Barbados

REDUCTION OF IMPORT SURTAX. The Government announced that effective April 1 the surtax charged on selected extra-regional goods imported into Barbados will be cut by more than half, and the Common External Tariff (CET) by five percentage points. This sharp decrease in duty on goods, from clothing to furniture to food products, should lead to n substantial increase in the dent and for U.S. products comments the American Embassy-Barbados:

. The surtax was implemented in 1994 to allow local manufacturers and exporters protection against imports from outside the region. On April 1, 1999 the surtax on imports will he reduced from 75%. to 35%Sc cent and will he removed completely on April 1, 2000. Also, the maximum tariff under the Common External Tariff (CET) will he reduced from 25% to 20%, starting April l, 1999;

The surtax is levied on a variety of extra-regional goods. Some of the items that will be affected by the reduction of the. surtax are: flour, margarine, pasta products, biscuits, cement. paints, thinners for paints, PVC pipe, paper products, clothing, furniture, aluminium windows, doors and parts, batteries, solar water heaters, stationery, mattresses and mattresses supports, prepared or preserved vegetables, frozen and non-frozen. A complete list is available on the U.S. Embassy website at

http://www.usia.gov/posts/bridgetown under...