Guides to importing into The Bahamas

How Bahamas Import Fees Actually Work

Duty, the 1% processing fee, environmental levy and 10% VAT — what each charge is, the order they apply in, and how they stack.

By George · updated 2026-08-24

Everything That Is Duty-Free in The Bahamas

The full duty-free list by category — computers, books, medicine, baby gear and more — plus what it still costs you.

By George · updated 2026-08-24

How to Self-Clear a Package on Click2Clear

Step-by-step: clearing your own shipment through Bahamas Customs’ Click2Clear portal, what you need, and when it is worth it.

By George · updated 2026-08-24

Amazon Global vs a Florida Freight Forwarder: Which Is Cheaper?

The two ways Bahamians get Amazon orders, what each really costs, and the four questions that decide it per order.

By George · updated 2026-08-24

How to Read Amazon’s Import Fees Deposit (and Compare It to Bahamas Duty)

What the deposit is, why it disagrees with the real Bahamas duty, and what to do when it reads high or low.

By George · updated 2026-08-24

Why 10% VAT Costs You More Than 10%

VAT is charged on the landed cost, not the item price — so on a 45% duty item it works out closer to 15.5%.

By George · updated 2026-08-24

The 1% Processing Fee, Its $10 Minimum, and Its $750 Cap

The fee everyone forgets. On small parcels the $10 minimum dominates the bill; above $75,000 the cap makes it vanish.

By George · updated 2026-08-24

Duty-Free but Not Tax-Free: The Excise Trap

Cars, fuel, spirits and firearms are free of customs duty — and then pay excise instead, at rates up to 65%.

By George · updated 2026-08-24

Electronics: Why Your Laptop Is Free and Your Soundbar Is 45%

Computing gear is duty-free, phones are 10%, and audio and gaming are 45% — the widest spread of any category.

By George · updated 2026-08-24

Appliances and the Environmental Levy

Fridges are duty-free, microwaves are 35%, vacuums are 45% — and several appliances add a fixed per-item levy.

By George · updated 2026-08-24

Clothing and Footwear: The 20% Rule and Its Exceptions

Almost all adult clothing and shoes sit at 20% — but the $10 entry minimum means small orders land far higher.

By George · updated 2026-08-24

Furnishing a Home in The Bahamas: Duty from 0% to 60%

Mattresses carry the highest duty rate most people will ever meet — 60% — while LED lighting is free.

By George · updated 2026-08-24

Baby Gear Is Almost Entirely Duty-Free

Clothing, diapers, strollers and cribs all enter at 0% — the clearest carve-out in the Bahamian schedule.

By George · updated 2026-08-24

Tools, Hardware and Building Materials: What Each Costs to Import

Cement and fasteners are free, hand tools are 25%, power tools are 45% — plan a renovation around the split.

By George · updated 2026-08-24

Consolidate Your Orders: Why Four Small Parcels Cost More Than One Big One

The $10 processing minimum is charged per entry, not per item — so batching orders cuts import charges outright.

By George · updated 2026-08-24

Where Import Estimates Go Wrong: HS Classification

Nearly every wrong duty estimate is a wrong tariff code. How the 6,699-line schedule is structured and where it bites.

By George · updated 2026-08-24

Import It or Buy It Locally? A Decision Framework

The break-even test, the multipliers to apply per duty band, and the categories where a local retailer usually wins.

By George · updated 2026-08-24