The Bahamas is very open to trade, which represents 76% of its GDP. However, the country aims to reduce its dependence on a single sector and to further develop its foreign trade, so the Government is actively pursuing a policy of diversification and liberalisation of its economy. In spite of its high custom duties, complex rules and regulations on imports, the country has a liberal trade policy. The Bahamas mainly imports passenger and cargo ships (35.8%), refined petroleum (23.7%), special purpose ships (11.2%), crude petroleum (2.55%), and recreational boats (1.85%). Its main exports are passenger and cargo ships (49.5%), refined petroleum (8.2%), nitrogen heterocyclic compounds (7.11%), crustaceans (6.4%), and styrene polymers (5.3%). According to IMF Foreign Trade Forecasts, the volume of exports of goods and services increased by 22.3% in 2021 and is expected to continue to recover in 2022, when exports should increase by 71.2%. As for imports, the volume of imports of goods and services decreased by 0.2% in 2021 and is expected to increase to 29.8% in 2022.
The Bahamas maintains close economic and political ties with the United States, which is by far its largest trade partner, both in terms of trade and investment. The country's main partners besides the United States, are Poland, South Korea, Japan, China, and Ecuador. The Bahamas participates in a number of trade agreements, including the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) and the CARICOM Canada Free Trade Agreement, and is working towards joining the WTO. The Bahamas – along with 14 more Caribbean countries – signed with the EU the CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement, aimed at making it easier for people and businesses from the two regions to invest in and trade with each other, and thus to help Caribbean countries grow their economies and create jobs. The agreement also comes with substantial EU aid for trade.
Most of the country's industries are concentrated in Freeport, the second biggest city after Nassau, where a free trade zone has been operational since 1955. Due to low domestic production and high demand drawn by tourism, the Bahamas is very dependent on imports. The country's trade balance is structurally negative, a situation which should continue in the coming years. According to the latest available data from the WTO and the World Bank, in 2020, imports of goods totalled USD 1,9 billion, while exports equalled USD 354 million, resulting on a negative balance of USD 1,8 billion. Concerning the trade of services, the Bahamas imported USD 1,196 billion and exported USD 1,253 billion, resulting on a negative balance of USD 57,000.
Foreign Trade Indicators | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Imports of Goods (million USD) | 2,340 | 3,108 | 3,317 | 3,073 | 1,937 |
Exports of Goods (million USD) | 440 | 571 | 642 | 669 | 354 |
Imports of Services (million USD) | 1,640 | 1,730 | 1,664 | 1,651 | 1,196 |
Exports of Services (million USD) | 2,822 | 2,809 | 4,072 | 4,414 | 1,253 |
Imports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) | 4 | 9 | -4 | 1 | n/a |
Exports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) | 2 | 2 | 10 | 4 | n/a |
Trade Balance (million USD) | -2,150 | -2,538 | -2,675 | -2,404 | -1,824 |
Foreign Trade (in % of GDP) | 74 | 76 | 78 | 76 | n/a |
Imports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) | 37 | 40 | 38 | 37 | n/a |
Exports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) | 37 | 36 | 39 | 39 | n/a |
Source: WTO – World Trade Organisation ; World Bank - Latest available data.
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3.7 bn USD of services exported in 2018 | |
---|---|
89.76% | |
Personal travelPersonal travel | 89.76% |
OtherOther | 89.76% |
7.17% | |
Miscellaneous business,...Miscellaneous business, professional, and technical services | 7.17% |
Agricultural, mining, and...Agricultural, mining, and on-site processing services | 7.17% |
Other business servicesOther business services | 7.17% |
2.05% | |
Air transportAir transport | 1.42% |
PassengerPassenger | 0.76% |
OtherOther | 0.66% |
Sea transportSea transport | 0.63% |
OtherOther | 0.63% |
1.02% |
1.8 bn USD of services imported in 2018 | |
---|---|
35.04% | |
Miscellaneous business,...Miscellaneous business, professional, and technical services | 35.04% |
Other business servicesOther business services | 35.04% |
26.86% | |
Air transportAir transport | 16.70% |
PassengerPassenger | 10.28% |
OtherOther | 3.90% |
FreightFreight | 2.52% |
Sea transportSea transport | 10.16% |
FreightFreight | 10.06% |
OtherOther | 0.09% |
19.22% | |
Personal travelPersonal travel | 17.36% |
OtherOther | 11.72% |
Health-related expenditureHealth-related expenditure | 3.57% |
Education-related expenditureEducation-related expenditure | 2.07% |
Business travelBusiness travel | 1.86% |
OtherOther | 1.86% |
8.48% | |
Life insurance and pension fundingLife insurance and pension funding | 7.08% |
Freight insuranceFreight insurance | 1.40% |
7.44% | |
2.38% | |
Construction in the compiling...Construction in the compiling economy | 2.38% |
0.57% | |
Franchises and similar rightsFranchises and similar rights | 0.57% |
0.01% | |
Telecommunications servicesTelecommunications services | 0.01% |
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, Latest Available Data
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Member of Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
Member of Association of Caribbean States (ACS)
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Latest Update: April 2022