BELIZE CITY – A significant discrepancy has emerged between official statements and statistical evidence regarding import patterns within Belize’s commercial free zones. Prime Minister John Briceño has publicly asserted that tobacco products do not dominate the economic activity of the Corozal Free Zone. However, newly released data from the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) for the first ten months of 2025 presents a contrasting narrative.
The latest trade figures reveal a substantial upswing in free zone imports, registering an increase exceeding $10.3 million compared to the corresponding period in 2024. Total imports surged from $291.8 million to $302.1 million. A detailed analysis identifies cigarette imports as the primary catalyst for this growth, accounting for a dominant 32% of all goods entering the zones. This segment alone approached a total value of $100 million, reflecting a net increase of approximately $20 million year-over-year.
The statistical evidence was formally presented by SIB Statistician II Ronald Orellana. During a subsequent inquiry, when pressed to specify the exact proportion of growth attributable to cigarette imports, Orellana committed to providing a detailed breakdown following the presentation, underscoring the data’s complexity.
This economic trend raises pertinent questions about the composition of Belize’s import economy and the dynamics of its commercial free zones, highlighting a clear divergence between political rhetoric and empirical data.