Alcohol regulations in Trinidad and Tobago

Licences needed

Distiller's Licence or Compounder's Licence under the Spirits and Spirit Compounds Act; Certificate of Environmental Clearance (CEC) from the Environmental Management Authority (EMA); Town and Country Planning approval; Board of Inland Revenue (BIR) registration

Authority

Customs and Excise Division, Ministry of Finance

Documents

Detailed distillery and still specifications, land ownership or lease agreement, EMA certificate, BIR tax registration, character references, security bond

Fees

not confirmed

Time to obtain

not confirmed

Who can import

Registered commercial businesses and licensed spirit distributors with a valid Board of Inland Revenue (BIR) number and TTBizLink account

Licences or registrations

TTBizLink registration, Customs Importer/Declarant Registration; distilled spirits generally do not require a separate import license unless restricted on the Import Negative List

Authority

Customs and Excise Division (Ministry of Finance) and Trade Licence Unit (Ministry of Trade and Industry)

Documents

Commercial invoice, bill of lading or airway bill, CARICOM Certificate of Origin (for preferential tariff claims), Certificate of Analysis, Customs e-C82 import declaration

Fees

Standard customs clearance and processing fees; no specific import licence fee for unrestricted spirits

Time to obtain

not confirmed

Required

no

Process

Trinidad and Tobago does not operate a mandatory pre-market COLA/label-registration system for spirits. However, labels and products must comply with national compulsory standards enforced via port-of-entry inspection by the Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards (TTBS); voluntary label assessment is available from TTBS

Authority

Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards (TTBS) and Chemistry, Food and Drugs Division (Ministry of Health)

Documents and samples

Product label artwork, Certificate of Analysis, and Certificate of Free Sale from the country of origin upon request

Fees

TTBS import inspection fees apply per shipment

Renewal

not applicable

Time to obtain

not confirmed

Commercial clearance must be executed by a registered customs broker using ASYCUDA World. Importer must provide Certificate of Origin to qualify for CARICOM duty-free status. Shipments are subject to inspection by Customs and TTBS. Physical tax strip stamps are not currently required on imported spirit bottles.

Spirits under HS 2208 imported from non-CARICOM countries are subject to the CARICOM Common External Tariff (CET), historically levied as specific volume duties or ad valorem tariffs up to 20%-40%; in October 2026, the government announced a transition toward ad valorem value-based customs duties for high-value spirits from non-preferential trading partners.

Excise duty is levied under the Excise Duty (Alcoholic Beverages) Orders on locally manufactured and imported spirits; standard Value Added Tax (VAT) of 12.5% is applied to the aggregate CIF duty-paid value; a 7% Online Purchase Tax (OPT) applies to goods imported via airfreight couriers.

Regulated under the Liquor Licences Act Chap. 84:10. Licences are issued by district Licensing Committees (Magistrates' Courts) and include Spirit Retailer's Licence (on/off-premise sale), Spirit Grocer's Licence (supermarkets/grocery off-premise in sealed bottles), Wine Retailer's Licence, Spirit Dealer's Licence (wholesale), Restaurant/Special Restaurant Licence, and Occasional Licence. Operating hours are governed by the Shop (Hours of Opening and Employment) Act.

restricted; e-commerce spirit delivery is permitted only through licensed retailers/grocers holding a valid licence under Chap. 84:10, and sellers/couriers are legally required to verify that recipients are of legal age.

Must comply with TTBS compulsory standards (TTS/CARICOM regional standards for prepackaged goods): brand name, product classification/identity, net contents in metric units, alcohol by volume (% ABV), manufacturer/packer/distributor name and address, country of origin, lot/batch identification, and English language.

Permitted across broadcast and print media, subject to self-regulatory advertising industry codes, broadcast decency guidelines, and consumer protection legislation; advertisements must not target minors or encourage irresponsible consumption.

Governed by TTBS specifications and the Spirits and Spirit Compounds Act. Rum must be produced from fermented sugarcane products distilled at less than 96% ABV and typically bottled at a minimum of 37.5% or 40% ABV. Blended whisky manufactured locally requires neutral spirits blended with imported whisky base. International and CARICOM definitions generally enforce a 40% ABV minimum for whisky, gin, brandy, and vodka.

None; no dry municipalities or dry islands exist.

• In October 2026, the House of Representatives passed the Miscellaneous Provisions (Alcohol, Cannabis, Dangerous Drugs, Gambling and Tobacco) Bill, 2026, proposing to increase the legal purchase and consumption age for alcohol from 18 to 21 (with an exception for 18–20 year-olds handling alcohol during lawful employment) and requiring mandatory photo ID checks.
• In the National Budget presentation for fiscal 2027 (delivered October 2026), the government announced a proposed 25% reduction in alcohol excise duties and a restructuring of import customs tariffs on non-preferential alcoholic beverages from volume-based to ad valorem value-based charges.
• Updates were made to the Excise Duty (Alcoholic Beverages) Orders and duty collection rules administered by the Customs and Excise Division.

Strong demand exists for premium and ultra-premium imported spirits, particularly Scotch whisky, American bourbon, and high-end tequila, which complement rather than compete directly with domestic rum. International exporters can best access the market by partnering with established nationwide distribution houses possessing bonded warehousing and TTBizLink infrastructure.

• Customs and Excise Division, Ministry of Finance
• Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards (TTBS)
• Ministry of Trade and Industry / TTBizLink
• Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs

1. Ministry of Finance - Customs and Excise Division: Duties and Payment
2. Laws of Trinidad and Tobago: Liquor Licences Act Chap. 84:10
3. Laws of Trinidad and Tobago: Excise (General Provisions) Act Chap. 78:50 & Spirits and Spirit Compounds Act Chap. 87:54
4. Trinidad Guardian: Parliament Passes Miscellaneous Provisions Bill Raising Minimum Age to 21 (October 2026)
5. Vinetur: Trinidad and Tobago Proposes 25% Cut in Alcohol Excise Duties and Tariff Revisions (October 2026)
6. Ministry of Trade and Industry: Trade Licence Unit and TTBizLink Import Guidelines