Appliances and the Environmental Levy
By George · updated 2026-08-24 · checked against the 2026 Bahamas tariff schedule
Appliances are the category where the environmental levy shows up, and where the duty rate has the least to do with how big or expensive the appliance is. A refrigerator is duty-free; the microwave beside it is 35%.
The rates
- Household refrigerators, 30 cu ft or less (8418.1010) — 0% duty, $10 levy
- Washing machines (8450.1100) — 5% duty, $10 levy
- Air conditioners (8415.1090) — 5% duty
- Household gas stoves, 30 in or less (7321.1110) — 0% duty
- Fans, table, floor, wall or ceiling (8414.5100) — 0% duty
- Microwave ovens (8516.5000) — 35% duty, $5 levy
- Electric cooking appliances — air fryers, toasters, coffee makers (8516.6090) — 35% duty
- Vacuum cleaners (8508.1100) — 45% duty
- Televisions (8528.7200) — 35% duty, $5 levy
What the levy actually is
The environmental levy is a fixed dollar amount per item, not a percentage — $10 on a refrigerator or washing machine, $5 on a TV or microwave, $3.50 on a car tire. It funds disposal and recycling programs for goods that are expensive to get rid of at end of life.
Because it is fixed, it barely registers on a large appliance and is proportionally heavier on a small one. It is also inside the VAT base, so a $10 levy costs $11.
Worked examples
- $800 refrigerator. No duty, $10 processing, $10 levy, $82 VAT. Total charges $102 — 12.8%. Lands at $902.
- $700 washing machine. $35 duty, $10 processing, $10 levy, $75.50 VAT. Total charges $130.50 — 18.6%. Lands at $830.50.
- $150 microwave. $52.50 duty, $10 processing, $5 levy, $21.75 VAT. Total charges $89.25 — 59.5%. Lands at $239.25.
- $300 vacuum cleaner. $135 duty, $10 processing, $44.50 VAT. Total charges $189.50 — 63.2%. Lands at $489.50.
- $1,400 television. $490 duty, $14 processing, $5 levy, $190.90 VAT. Total charges $699.90 — 50%. Lands at $2,099.90.
The pattern worth internalising: the big appliances are cheap to import and the small ones are expensive. A refrigerator adds 12.8%; a vacuum adds 63.2%. Nothing about size or weight predicts this — only the tariff heading does.
The energy-efficiency concession
Certified energy-efficient appliances can enter under concession heading 9869.00.00 at a reduced or zero rate. The concession is conditional and has to be claimed on the entry with the right documentation, so treat it as something to ask your broker or check on Click2Clear about rather than something that applies automatically.
See appliances people have looked up, televisions, or every line in chapter 84.