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A barrel is the cheapest way to send clothes, food and gifts to family on the island. We connect you with one vetted partner who supplies the barrel, ships it and clears it at Port Castries. Prices start from around £80. It's free to ask.
✅ The quick answer — Tell us what you're sending and we connect you with one vetted partner. Free.
💰 How much — From around £80, depending on barrel size and what's inside.
📦 What fits — Clothes, tinned and dried food, toiletries, gifts and small household items.
🎄 At Christmas — St Lucia often waives duty and VAT on personal barrels in the festive window.
📍 Where it clears — Port Castries, then on to your family's address.
Barrel shipping is the classic, low-cost way for families to send goods to St Lucia. You fill a sturdy plastic or fibre barrel, usually 30 to 65 litres, and it travels by sea with everyone else's, so you only pay for your barrel rather than a whole container. It's perfect for non-urgent send-ups: clothes and shoes, tinned and dried food, toiletries, bedding, small kitchen items, school supplies and Christmas gifts.
A few things don't belong in a barrel: fresh food, meat and plants need agricultural clearance, and aerosols, flammables and anything banned are out. Your vetted partner gives you a clear packing list so nothing gets held at the port.
Cost depends on the barrel size, the weight and where it's going. As a rough guide, a standard barrel starts from around £80, with larger barrels and door delivery costing a little more. These are indicative figures to help you plan; your vetted partner confirms the exact price before you book.
| Barrel | Typical use | Indicative from |
|---|---|---|
| Small (about 30L) | Clothes and gifts for one or two people | around £80 |
| Standard (about 55L) | Family clothes, food and toiletries | around £95 |
| Large (about 65L) | A bigger send-up or a full Christmas barrel | around £115 |
Indicative only. Final pricing depends on contents, weight, collection and delivery, and is confirmed by your partner.
St Lucia has, in recent years, run a Christmas barrel concession. Around the festive season the government has waived import duty and VAT on personal-use barrels within set limits, usually up to a couple of barrels per household and a value cap per barrel, with electronics excluded. It's approved by Cabinet year to year, so it isn't a permanent rule and the exact dates and limits change, but when it's on it can make a real difference to a festive send-up. Pack for personal use, keep the value within the cap, and let your vetted partner confirm whether the concession is running for your sailing.
Barrels are assessed at Port Castries like any other shipment. For most senders, the goods inside may attract some import duty, a customs service charge and VAT at 12.5% on the declared value, though everyday used clothing and personal gifts are usually modest. If you're a returning national coming home to live, used household and personal effects come in free of customs duty under the concession, as long as they aren't for resale. A local broker files the entry in ASYCUDA World, and your vetted partner helps with the declaration so there are no surprises.
Shared or full 20ft and 40ft for a larger load or a whole home.
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Coming home for good? Bring effects and a vehicle in under the concession.
Every area and service for moves to the island.
Sending a barrel often goes hand in hand with sending money home. The local currency is the East Caribbean dollar. For years we've connected customers with trusted partners who handle any currency, so the money side is simple and fair. It's offered through our partners, with no hidden fees.
Tell us what you're sending and we connect you with one partner who ships barrels to St Lucia week in, week out, not a call centre and not ten quotes to chase. They handle the barrel, the labelling, the declaration and the clearance at Port Castries, so your family just collects.
International Removals Companies isn't a shipper itself; we pass your enquiry to one vetted partner who does the work, free since November 2010, with more than 850,000 enquiries connected since. DATACONTEXT (UK) LTD, company 07425576, ICO ZB022743, Norman House, Saint Saviours Estate, Abbey Street, London, SE1 3DH. Working Member of AGM Group since 2010.
Tell us what you're sending and where it's going, and one vetted partner comes back with a price, the barrel and the customs steps. No cost, no obligation.
Get my free quoteYour partner confirms every price, transit time, insurance and customs point before you book.
International Removals Companies is the official enquiry service for three FIDI FAIM and BAR Overseas certified international moving companies in AGM Group, members of IAM, EUROMOVERS and FEDEMAC. It's a free route-matching service, not a removal company, a man with a van or a house clearance service.
Use this page to send your St Lucia removal enquiry, then speak directly with the partner mover we connect you with before booking.