📚 Viewing historical archive from: 16.08.2026
Morning family! Anyone here cleared a vehicle at the St. John's deep water harbour recently? I am importing a 2018 Toyota Vitz directly from a Japanese auction website. I want to know what the current customs duty percentage is for a 1.3L hatchback in 2026 and if the Port Authority fees went up.
For a 1.3L engine, customs duty is standard at 30%, plus you have the Environmental Levy and the Antigua and Barbuda Sales Tax (ABST) which is 15%. Total clearing cost usually lands around 50-60% of the CIF value on your invoice. Make sure your paperwork matches exactly what you paid, because if customs thinks the invoice is undervalued, they will look up their own book value and charge you way more.
@Barbuda_Rider Also keep in mind the tropical service update. As soon as that Vitz leaves the port, change the transmission fluid. Cars sitting on cargo docks in Japan and on the ocean cargo ships absorb a ton of moisture. The CVT gearboxes on those newer models will fail quickly if run on old fluid in our hot climate. Do a complete fluid flush immediately for peace of mind.