Tools, Hardware and Building Materials: What Each Costs to Import
By George · updated 2026-08-24 · checked against the 2026 Bahamas tariff schedule
For anyone renovating, the Bahamian schedule draws a sharp line through the hardware store: materials are cheap to import and powered tools are expensive.
The rates
- Portland cement (2523.2900) — 0%
- Screws, nuts, bolts and fasteners (7318.1500) — 0%
- Solar photovoltaic panels (8541.4300) — 0%
- Hand tools: screwdrivers, hammers, wrenches (8205.4000) — 25%
- Power tools: drills, saws, grinders (8467.2100) — 45%
The 20-point gap between a hammer and a drill
A $60 set of hand tools attracts $15 duty, $10 processing and $8.50 VAT — $33.50 of charges, 55.8% of the item price. A $300 cordless drill attracts $135 duty, $10 processing and $44.50 VAT — $189.50, 63.2%, landing at $489.50.
The percentages are close because the fixed $10 fee weighs more heavily on the cheaper item, but in dollars the power tool costs nearly six times as much to bring in. On a full tool kit the difference runs to hundreds.
Materials are the good news
Cement and fasteners entering at 0% is a genuine concession, and it changes the arithmetic of a build. On materials your entire import cost is the $10 minimum (or 1% above $1,000) plus 10% VAT on the landed cost — call it 11–12% on top for anything of reasonable value.
Freight, not duty, is what you should be optimising on materials. Cement is heavy, forwarders bill by weight, and a duty-free item can still arrive at twice the US price if you air-freight it. Ocean freight and a single consolidated entry are the levers.
Solar is duty-free, with a concession on top
Solar panels enter at 0% under 8541.4300. There is also a dedicated concession (heading 98.9J) covering solar panel systems imported complete with all components needed to install one system, plus parts and accessories. As with all concessions it must be claimed on the entry with the right documentation — worth raising explicitly with your broker rather than assuming it applies.
See solar lookups.
Planning a renovation import
- Bring in materials. Cement, fasteners, and other 0% lines cost you roughly 11–12% over the US price plus freight. Consolidate into as few entries as possible.
- Bring in hand tools if you need them. 25% is real but survivable, and hand tools are light enough that freight is negligible.
- Think hard about power tools. At 45%, a US-priced drill has to be significantly cheaper than the local one to win. Price locally first.
- Check anything unusual. The hardware chapters are large and the rates are not uniform — look up the specific item.
Browse tools and hardware, or read the full schedule for chapter 82 (tools and cutlery) and chapter 73 (iron and steel articles).