Trinidad and Tobago
SUBSIDY PROGRAMS: GENERAL
Last Changes Made August 31, 2002
Effective February 15, 2000, Import Administration began publishing "Decision Memos" to reduce the size of antidumping and countervailing duty Federal Register notices. In cases in which a decision memo was published, you will find a link to the memo listed below.
In addition, in the following programs, in instances below in which a proceeding was a Sunset Review, you will see the letters SR before "prelim" or "final".
COUNTERVAILABLE SUBSIDY PROGRAMS
The subsidy programs listed below have been investigated by the Department and have been found to be "countervailable" in the cases listed and during the periods reviewed based on the criteria established in the Tariff and Trade Act of 1930, as amended. Please refer to this Act for further detail of the criteria applied. In addition, you may click on the cases listed below the subsidy program title for a full explanation of the Department's analysis in those cases.
Export Allowance Under Act No. 14
Wire Rod (2000) 67 FR 6001 (2/8/02-prelim); 67 FR 169 (8/30/02-final); Final Memo not used
Wire Rod (1996) 62 FR 41927 (8/4/97-prelim); Suspended 62 FR 54960; 62 FR 55003 (10/22/97-final)
Under the provisions of Act No. 14 of 1976, companies in Trinidad and Tobago with export sales may deduct an export allowance in calculating their corporate income tax. Regardless of the magnitude of the export allowance, however, companies must pay a minimum income tax in the amount of the business levy or the corporate income tax, whichever is greater. We determined that this export allowance is a countervailable subsidy within the meaning of section 771(5) of the Act because it provides a financial contribution because in granting it, the GOTT foregoes revenue that it is otherwise due.
SUBSIDY PROGRAMS FOUND TO BE NOT COUNTERVAILABLE
The subsidy programs listed below have been investigated by the Department and have been found to be "not countervailable" in the cases listed and during the periods reviewed based on the criteria established in the Tariff and Trade Act of 1930, as amended. Please refer to this Act for further detail of the criteria applied. In addition, you may click on the cases listed under the subsidy program title for a full explanation of the Department's analysis in each case where the subsidy program has been examined.
Export Shipping Rates
Wire Rod (1982/83) 48 FR 48695 (10/20/83-prelim); 49 FR 484 (1/4/84-final)
Preferential shipping rates may be provided at government direction or with government financial assistance. The Shipping Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (SCOTT) acts as a broker in locating private cessel owners and negotiating shipping fees. As such, SCOTT is not responsible for setting rates, nor does it own any vessels. It is reimbursed for its services on a commission basis.
Wire Rod (1982/83) 48 FR 48695 (10/20/83-prelim); 49 FR 484 (1/4/84-final)
(See also Import Duty Concessions) Under the laws of Trinidad and Tobago, imports may or may not be subject to duties under any one of three tariff schedules. Products on the First Schedule, are assigned duties ranging from zero to some percentage of value. Those on the Second Schedule benefit a general exemption. The Third Schedule establishes conditional exemptions for approved industries.
Import Duty Concessions Under Section 56 of the Customs Act
Wire Rod (1996) 62 FR 41927 (8/4/97-prelim); Suspended 62 FR 54960; 62 FR 55003 (10/22/97-final)
(See also Import Duty Exemptions) Section 56 of the Customs Act of 1983 provides for full or partial relief from import duties on certain machinery, equipment, and raw materials used in an approved industries. The recipients of the exemption were not limited to a specific industry or group of industries. Therefore, these exemptions are not countervailable.
Point Lisas Development Estate (Point Lisas Development Zone Estate)
Wire Rod (1982/83) 48 FR 48695 (10/20/83-prelim); 49 FR 485 (1/4/84-final)
The Point Lisas Industrial Port Development Compnay, Ltd. (PLIPDECO) is responsible for development of services in the Estate is a corporation whose majority ownership and almost total control is in the hands of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago. We determined that the Estate does not exist as a means for teh GOTT to provide subsidies based on regional preference. Companies which locate there derive no special benefits as a result of their location.
Port Facilites
Wire Rod (1982/83) 48 FR 48695 (10/20/83-prelim); 49 FR 485 (1/4/84-final)
We determined that port services provided by the Point Lisas Development Estate authority are available to users following a standard schedule of tariffs do not represent a countervailable benefit. There are three docks at the Point Lisas Estate:
Provision of Electricity
Wire Rod (2000) 67 FR 6001 (2/8/02-prelim); 67 FR 169 (8/30/02-final); Final Memo
Wire Rod (1996) 62 FR 41927 (8/4/97-prelim); Suspended 62 FR 54960; 62 FR 55003 (10/22/97-final)
The Trinidad and Tobago Electric Commission ("TTEC"), which is wholly-owned by the GOTT, is the sole supplier of electricity in Trinidad and Tobago. For billing purposes, TTEC classifies electricity consumers into one of the following categories: residential, commercial, industrial, and street lighting. TTEC's rates and tariffs for the sale of electricity are set by the Public Utilities Commission which is an independent authority. We determined that TTEC received adequate remunerationin the 2000 investigation because the TTEC realized a profit on the rate at which the company was charged. Therefore, this program was not countervailable.
Provision of Natural Gas
Wire Rod (1996) 62 FR 41927 (8/4/97-prelim); Suspended 62 FR 54960; 62 FR 55003 (10/22/97-final)
NGC is the sole supplier of natural gas to industrial and commercial users in Trinidad and Tobago. NGC provides gas pursuant to individual contracts with each of its customers. Natural gas prices to small consumers are fixed with annual an escalator. Prices to large consumers are negotiated individually based on several factors.
Worker Training - Management Development Center(MDC)
Wire Rod (1982/83) 48 FR 48695 (10/20/83-prelim); 49 FR 485 (1/4/84-final)
The MDC is a government corporation whose purpose is to provide improved management knowledge. The MDC is active in five areas: (1) training courses; (2) consultancy; (3) research; (4) publications; and, (5) promotion of scientific management in the media. Any company in Trinidad and Tobago may subscribe to courses offered by teh MDC and fees for the courses are charged. MDC courses are available without restriction to all industries in Trinidid and Tobago.
SUBSIDY PROGRAMS DETERMINED NOT TO EXIST
The following subsidy programs were alleged by the petitioning industries and were investigated by the Department. However, during the investigation we found no evidence that such programs actually existed. If you click on the cases listed under the subsidy program title, you will be linked to each case in which the subsidy program was referenced. It is possible that, while the program named did not exist, a similar program having a different name actually was investigated. If this is the case, you will find that program listed elsewhere in this library.
No programs listed.
SUBSIDY PROGRAMS THAT HAVE BEEN TERMINATED
The subsidy programs listed below have been investigated by the Department and have been found to have been terminated based on the criteria established in the Tariff and Trade Act of 1930, as amended. Please refer to this Act for further detail of the criteria applied. In addition, you may click on the cases listed below the subsidy program title for a full explanation of the Department's analysis in each of these cases.
Marketing Assistance
Wire Rod (1982/83) 48 FR 48695 (10/20/83-prelim); 49 FR 484 (1/4/84-final) not used
Marketing assistance is provided by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago through the International Marketing Organization Fund, which was established as a GOTT owned non-revenue company for export promotion. In late 1982, the GOTT made the decision to terminate the IMC and ordered it to disband.
SUBSIDY PROGRAMS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN USED
When potential subsidy programs are investigated and found not to be used by the companies being investigated, the Department makes no determination as to their countervailability. If you click on the cases listed under the subsidy program title, you will be linked to each case in which the subsidy program was referenced.
Corporate Tax Exemption
Wire Rod (1996) 62 FR 41927 (8/4/97-prelim); Suspended 62 FR 54960; 62 FR 55003 (10/22/97-final) not used
No program description available.
Export Market Development Grants
Wire Rod (2000) 67 FR 6001 (2/8/02-prelim); 67 FR 169 (8/30/02-final); Final Memo not used
No program description available.
Export Promotion Allowance
Wire Rod (2000) 67 FR 6001 (2/8/02-prelim); 67 FR 169 (8/30/02-final); Final Memo not used
Wire Rod (1996) 62 FR 41927 (8/4/97-prelim); Suspended 62 FR 54960; 62 FR 55003 (10/22/97-final) not used
No program description available.
Preferential Export Insurance
Wire Rod (1982/83) 48 FR 48695 (10/20/83-prelim); 49 FR 484 (1/4/84-final) not used
Preferential export insurance is provided through the Export Insurance Company, Ltd. (EXICO). EXICO is a GOTT-owned company founded in 1974 to provide insurance to exporters against the risks involved in exporting goods on credit. Due to limitations on the amount of risk it can assume, EXICO deals only with small and medium-sized companies.
Preferential Loans
Wire Rod (1982/83) 48 FR 48695 (10/20/83-prelim); 49 FR 484 (1/4/84-final) not used
The Government of Trinidad and Tobago did not provide prefential loans.
Tax Benefits
Wire Rod (2000) 67 FR 6001 (2/8/02-prelim); 67 FR 169 (8/30/02-final); Final Memo not used
Wire Rod (1982/83) 48 FR 48695 (10/20/83-prelim); 49 FR 484 (1/4/84-final) not used
Under the Fiscal Incentives Act and other provisions of the tax laws of Trinidad and Tobago, preferential tax treatment may be accorded to some companies.
Worker Training
Wire Rod (1982/83) 48 FR 48695 (10/20/83-prelim); 49 FR 485 (1/4/84-final) not used
Worker training subsidies may be provided through the Industrial Development Corporation for worker training. The IDC's activities are limited to the support of training through grants to small businesses with assets of less than TT $25,000.