St Eustatius: Doing business & staying in touch
Doing business in St Eustatius
St Eustatius earns a modest income from agriculture and from a major petroleum transshipment programme, but it is tourism that dominates the economy. The island is also a net beneficiary from the central treasury of the Netherlands Antilles. There have been some efforts to develop the fishing industry but for the time being, government employment (in administration for the Netherlands Antilles group) is the most important source of regular employment.
The Antilles group as a whole has Overseas Territory status at the EU and observer status at the Caribbean trading bloc CARICOM.
Machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil (for refining and re-export), chemicals and food.
Keeping in Touch in St Eustatius
Not compatible with GSM handsets but some US handsets can be used. Roaming agreements exist with international mobile phone companies.
• No newspapers are published on St Eustatius, but English-language daily the Daily Herald is published on St Maarten.
• Most other newspapers in the Netherlands Antilles are published in Dutch or Papiamento.
• St Eustatius receives TeleCuraçao and programmes from the St Maarten-based Leeward Broadcasting Corporation.