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Belize

US Revised Tariffs (%)

10

Ease of doing business

theboardiQ Tariffs Dashboard:

Powering Mutually Beneficial Global Trade.

 

Understand the complexities of international tariffs and ease of doing business across nations to cultivate balanced trade relationships, streamline operations, and deliver cost savings to end consumers.

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Revised Tariff %
Original Tariff %
Country Tariff Rate %
Share of US Imports % (1 implies <1%)
10
10
18.1
1
Exports (in USD Bill.) 2024
Imports (in USD Bill.) 2024
Balance (in USD Bill.) 2024
0.59
0.08
0.51

Implications

As of early 2026, the trade relationship between the United States and Belize is entering a period of significant adjustment. While Belize has long enjoyed duty-free access under the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI), new "America First" trade policies have introduced a baseline reciprocal tariff.


The Belizean government has been actively lobbying for exemptions through CARICOM, emphasizing that these tariffs threaten nearly $45 million in national exports.


US-Belize Trade & Tariff Status (2026 Update)

Category

Details & Current Status

Current Tariff Rate

10% Baseline Reciprocal Tariff (Effective late 2025/early 2026). This is applied to most goods that previously entered duty-free under the CBI.

Existing Deals

Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI): Still active, but currently "superimposed" by the new baseline tariff. Belize is pushing for a full exemption to restore 0% rates.

New Agreements

Safe Third Country Agreement (Oct 2025): Focuses on migration and asylum management rather than trade, but serves as a diplomatic leverage point for trade negotiations.

GDP Impact

Moderate to High Risk: Tourism (40% of GDP) remains stable as it's a service, but the agricultural/export sector (crucial for foreign exchange) faces a contraction due to increased costs.

Trade Balance

The US remains Belize’s largest partner (approx. 42% of imports). The trade deficit is expected to widen as the cost of Belizean exports to the US rises.

Impact Analysis by Sector & Company


The following table outlines how specific Belizean industries and key companies are navigating the 2026 tariff landscape:

Impacted Sector

Key Companies / Entities

Nature of Impact

Sugar & Agribusiness

ASR/Belize Sugar Industries (BSI)

Higher costs for bulk sugar exports to the US; potential loss of competitiveness against non-tariffed global producers.

Marine Products

National & Northern Fishermen Co-ops

Lobster and shrimp exports face 10% price hikes at the US border, squeezing profit margins for local fishers.

Agro-Processing

Marie Sharp’s Fine Foods

Iconic pepper sauce exports are hit; company may need to focus more on the EU/UK (CARIBCAN/EPA) to offset US costs.

Manufacturing

Belize Brewing Co. / Beverage Sector

Increased costs for imported raw materials from the US, combined with export hurdles for finished goods.

Services (BPO)

Ready Call Center, Transparent BPO

Low/Positive Impact: Tariffs do not apply to services. BPOs may see growth as Belize remains a cost-effective nearshore alternative.

Strategic Outlook for 2026


  • Regional Response: Belize is leading a proposal within CARICOM for a Regional Emergency Competitiveness Fund to provide low-cost credit to MSMEs struggling with the new US trade costs.

  • Diversification: There is an intensified push to utilize the CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement and CARIBCAN (Canada) to reduce over-reliance on the US market.

  • Diplomacy: Expect continued high-level talks between the Belizean Embassy in Washington and the US Trade Representative (USTR) to secure a "Country-Specific Exemption" based on Belize's cooperation in migration and security.

US Revised Tariffs

Country Tariffs

Balance of Trade

Commercial Guide

Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in countries, prepared by U.S. Embassies worldwide, Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals

Tariff Rate for US

World Bank staff estimates using the World Integrated Trade Solution system, based on tariff data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development's Trade Analysis and Information System ( TRAINS ) database and global imports data from the United Nations Statistics Division's Comtrade database.

US Imports Guide 

United States Imports from Countries during 2024, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. United States Imports from Countries- data, historical chart and statistics - was last updated on April of 2025.

Investing in USA

theboardiQ Economic Relevance Score, ranks States of USA based on 11 parameters

Sources : ForbesUSDA Economic Research | TCGen Total Innovation Rank Index | Best States for Manufacturing | World Population Review | Tax Foundation | US News | BEA Data | Wikipedia International Trade Administration

theboardiQ's Economic Relevance Score provides a comprehensive, data-driven assessment of a nation's economic vitality and global significance. This score is meticulously calculated using 11 key parameters, each reflecting a critical facet of economic performance. It analyzes the representation of Fortune 500 companies within a nation, a strong indicator of its business environment and market size. The balance of trade surplus or deficit reveals the nation's international competitiveness and export strength. It incorporates Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a fundamental measure of overall economic output, and examine the health of key sectors like agriculture and manufacturing. The score also accounts for innovation, gauging a nation's ability to drive future growth through technological advancements. Crucial labor market indicators such as employment rates are considered, alongside fiscal policies reflected in tax rates. To capture the lived experience of citizens, it assesses cost of living and disposable income, providing insight into purchasing power and economic well-being. Finally, education levels are integrated, recognizing their pivotal role in fostering a skilled workforce and driving long-term economic development. By synthesizing these 11 parameters, theboardiQ's Economic Relevance Score delivers a nuanced and holistic view of a nation's economic standing, enabling informed strategic decisions. The Top 5 States in the assessment are Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, Florida and Washington. Texas does consistently well across most of the 11 variables especially in the areas of GDP, F500 representation in the State, Balance of Trade where it ranks 2nd nationally. North Carolina scores as the highest-ranking state nationally in manufacturing and performs consistently across the other variables. Virginia does well in disposable income where it ranks 3rd nationally. It also scores high in the variables of manufacturing and employment Florida holds the 4th ranking nationally for GDP and Tax Washington State scores the top spot for disposable income nationally, 2nd for education and 3rd for innovation. Colorado, with an overall rank of 7 scores the top spot for Education (schools and higher education). Nebraska, that ranked 10th overall, did well in Agriculture where it is ranked 3rd nationally as well as Trade Balance where it ranked 5th. Illinois, though ranked 20th overall did well nationally in F500 representation, GDP, Agriculture, and Disposable Income. Pennsylvania comes in at 21 overall doing well nationally in GDP (6th); Manufacturing (8th) and F500 representation (8th) New York scores 23rd overall with a 2 ranking in Disposable Income nationally, as well as 3rd in both F500 representation and GDP. California comes in at 29th overall and has the top spot ranking in a whopping 4 variables nationally – GDP, Innovation, Agriculture and F500 representation. However, performance in the areas of Trade Balance, Cost of Living, Tax, Manufacturing and Employment resulted in the overall ranking dipping. Wyoming at 30th overall scores the top spot nationally in the area of Tax Massachusetts at 31 overall does well in innovation where it is ranked 2nd nationally Arkansas at 36 and Alabama at 39, do well in overall Cost of Living where they are ranked 2nd and 3rd nationally, respectively. Louisiana ranked 44th overall is ranked 1st in Trade Balance nationally.

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