Bolivia is not a signatory of the 1996 World Trade Organization (WTO) Information Technology Agreement (ITA) nor the 2015 expansion (ITA II).

The Trade Licensing Act, 2024 introduces a licensing requirement applicable to online trade. Under Art. 2, an “e-business operator” is defined as a person who uses electronic and internet services to buy and sell goods. In addition, Art. 12 provides that any person wishing to commence a trade within a licensing district, including villages, must apply for a trade licence before commencing business. Art. 30 further prohibits any person from carrying on a trade within a licensing district without a licence granted by the relevant Board.
Art. 34(1), read together with Schedule VIII, expressly includes “E-Business Operators” among the categories of businesses for which a licence must be obtained, subject to a maximum annual fee of BZD 100. Public statements concerning the implementation of the Act indicate that the regime is intended to cover digital vendors, including sales conducted through Facebook Marketplace, WhatsApp stores, Instagram, and TikTok sales pages.

Belize does not implement any de minimis threshold, which is the minimum value of goods below which customs do not charge duties.

According to Art. 194 of the Belize Companies Act, a foreign company that carries on business in Belize shall, at all times, have a registered agent in the country. Pursuant to Art. 194.2, no person shall act, or agree to act, as the registered agent of a foreign company unless that person has obtained a licence from the Financial Services Commission established under the Financial Services Commission Act or any other applicable enactment. According to Art. 3, a foreign company means a body corporate incorporated, registered or formed outside Belize.

The Electronic Transactions Act provides a comprehensive consumer protection framework that applies to online transactions. According to Art. 49, a person using electronic communications to sell goods or services to consumers shall (i) provide accurate, clear, and accessible information about themselves; (ii) describe the goods or services offered; and (iii) provide information about the terms, conditions, and costs associated with a transaction, among others.

Belize has acceded to the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts.

Belize has adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Commerce.

Belize has not adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Signatures.

According to Art. 4 of the Infrastructure Sharing Regulations, all licensees shall (i) have a right and, when requested, an obligation to negotiate the sharing of infrastructure and facilities with each other for the purpose of providing public telecommunications services, or for any other purpose deemed to be in the public interest by the Commission; (ii) negotiate in good faith with each other on matters concerning the sharing of infrastructure and facilities; (iii) neither withdraw from nor impair arrangements for the sharing of infrastructure and facilities once already granted, unless authorised to do so by the Commission. Furthermore, pursuant to Art. 7 of the Regulations, a licensee shall provide infrastructure and facilities sharing under the same terms and conditions as that offered to any other licensee.

Section 3 of Statutory Instrument No. 152 provides that no person or entity may import, install, sell for use, or use any item of equipment in Belize listed in the Schedule, which includes radio receivers, transmitters, transceivers and accessories, satellite communications equipment, telecommunications equipment, and electromagnetic radiating devices, unless the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has issued a permit for that category of equipment. Under Section 4.2, an applicant for such a permit must submit a sample of the equipment where required, the prescribed fee, relevant literature, and the corresponding technical specifications. Section 5 authorises the PUC to recognise type approvals granted by other countries, provided the applicant supplies satisfactory documentary evidence demonstrating that the equipment qualifies for the recognition or exemption sought. Where a licensed telecommunications operator or service provider wishes to supply customer premises equipment and related services, it is sufficient for the operator or provider to attach a report confirming that the equipment has met acceptance testing requirements or has obtained international type approval.

Sections 143 and 144 of the Constitution of Belize stipulate that the government shall, at all times, retain majority ownership and control of Belize Telemedia Limited, the nation’s principal telecommunications provider.

It is reported that the government owns shares in Belize Telemedia Limited, the country’s largest telecommunications provider. The Government is the majority shareholder: it directly holds 49.3% of the issued ordinary shares, while the Social Security Board, another state entity, holds an additional 34.3%. The Central Bank of Belize holds a further 8.07% shareholding.

According to Art. 30 of the Telecommunications Act, the Public Utilities Commission of Belize may prescribe reasonable accounting procedures in accordance with international accounting and costing standards to determine the cost of operations, which shall be followed and implemented by all public telecommunication service providers. However, it is reported that no obligation requiring accounting separation or functional separation for SMP or dominant telecommunications operators have been set.