Essential foods such as rice, milk, eggs and bread will be exempt from customs duty for another year, thanks to a motion approved in the Anguilla House of Assembly.
During the latest meeting on 28 January, members voted in favour of temporarily removing the tax to assist with those struggling to cope with the high cost of living.
Premier Ellis Webster, who also serves as finance minister, presented the motion which would bring into law the Customs (Exemption of Custom Duties on Food Items) Regulations, 2025.
It explains that the Customs Act enables the governor to make regulations in relation to tariff rates – the latest of which she made on 10 January.
However, the law also determines that the regulations cannot take effect until they are approved through a formal vote by the elected members of the Anguilla House of Assembly.
Essential foods
The regulations say that certain food items will be exempt from customs duty from 1 January to 31 December, 2025.
The items are rice, brown sugar, white sugar, flour, chicken, milk, preparations for infant use, fresh, chilled or canned vegetables and fruit, fish, eggs and bread.
Webster said similar regulations were first enacted in 2022, however the previous exemption ended on 31 December, 2024.
“We want to continue to control the cost of these essential food items,” he said.
In the latest sitting of the Anguilla House of Assembly, all members voted in favour of the motion and it was passed without amendments.
The motion can be read in full here.
