Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – Thursday, 27 February 2025: The Turks and Caicos Islands Border Force continues to uphold its commitment to trade compliance, recovering a further $1,389,347.71 in unpaid customs duties and fees from five major importers between September 2024 and January 2025. This latest recovery brings the total amount collected through compliance checks to $1,752,539.11 between May 2024 and February 2025.
The Border Force’s strengthened compliance measures ensure the accurate collection of customs duties, prevent fraudulent activities such as undervaluation or misclassification, and create a fair-trading environment for legitimate businesses. These efforts are essential in protecting the Turks and Caicos Islands’ economy from unfair competition and revenue losses.
The Director General, Emilio Seymour reaffirmed Border Force’s commitment to maintaining trade integrity, saying, "Recent intensified compliance checks have generated significant financial gains for the Turks and Caicos Islands, reinforcing the absolute necessity of adhering to customs regulations. As Border Force continues its focus on transparency and accountability, we call on all commercial importers to recognise compliance not just as a legal requirement, but as an investment in a secure and prosperous future for trade in the Turks and Caicos Islands."
The public is reminded that submitting false declarations to Border Force when importing goods can lead to serious consequences. In addition to owing unpaid duties and overpayments, importers risk having their goods seized, facing fines of up to $20,000, and even imprisonment for up to two years. These penalties apply to both paper and electronic submissions.
Additionally, members of the public are cautioned that bringing in controlled substances, firearms, offensive weapons, indecent materials, or certain plant, food, or animal products can result in fines of up to $50,000 and/or a prison sentence.
Border Force remains committed to working closely with customs brokers and importers to promote compliance and transparency. Through training initiatives and resource investments, the agency aims to support businesses in understanding and meeting their obligations, reducing disruptions, and enhancing the efficiency of customs procedures.
For all media enquiries, contact crilightbourne@gov.tc.