Solomon Islands Member profile
No notifications submitted by Solomon Islands
Trade policy review
Latest Trade Policy Review (Report by the WTO Secretariat): WT/TPR/S/349/Rev.1
A. Import prohibitions and restrictions and import licensing
3.37.
Under the Customs and Excise Act, the Minister of Finance and Treasury may issue an order prohibiting imports of "any goods whatsoever" or from "any particular place".[52] However, this provision has not been used since the last TPR. The Comptroller of Customs may also refuse the release from Customs of "goods of any class or description chargeable with a duty of customs or excise... in quantities exceeding those which appear to the Comptroller to be reasonable in the circumstances".[53] Goods subject to this provision must be released after three months at the latest. According to the authorities, this provision has not been used in recent years.
3.38.
Solomon Islands maintains import prohibitions to protect public health, safety and morals, and the environment. Import bans cover counterfeit coins and currency, indecent or obscene materials, honey, certain knives and arms, matches containing white or yellow phosphorous, certain narcotics under the Dangerous Drugs Act, ozone-depleting substances, war relics, and wildlife specimens.
3.39.
Certain goods are subject to import licensing (Table 3.6). Only licensed persons can import medicines and poisons.[54] The licences specify the conditions under which a product may be imported into Solomon Islands. Solomon Islands has not notified its import licensing procedures, nor has it answered the questionnaire on import licensing.[55]
B. Export prohibitions and restrictions
3.64.
Under the Customs and Excise Act, the Minister of Finance and Treasury can issue an order prohibiting exports of "any goods whatsoever" or to "any particular place". However, this provision has not been used since the last TPR. Solomon Islands prohibits exports of certain narcotics under the Dangerous Drugs Act.[69] Exports for commercial purposes of wildlife specimens listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection and Management Act 1998 are also prohibited.[70] Under the Forest Resources and Timber Utilization Act, the exportation of certain round logs is prohibited.
3.65.
Export restrictions apply to wildlife specimens, certain medicaments, firearms and ammunition, certain marine products, war relics, and items of cultural significance. These items may only be exported with a licence granted by the Comptroller of Customs and Excise or the relevant government authority. Gold exports must be authorized by the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification, while exports of marine products must be authorized by the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources. A licence is also required for all products subject to export taxes (section 3.2.2). Timber exports still require "specific authority" from the Central Bank.
3.66.
Special licence requirements apply for the exportation of cocoa and copra. Licences are issued by the Commodities Export Marketing Authority (CEMA) against a non-refundable administration fee of SI$150 and an annual fee of SI$5,000. Exporters of copra and cocoa also pay a management levy to CEMA per ton exported of SI$50 or SI$60 respectively (or any rate approved by the CEMA Board).
WTO's environmental database (EDB)
The EDB contains environment-related measures that may qualify as QRs and therefore should be notified under the QR Decision.