WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/LIC/N/3/BRB/4 
27 September 2007 
 
 (07-4061) 
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 communication, dated 25 September 2007, is being circulated at the request of the Delegation of Barbados.  
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Outline of System 
 
 
1. The Government of Barbados employs an impor t licensing system to regulate the importation 
of goods, which are subject to the licensing regime. The arrangement is managed by the Ministry of 
Commerce, Consumer Affairs and Business Deve lopment under the Miscellaneous Controls Act 
Chapter 329 of the Laws of Barbados.  
Purposes and Coverage of Licensing   
2. Products which are subject to import license under the Miscellaneous Controls (General Open 
Import Licence) Regulations are lis ted in Annex I and Annex 11.2  
These products are allowed to be imported unde r licence, which is considered on a case-by-
case basis.  
3. The system applies to goods originating outside CARICOM (First Schedule of Annex I) and 
goods originating within CARICOM (Third Schedule of Annex I).  
4. The import licensing system is applied for  
(i) Monitoring purposes;  
(ii) Security purposes;  
(iii) Protection of Public Morals;  
(iv) Health purposes; and  
                                                      
1 See document G/LIC/3, Annex, for the Questionnaire. 
2 The Regulations are available for consultation in the WTO Secretariat (Market Access Division) 
(English only). G/LIC/N/3/BRB/4 
Page 2  
 
  (v) Environmental purposes. Its objective is in no way to restrict the quantity or value of 
imports.  
 Legislative Basis
  
5. The import licensing scheme is a statutory requi rement maintained under the Miscellaneous 
Controls Act Chapter 329 of the Laws of Barbados.  
The legislation does not leave designation of prod ucts to be subjected to automatic licensing 
to administrative discretion. However, in the inst ance of licences to be issued for products which give 
rise to issues such as public morals, public safety and public health these licences are not issued 
automatically and are therefore subjected to ad ministrative discretion. The respective statutory 
instruments are made available to the public  by publication in the Official Gazette. Any changes such 
as subjecting new products to import licensing or re moval of existing products there from 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 recommendations to the Minister responsible for Commerce.  The 
representatives of the Committee comprise  The Maritime Affairs Division (International 
Transport) of the Ministry of Tourism and In ternational Transport, The Customs and Excise 
Department, The Ministry of Tourism and Inte rnational Transport and the Department of 
Commerce and Consumer Affairs.  
8. All licences are issued automatically except goods falling under the following categories: 
• Health and Safety  
• Public Morals  
• 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: 
  G/LIC/N/3/BRB/4 
 Page 3 
 
 
  • Director  
• Permanent Secretary  
• Minister  
 
An applicant may approach the Barbados Ch amber of Commerce and Industry 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 licence under the Miscellaneous Controls Act Cap 329.  
Documentation and Other Requirements for Application for Licence   
10. Applicants are required to state their persona l or business name, address, the country from 
which the goods are sourced and the country from which they are being consigned, the expected date 
and time of arrival, the relevant tariff heading, the description of the good(s), the quantity and the 
quoted C.I.F. value in Barbados dolla rs. 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 importati on 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 advanced payment associ ated with the issuance of import licence.  
Conditions of Licensing  
14. A licence is valid for a period up to three mont hs 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-utilization of an import licence or a portion thereof.  
16. Import licences are not transferable between importers.  
17. There are no other conditions attached to  the issuance of an import licence.  
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. 
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