sugar and cane sugar in solid form 
19.02 Pasta, whether or not cooked or st uffed (with meat or other substances) 
or otherwise prepared, such as spaghetti, macaroni, noodles, lasagna, gnocchi, ravioli, cannelloni; couscous, whether or not prepared 
1905.301 Sweet biscuits 
1905.309 Other waffles and wafers 
1905.901 Biscuits unsweetened 
20.07 Jams, jellies, marmalades, fruit puree and fruit pastes 
2008.199 Other nuts including mixtures prepared and preserved 
Ex 20.09 Orange juice, grapefruit ju ice, pineapple juice, apple juice 
2103.201 Tomato ketchup 
2105.001 Ice cream  G/LIC/N/3/BRB/3 
 Page 7 
 
 
Tariff heading No. 
 Description of goods 
22.02 Waters, including mineral waters and aerated waters, containing added 
sugar or other sweetening matter or  flavoured and other non-alcoholic 
beverages 
22.03 Beer made from malt 
Ex 22.06 Shandy  
Ex 22.08 Shandy 
Ex 34.02 Powdered laundry detergent 
Ex 36.04 Fireworks 
Ex 38.23 "Chemshield" (the defence method of our times) 
Ex 38.23 "Mace" and similar products 
Ex 39.26 Handcuffs of plastic 
4418.20 Doors and their frames and thresholds 
4819.309 Other sacks/bags of paper with base at least 40 cm wide 
4821.10 Paper or paper board labels printed 
Ex 61.09 T-shirts 
7213.109 Bars and rods of non-alloy steel with defo rmations from rolling process 
Ex 73.26 Handcuffs of iron or steel 
Ex 82.11 Ratchet knives, spring-loaded knives including flick knives 
8507.20 Other lead-acid accumulators 
87.02 Public transport type passenger motor vehicles 
87.03 Motor cars and other vehicles principally designed for the transport of 
persons (other than those of Heading No. 87.02), including station wagons, and racing cars 
Ex 89.03 Yachts and other vessels for pleasure or sports 
9403.201 Other metal furniture used in schools, churches and laboratories 
Ex 95.04 Coin-operated amusement machines 
Ex 95.04 Equipment and accessories for gambling or parlour games (excluding 
gaming machines) for example blackjack tables, table counters, hand counters, roulette wheels, dice, dice boxes, croupier's rakes, etc. G/LIC/N/3/BRB/3 
Page 8  
 
SECOND SCHEDULE
 
 
(Regulation 2(1)) 
 
 
 Antigua & Barbuda    Montserrat 
 Belize      St Kitts and Nevis  Dominica     St. Lucia  Grenada     St Vincent and the Grenadines  G u y a n a       S u r i n a m e  
 Jamaica      Trinidad and Tobago  G/LIC/N/3/BRB/3 
 Page 9 
 
 
THIRD SCHEDULE  
 
(Regulation 2(2)) 
 
Tariff heading No. Description of goods 
0303.75 Dog fish and other sharks 
0303.793 Flying fish 
0303.799 Other fish, frozen 
03.04 Fish fillets and other fish meat (whether or not minced), fresh, chilled or frozen 
04.01 Milk and cream, not concentrated or  not containing added sugar or sweetening 
matter 
04.02 Milk and cream, concentrated or contai ning added sugar or other sweetening matter 
0702.00 Tomatoes, fresh or chilled 
0704.901 Cabbages, fresh or chilled 
0707.001 Cucumbers, fresh or chilled 
0709.903 Pumpkins, fresh or chilled 
Ex 08.07 Melons (including watermel ons) and pawpaws (papayas), fresh 
15.07 Soya bean oil and its fractions, whether or not refined, but not chemically modified 
15.08 Ground nut oil and its fractions, whethe r or not refined, but not chemically 
modified 
15.09 Olive oil and its fractions, whether or not refined, but not chemically modified 
15.10 Other oils and their fractions, obtained solely from olives, whether or not refined, 
but not chemically modified, including blends of these oils or fractions with oils or 
fractions of Heading No. 15.09 
15.11 Palm oil and its fractions, whether or not refined, but not chemically modified 
15.12 Sunflower seed, safflower or cotton-seed oil and fractions thereof, whether or not 
refined, but not chemically modified 
15.13 Coconut (copra), palm kernel or babassu  oil and fractions thereof, whether or not 
refined, but not chemically modified 
15.14 Rape, colza or mustard oils and fractions  thereof, whether or not refined, but not 
chemically modified 
15.15 Other fixed vegetable fats  and oils and their fractions, whether or not purified, but 
not chemically modified 
19.02 Pasta, whether or not cooked or stu ffed (with meat or other substances) or 
otherwise prepared, such as spaghetti, m acaroni, noodles, lasagna, gnocchi, ravioli, 
cannelloni, couscous, whether or not prepared 
1905.301 Sweet biscuits 
1905.309 Other waffles and wafers 
1905.901 Biscuits, unsweetened G/LIC/N/3/BRB/3 
Page 10  
 
Tariff heading No. Description of goods 
2008.199 Other nuts including mixtures prepared or preserved 
2009.11 Orange juice, frozen 
2103.201 Tomato ketchup 
2105.001 Ice cream 
2202.101 Aerated beverages 
2202.109 Other flavoured water 
2202.909 Other beverages 
2203.001 Beer 
2203.002 Stout 
3402.201 Dishwashing liquids 
3402.204 Liquid bleaches 
Ex 36.04 Fireworks 
Ex 38.23 "Chemshield" (the defence method of our times) 
Ex 38.23 "Mace" and similar products 
Ex 39.26 Handcuffs of plastic 
4418.20 Doors and their frames and thresholds 
4819.309 Other sacks/bags of paper with a base at least 40cm wide 
4821.10 Paper or paper board labels, printed 
Ex 61.09 T-shirts 
7213.109 Bars and rods of non-alloy steel with defo rmations from rolling process 
Ex 73.26 Handcuffs of iron or steel 
Ex 82.11 Ratchet knives, spring loaded knives including flick knives 
8507.20 Other lead-acid accumulators 
9403.201 Other metal furniture used in schools, churches and laboratories 
Ex 95.04 Coin-operated amusement machines 
Ex 95.05 Equipment and accessories for gamb ling or parlour games (excluding gaming 
machines), for example blackjack tables, table counters, hand counters, roulette 
wheels, dice, dice boxes, croupier's rakes, etc. 
 Made by the Minister this 13
th day of February 2004 
 Lynette Eastmond Minister responsible for Commerce, Consumer Affairs and Business Development  G/LIC/N/3/BRB/3 
 Page 11 
 
 
ANNEX II 
 
Statutory Instruments Supplement No. 65 
Supplement to Official Gazette No. 104 dated 16th December 2004 
 
S.I. 2004 No. 153 
 
Miscellaneous Controls Act 
Cap. 329 
 
MISCELLANEOUS CONTROLS (GENERAL OPEN 
IMPORT LICENCE) (GENERAL)(AMENDMENT) (No.3) 
REGULATIONS 2004 
  The Minister in exercise of the powers conferred on her by section 3 of the 
Miscellaneous Controls Act , makes the following regulations:  
 
1. These regulations may be cited as the Miscellaneous Controls (General Open 
Import Licence)(General)(Amendment)(No.3) Regulations, 2004   
 
2. The First Schedule to the Miscellaneous Controls (General Open Import 
Licence) Regulations, 2004  is amended by inserting the following tariff heading 
number and the description of goods set out  opposite thereto in the appropriate 
numerical order:   
 First Schedule  
S.I. 2004 
No. 18 
 "Tariff Heading Number  Description of Goods 
 
         Ex. 89.01           Hovercraft"   
3. The Third Schedule to the  Miscellaneous Controls (General Open Import 
Licence) Regulations, 2004  is amended by inserting the following tariff heading 
numbers and the description of goods set out  opposite thereto in the appropriate 
numerical order: 
 Third Schedule  
 "Tariff Heading Number  Description of Goods 
          Ex. 89.01           Hovercraft" 
 
         Ex. 8903.99          Jet skis, wave runners and  
           similar vessels" 
  
 
 
 
Made by the Minister this 9th day of December 2004 
 
Lynette P. Eastmond Minister responsible for Commerce, Consumer Affairs and Business Development 
__________