Belize is located in the north east of Central America; it is bordered on the east by Caribbean, north by Mexico, and west and south by the Republic of Guatemala. With the least population in Central America, Belize has an open economy led by the private sector. The offshore financial center of Belize has a rather swift development in recent years. As of 2005, over 25,000 companies and trust institutions had been registered as an Offshore Company in Belize and this number further increased to 51,654 in 2009.
Belize is still heavily dependent on agriculture as it major economic activity; it mainly produces and exports cane sugar, citruses and banana. However, its tourism industry, offshore finance and Offshore Company registration relevant activities are becoming better in recent years. As Taiwan and Belize has diplomatic relations, it is relatively time-saving and convenient when carrying out certification works through the embassy of the Republic of China.
The Belize International Business Companies Act was designed based on the BVI legal system and under the consideration of offshore investors’ benefits. According to the International Business Companies Act passed in 2000, no tax is levied on international business companies registered in Belize. To maintain a good image of the industry, the country had passed the Anti-Money Laundering Act when Offshore Banking Act was promulgated in 1996. This Act ensures that the country’s offshore banking units will not be used as a tool to cover illegal cash flow.