Tools, Hardware and Building Materials: What Each Costs to Import
By George · updated 2026-10-08 · worked examples checked against the Bahamas Tariff Act (schedule version 2026-2027)
For a renovation, the Bahamas schedule splits the hardware store in two: materials are cheap to import and power tools are not.
The rates
- Portland cement (2523.2900): 0%
- Screws, nuts and bolts (7318.1100 to 7318.1900): 0% since July 2025, including wood screws and self-tapping screws
- Solar photovoltaic panels (8541.4300): 0%
- Hand tools such as screwdrivers, hammers and wrenches (8205.4000): 25%
- Power tools such as drills, saws and grinders (8467.2100): 45%
Hand tools versus power tools
A $60 set of hand tools pays $15 duty, $10 processing and $8.50 VAT: $33.50 in charges, 55.8% of the price. A $300 cordless drill pays $135 duty, $10 processing and $44.50 VAT: $189.50, or 63.2%, landing at $489.50.
The percentages are close because the $10 fee weighs more on the cheaper item, but in dollars the drill costs nearly six times as much to bring in. Across a full set of tools the difference runs to hundreds of dollars.
Materials
Cement, screws and bolts at 0% make a real difference to the cost of a building project. On those, your import cost is the $10 minimum (or 1% above $1,000) plus 10% VAT on the landed cost, roughly 11–12% on top for any reasonably sized order.
With materials it's freight you should be trying to reduce, not duty. Cement is heavy, forwarders charge by weight, and air freight can double the cost of something duty-free. Ocean freight and a single combined entry are what bring it down.
Solar
Solar panels come in at 0% under 8541.4300. There's also a separate concession (heading 98.9J) for complete solar panel systems imported with everything needed to install one system, plus parts and accessories. Like other concessions it has to be claimed on the entry with the right documents, so raise it with your broker instead of assuming it applies.
See solar lookups.
Planning a renovation
- Import materials. Cement, bolts and other 0% lines cost roughly 11–12% over the US price, plus freight. Combine them into as few entries as you can.
- Import hand tools if you need them. 25% isn't nothing, but hand tools are light, so freight is small.
- Think carefully about power tools. At 45%, a drill bought in the US has to be a lot cheaper than the local one to come out ahead. Check local prices first.
- Look up anything unusual. The hardware chapters are large and the rates vary, so 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).