By Giulissa Hernandez 
For a small business owner in Belize, getting essential items from the U.S. should not feel like an obstacle course. But according to one frustrated entrepreneur, the problem wasn’t that it couldn’t make it to Belize; it’s that it’s been sitting in customs for nearly two months. Now, she is being asked to pay roughly $1,500 in freight, duties, taxes, and brokerage fees before she can finally get her hands on it.
Her post has sparked a heated discussion among small business owners across Belize. How are entrepreneurs supposed to keep their businesses moving when all these costs can turn a relatively small purchase into a four-figure expense?
Wild Roots, owned by Aliyah Elena from Bullet Tree, is a restaurant in Caye Caulker. Its focus is on wellness and a healthy lifestyle, providing food and drinks made with freshly farmed ingredients. The business has glowing reviews. This makes its two-month absence from social media odd. The owner recently took to Facebook to explain why her business has been “completely MIA.” In a now-privated post, Aliyah reveals that the unexpected costs and endless back-and-forth with this package have left her feeling stuck.
It all began when the freight company (which she doesn’t name) allegedly charged her $400 to deliver the package. In the past, she’s reportedly never had to pay more than $50 for delivery, yet she still “scraped up” the $400 and paid it anyway. Then it got stuck at customs.
Despite already paying the $400 shipping fee, Aliyah was then allegedly required to pay an additional $1,110. Apparently, $910 was for duty and the rest for a broker. Without paying these additional costs, Wild Roots would not be receiving the package.
“So for one small package, I’m now looking at close to $1,500 in total costs,” the Facebook post reads, “which is almost the same amount as the item itself!”
Aliyah understands mandatory customs fees and duty, but says this high of a price is unsustainable for a small business. Not only is $1,500 a large amount for them to pay, but without the product, the business is not generating as much income as it could be. Therefore, it’s a cycle of bad luck.
She ends her post by asking her followers, “If you are a small business owner in Belize who regularly imports supplies or equipment, I would genuinely love to hear how you handle customs, duties, taxes and brokerage fees.”
The most popular opinion in the comment section seems to be demands for the freight company’s name. In her post, she does mention how the freight company’s customer service was “extremely frustrating.” She adds that they were completely unhelpful, which only added to the stress of the entire situation.
One popular comment claims, “And because you don’t want to say the name, other small businesses will likely go through the same frustration. I’ve been through this and I absolutely named names … and it didn’t cost me nearly as much.”
Aliyah replies that she’s not blaming the freight company for the customs fees. “I definitely wouldn’t recommend them based on my experience,” she states, “but the bigger issue is the amount we are being charged in duties, taxes and broker fees just to get one small package released. That’s really what I’m frustrated about, the way these costs can put such a huge strain on small businesses in Belize.”
A helpful comment introduced the topic of the Fiscal Incentive Program held by Beltraide. Beltraide is a government-owned investment agency. It promotes economic growth for businesses in Belize and helps them gain their footing in the market. Their Fiscal Incentive Programs give certain businesses duty-free exemptions when importing certain materials. Of course, certain conditions must be met. The website has a list of eligible and ineligible categories a business falls under. The Facebook user explains all this to Aliyah, and she responds that she’s in touch with Beltraide.
The Deep Scroll has reached out to Wild Roots via Facebook message.
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