St Kitts and Nevis increases duty-free concessions till 31 Jan

The government of St Kitts and Nevis has decided to extend the duty-free concession on non-commercial items until January 31, 2022, due to persistent supply chain problems around the world.

This concessionary allowance, which was announced by Prime Minister Dr Timothy Harris in November as part of a comprehensive Christmas/Carnival relief package in which non-commercial importers were granted a duty-free allowance of EC$540 or US$200 off the Cost, Insurance, and Freight (CIF) value of goods, was set to expire on Friday, December 31, 2021.

However, supply chain interruptions caused significant delays in package delivery, leading in many people being unable to clear their imported products over the Christmas/Carnival Season and therefore missing out on the allowed concessions.

Importantly, as previously announced by Prime Minister Timothy Harris, duty-free reductions on gift packages of goods up to 500 pounds in weight will be extended until February 28, 2022.

The extension has been made as the sudden spike of COVID-19 cases worldwide emerged as a major barrier in delaying flights, causing cargo ships to halt.

The government's decision to increase the deadline is likely to assist the business owners in taking benefit of the duty-free concessions as they are struggling to get their shipments delivered on time.