Customs Duty Calculator

Saint Martin – Important Facts

St. Maarten has a narrow economic base, as tourism accounts for 80% of the economy and about four-fifths of the labor force is engaged in this sector. Nearly 1.8 million visitors came to the island by cruise ship and roughly 500,000 visitors arrived through Princess Juliana International Airport in 2013. Cruise ships and yachts also call on Sint Maarten’s numerous ports and harbors. Limited agriculture and local fishing means that almost all food must be imported. Energy resources and manufactured goods are also imported. Sint Maarten had the highest per capita income among the five islands that formerly comprised the Netherlands Antilles.

The economy of Saint Martin centers on tourism with 85% of the labor force engaged in this sector. Over one million visitors come to the island each year with most arriving through the Princess Juliana International Airport in Sint Maarten. No significant agriculture and limited local fishing means that almost all food must be imported. Energy resources and manufactured goods are also imported, primarily from Mexico and the US. Saint Martin is reported to have the highest per capita income in the Caribbean.

As an island in the Caribbean, Saint Martin enjoys the kind of weather and natural geography that supports tourism. Its proximity to the rest of the Caribbean has also provided economic benefits with the airport serving as the main gateway to the Leeward Islands and the larger post-Panamax cruise ships making regular stops to the island. For more than two centuries, exports have generally been salt and locally grown commodities, like sugar. The island offers duty-free shopping. There are few business restrictions to hinder growth. Though the French (north) and Dutch (south) parts differ slightly in terms of their economies and types of tourists, they share the Caribbean’s largest lagoon, which has been populated by yachts.

Important Details

  • Country ISO3 : MAF
  • Country Code : 663
  • Income Group : High Income
  • Lending Category : NA
  • Region : Latin America and the Caribbean
  • Currency Unit: Euro (EUR) in French part; Netherlands Antillean guilder (ANG) in Dutch part
  • WTO Member : No
  • Trade organisations : Windward Islands Federation of Labour
  • world rank : NA
  • Regional Ranking : NA