Alcohol regulations in Micronesia, Federated States of

Licences needed

State Alcoholic Beverage Control Manufacturer/Distiller License, plus State Foreign Investment Permit (if foreign-owned) and municipal business permit

Authority

Respective State ABC Boards and State Departments of Commerce/Resources & Development

Documents

not confirmed

Fees

not confirmed

Time to obtain

not confirmed

Who can import

Licensed commercial businesses with state ABC import permissions and valid business licenses; individuals may import up to 52 fluid ounces (1,500 ml) of spirits duty-free for personal consumption

Licences or registrations

State Alcoholic Beverage Control Import License / state wholesale business license and national importer tax registration

Authority

FSM Customs and Tax Administration (National Department of Finance and Administration) and State ABC Boards

Documents

Commercial invoice, bill of lading/air waybill, customs import entry form, and state import clearance/license

Fees

not confirmed

Time to obtain

not confirmed

Required

no

Process

No national product brand registration or label pre-approval process (such as US COLA or central excise formula registration) is mandated; standard commercial import documentation and clearing through FSM Customs apply

All imported spirits must be declared upon arrival at official ports of entry with FSM Customs. Goods cannot be imported into states or municipalities where alcohol is legally prohibited (such as dry municipalities in Chuuk). No federal excise tax stamps or strip stamps are required. Duty-free personal allowance is limited to 52 fluid ounces (1,500 ml) per adult traveler.

$12.00 per gallon on distilled alcoholic beverages under 54 FSMC § 221(6) (Public Law No. 13-60).

National specific import duty of $12.00 per gallon on distilled spirits. States levy their own local sales and excise taxes (ranging between 1% and 5%, or specific municipal fees). There is no national VAT/GST.

Private licensed retailers, package stores, bars, restaurants, and hotels licensed by state ABC Boards. No state retail monopoly. In Kosrae, retail sale and consumption are prohibited on Sundays; in Chuuk, commercial sales are banned in dry municipalities.

not confirmed

No separate national spirits labeling regulations exist; standard commercial packaging in English stating the product description, brand name, net volume, alcohol by volume (% ABV), country of origin, and manufacturer details is accepted. No national tax stamps required.

State-level restrictions apply; Pohnpei State prohibits commercial advertising of alcoholic beverages in any medium; national public health policies restrict alcohol sponsorship and promotion.

not confirmed

Extensive local prohibition exists. Under municipal local-option laws in Chuuk State, most municipalities—including the state capital and commercial center of Weno—are legally dry. Kosrae State bans selling and drinking alcohol on Sundays. Public drunkenness is strictly punished throughout the nation and is treated as a felony in Yap State.

Congressional Bill No. 24-26 introduced before the FSM Congress proposed restructuring national import duties across Title 54 FSMC § 221, replacing flat rates with a volumetric strength-based duty of $0.005 per fluid ounce per percentage point of ABV for all alcoholic beverages, allocating 3% of collected revenues to the national Health Revolving Fund.

The FSM is entirely dependent on imported distilled spirits, with steady niche demand from the hospitality and expatriate sectors in Pohnpei and parts of Yap. Exporters should partner with established general trading distributors capable of navigating state-by-state licensing and municipal dry laws.

• FSM Customs and Tax Administration, Department of Finance and Administration
• Chuuk State Alcoholic Beverage Control Board
• Pohnpei State Government
• Yap State Government

1. FSM Code Title 54 Chapter 2 Subchapter II: Import Duties (§ 221 Levy and Rates)
2. FSM Department of Finance and Administration - Public Law 13-60 Import Tax Changes
3. Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia - Congressional Bill No. 24-26
4. Chuuk State Code Title 3 Subchapter B: Alcoholic Beverage Control Board (§ 1011-1048)
5. Code of the State of Pohnpei Title 66: Regulated Substances (Alcoholic Beverages)