Belize is rapidly developing eCommerce sales channels but remains a relatively small market globally. In 2020, eCommerce revenues were estimated at US $1.8 million, but are projected to reach US $58 million in 2023, with the number of users in the eCommerce market is expected to amount reach 157,000 in 2027. The eCommerce environment is favorable given the high rate of mobile connectivity (94.7 percent) and social media penetration (69.6 percent) as of January 2022. Most of the population has mobile connectivity with access to broadband 3G or 4G coverage. A key advantage to purchasing online from the United States is the proximity to the American market, along with reliable modes of transportation and delivery of goods. Online purchases from the United States are commonplace with little to no barriers, but typically involve an intermediary at hubs, commonly in Florida or Texas. Consumer electronics is the largest eCommerce market in Belize, accounting for roughly one-third of revenue, followed closely by cosmetics and personal care. Furniture and appliances, fashion, and toys make up most of the remainder of market share.
Legal & Regulatory
Foreign online purchases are charged stamp duties and foreign exchange. This is regulated by the Central Bank and charged to customer’s credit card at the time of the purchase.
The Government of Belize passed a number of key pieces of legislation in 2021 related to ecommerce, including major laws on data sharing and protection, patents, and electronic transactions. In 2022, the Parliament passed the Digital Government Act (2022) to improve licensing and permits, as well as reduce costs and burdens for businesses and other government entities. Major laws enacted or amended are generally available in the National Assembly’s website at https://www.nationalassembly.gov.bz/.
Consumer Behavior
Popular U.S.-based social media platforms are used widely used as e-commerce platforms, particularly for consumer-to-consumer sales. However, much of Belize’s retail behavior is traditional, with the online share of sales being less than 10 percent overall. This is expected to increase slightly to nearly 15 percent by 2027. The most popular commercial eCommerce sites in Belize based on internet traffic are Alibaba, Amazon, E-bay, Facebook Marketplace, and Temu. Sales of second-hand American and European brands from consumer to consumer are popular in eCommerce due to lower price points. Local food service businesses such as bakeries, grocers and dairies do modest online sales locally, and some companies ship internationally. International tourists and foreign residents, particularly those from the United States, account for a significant portion of home-sharing eCommerce services on sites like AirBnb and residential real estate.
Digital Marketing & Social Media
The Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) hosted a “Made In Belize” virtual trade show and B2B event in June 2021 to showcase locally made products and services. In November 2021, the Belize Tourism Board hosted its first virtual travel expo, “Adventure + Sustainability” that offered a series of B2B virtual travel expos to connect travel advisors with hotels, tour operators, transportation companies, and other tourism service providers with a view of marketing Belize as a tourism destination.
Local service providers overview
Belize On (https://belizeon.bz) was launched in 2019 as the country’s first e-commerce platform, but as of 2022 the site was taken down for service upgrades and no longer active. Consequently, most eCommerce is dominated by major foreign-owned eCommerce providers.