Country exposure · ST

Sao Tome and Principe
Central America N Caribbean · Castries · parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
What Sao Tome and Principe means for your money — the prices you pay, the tariffs in motion, and where U.S. policy could change both.

$198K
U.S. imports, 2025
-65.4%
change in one year
$13M
U.S. exports, 2025
168K
Population
$2.5B
GDP
In your house
What you buy that Sao Tome and Principe makes
America bought $198K in goods from Sao Tome and Principe in 2025 — down 65.4% in a single year. Of every $100 of it, here's where the money went.
Agricultural machinery, equipment
Minimum value shipments
Bakery products
Other (movies, miscellaneous imports, and special transactions)
Iron and steel, advanced
Recorded media
Tea, spices, etc.
tea and spices
Computers
laptops, desktops, monitors
Industrial supplies, other
2026 so far (through April): $37K in imports. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, International Trade in Goods (customs basis).
The other direction
What America sells to Sao Tome and Principe
$13M in 2025 — a trade rupture cuts both ways, for American producers as well as American prices.
Drilling & oilfield equipment
$6MIndustrial machines, other
$4MFinished metal shapes
$1MExcavating machinery
$912KMaterials handling equipment
$534KMinimum value shipments
$167KIndustrial engines
$143KMeat, poultry, etc.
$121KTelecommunications equipment
$101Kphones, routers, networking gear
Where you stand
U.S. tariff posture toward Sao Tome and Principe
No U.S. tariff action singles this country out. Its goods face the universal 10% temporary import surcharge under Section 122 of the Trade Act (which replaced the IEEPA reciprocal baseline in February 2026) plus the sectoral Section 232 duties — steel and aluminum at 50% — that apply to all countries. The Section 122 surcharge is statutorily temporary — scheduled to lapse on or about July 23, 2026 (a 150-day cap) unless extended or replaced.
Reciprocal tariff (universal baseline)
10%
The universal 10% floor — a Section 122 import surcharge since February 2026, previously the EO 14257 reciprocal baseline — applies to nearly all U.S. imports. This country has no higher assigned rate of its own.
Policy in motion
Tariff status: a moving target
No U.S. tariff action names Sao Tome and Principe. These are the universal measures — applied to every country without a country-specific arrangement — that set its treatment.
2026-04-06
Section 232 metals coverage expanded
In effectThe April 2026 proclamation strengthening Section 232 actions on aluminum, steel, and copper expanded derivative-product coverage for all countries, keeping the general metals rate at 50%.
91 FR 18201 →2026-02-24
IEEPA reciprocal tariffs terminated — replaced by 10% Section 122 surcharge
In effectExecutive Order 14389 (Ending Certain Tariff Actions) terminated the IEEPA tariff duties — including the EO 14257 reciprocal baseline — effective February 24, 2026. A flat 10% Section 122 temporary import surcharge (Proclamation 11012 of February 20, 2026) replaced them, leaving the universal rate unchanged at 10% on a different statutory basis. Section 122 caps such surcharges at 150 days, so this 10% surcharge is scheduled to lapse on or about July 23, 2026 absent further action (the administration has signaled it could raise the rate toward the 15% statutory maximum).
91 FR 9437 →2025-11-13
Agricultural products exempted from reciprocal tariffs
In effectExecutive Order 14360 of November 14, 2025 removed reciprocal duties from certain agricultural products listed in its annexes (coffee, cocoa, bananas, and other goods the U.S. does not produce in sufficient quantity), retroactive to November 13, 2025 — for all countries subject to the reciprocal tariff.
90 FR 54091 →2025-06-04
Section 232 steel and aluminum duties doubled to 50%
In effectThe June 3, 2025 proclamation raised Section 232 duties on steel and aluminum articles and derivatives from 25% to 50% for all countries, effective June 4, 2025.
90 FR 24199 →2025-04-05
Universal 10% reciprocal baseline takes effect
In effectExecutive Order 14257 (signed April 2, 2025) imposed a 10% ad valorem reciprocal duty on imports from all trading partners, effective April 5, 2025. Countries without a higher Annex I rate remain at this baseline.
Federal Register · 2025-06063 →2025-03-12
Section 232 steel and aluminum duties set at 25% for all countries
In effectProclamations of February 10, 2025 terminated all country exemptions and quota arrangements and applied 25% Section 232 duties to steel and aluminum imports from every country, effective March 12, 2025.
90 FR 9817 →
Reference
The country itself
Central America N Caribbean · Geography, people, economy, and government — public-domain data from the CIA World Factbook.
England and France contested Saint Lucia -- with its fine natural harbor at Castries and burgeoning sugar industry -- throughout the 17th and early 18th centuries, with possession changing 14 times; it was finally ceded to the UK in 1814 and became part of the British Windward Islands colony. Even after the abolition of slavery on its plantations in 1834, Saint Lucia remained an agricultural island, dedicated to producing tropical commodity crops. In the mid-20th century, Saint Lucia joined the West Indies Federation (1958–1962) and in 1967 became one of the six members of the West Indies Associated States, with internal self-government. In 1979, Saint Lucia gained full independence.

Geography
- Location
- Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
- Area
- 616 sq km
- Climate
- tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season January to April, rainy season May to August
- Terrain
- volcanic and mountainous with broad, fertile valleys
- Natural resources
- forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential
- Coastline
- 158 km
- Natural hazards
- hurricanes volcanism: Mount Gimie (948 m), also known as Qualibou, is a caldera on the west of the island; the iconic twin pyramidal peaks of Gros Piton (771 m) and Petit Piton (743 m) are lava-dome remnants associated with the Soufrière volcano; there have been no historical magmatic eruptions, but a minor steam eruption in 1766 spread a thin layer of ash over a wide area; Saint Lucia is part of the volcanic-island arc of the Lesser Antilles that extends from Saba in the north to Grenada in the south
People & society
- Population
- 168,462 (2025 est.)
- Nationality
- Saint Lucian(s)
- Ethnic groups
- Black/African descent 85.3%, mixed 10.9%, East Indian 2.2%, other 1.6%, unspecified 0.1% (2010 est.)
- Languages
- English (official), Saint Lucian Creole
- Religions
- Roman Catholic 61.5%, Protestant 25.5% (includes Seventh Day Adventist 10.4%, Pentecostal 8.9%, Baptist 2.2%, Anglican 1.6%, Church of God 1.5%, other Protestant 0.9%), other Christian 3.4% (includes Evangelical 2.3% and Jehovah's Witness 1.1%), Rastafarian 1.9%, other 0.4%, none 5.9%, unspecified 1.4% (2010 est.)
- Median age
- 40.4 years (2025 est.)
- Life expectancy at birth
- 79.4 years (2024 est.)
Economy
- Economic overview
- upper middle-income, tourism-based Caribbean island economy; environmentally fragile; energy import-dependent; major banana producer; well-educated labor force; key infrastructure, IT, and communications investments
- Industries
- tourism; clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated cardboard boxes, lime processing, coconut processing
- Agricultural products
- coconuts, bananas, tropical fruits, fruits, root vegetables, plantains, vegetables, cassava, chicken, milk (2023)
- Exports - partners
- Guyana 20%, Suriname 15%, USA 11%, Barbados 8%, Dominica 7% (2023)
- Imports - partners
- USA 59%, Guyana 8%, Brazil 7%, China 5%, UK 3% (2023)
Government
- Government type
- parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
- Capital
- Castries
- Independence
- 22 February 1979 (from the UK)
- Constitution
- previous 1958, 1960 (pre-independence); latest presented 20 December 1978, effective 22 February 1979
- Executive branch
- King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Acting Governor General Cyril Errol CHARLES (since 11 November 2021)
- Legislative branch
- Houses of Parliament
Full reference data
Every field, by section — CIA World Factbook. Open a topic to expand it.
Introduction
Travel Facts
Please visit the following links to find further information about your desired destination.
World Health Organization (WHO) - To learn what vaccines and health precautions to take while visiting your destination.
US State Dept Travel Information - Overall information about foreign travel for US citizens.
To obtain an international driving permit (IDP). Only two organizations in the US issue IDPs: American Automobile Association (AAA) and American Automobile Touring Alliance (AATA)
How to get help in an emergency? Contact the nearest US embassy or consulate, or call one of these numbers: from the US or Canada - 1-888-407-4747 or from Overseas - +1 202-501-4444
Page last updated: Wednesday, July 20, 2022