Fabric softener duty in The Bahamas 2026-2027: 25%
The Bahamas Customs duty rate for fabric softener in 2026-2027 is 25% (tariff code 3809.9100). There is no environmental levy on this item. On top of that, every import pays a processing fee of 1% of the value (at least $10.00, at most $1,000.00) and 10% VAT on the landed cost, which includes the freight.
What fabric softener bought for $200 pays at Customs
Bought online and shipped by courier with $20.00 freight paid to the courier. The courier files the C18A parcel list and collects this from you, with its own handling fee on top. Type your own price into the card and the figures follow.
- Dutiable value
- $200.00
- Duty at 25%
- $50.00
- $10.00
- Environmental levy
- None
- Freight
- $20.00
- Landed cost
- $280.00
- VAT, 10% of landed cost
- $28.00
- Paid to Customs44% of the price
- $88.00
Freight paid to your courier is not dutiable, but it joins the landed cost that VAT is charged on.
The same fabric softener at three prices
Duty and VAT scale with the price, but the processing fee has a $10 floor and a $1,000 ceiling, so the share of the price that goes to Customs settles once the fee is past its floor. Freight is taken as 10% of the price, with a $15 minimum.
| Price paid | Duty | Fee | Levy | VAT | To Customs | Of the price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100 (low) | $25.00 | $10.00 | None | $15.00 | $50.00 | 50% |
| $200 (typical) | $50.00 | $10.00 | None | $28.00 | $88.00 | 44% |
| $600 (high) | $150.00 | $10.00 | None | $82.00 | $242.00 | 40% |
Tariff code 3809.9100: the Act’s line for fabric softener
Finishing agents and softeners of a kind used in the textile industry. The code, description and rate are from the schedule to the Tariff Act 2023, as amended by the Tariff (Amendment) Acts of 2024, 2025 and 2026 and in force from 1 July 2026, read against the Customs Department's booklet of frequently imported items and its online duty lookup.
How fabric softener compares with the other items
This guide covers 30 home: 3 duty free, and the rest run from 15% to 60% on mattress. At 25%, fabric softener sits in the middle of the category: 6 home pay less and 18 pay more. Across all 244 items with a percentage rate, 152 carry a lower rate and 76 a higher one. The most common rate is 0%, charged on 95 items.
Questions about fabric softener and Bahamas Customs
Is fabric softener duty free in The Bahamas?
No. The duty rate on fabric softener is 25%, charged on the price you paid.
How much will Customs charge if I buy fabric softener for $200?
About $88.00, which is 44% of the price: $50.00 duty, $10.00 processing fee, $0.00 levy and $28.00 VAT, with $20.00 freight paid to the courier.
How is VAT worked out on fabric softener?
VAT is 10% of the landed cost: the value plus freight plus duty plus the processing fee plus any levy. In the example that is 10% of $280.00, or $28.00. VAT is charged even when the item is duty free.
Can I bring fabric softener in my luggage without paying?
Residents may bring in $500 of dutiable goods twice a calendar year and visitors $100 per trip, declared on the C17 in the Exempt app. Anything above the allowance pays 25% duty on the excess, with no processing fee on accompanied baggage.
Is 25% a high duty rate for The Bahamas?
It is in the middle: of the 244 items in this guide with a percentage rate, 152 are charged less than fabric softener and 76 more. The most common rate is 0%, and 95 items are duty free.