Meaning of duty-free in English:

duty-free

Pronunciation /ˌdjuːtɪˈfriː/

Translate duty-free into Spanish

adjective

1Exempt from payment of duty.
‘the permitted number of duty-free goods’
- ‘In April, the government set out the conditions for foreign and local automobile manufacturers interested in importing key car components duty-free.’
- ‘After she promised to buy me a carton of cigarettes duty-free next time she goes to Aussie I forgave her.’
- ‘Export incentives are an old tradition and a key part of any programme to develop an export-oriented industry sector, a regime that allows manufacturers duty-free access to imported raw materials and equipment.’
- ‘The rush to central Europe: eight new European Union countries offer lower wages, cheaper land and duty-free domestic production to the world's OEMs’
- ‘And, he says, loopholes allow for the use of fabrics from other countries like China and Mexico to be sewn into clothing and sold duty-free right back into the U.S.’
- ‘Between 30 million and 40 million leva of the monthly turnover of the duty-free shops will be blocked to secure the size of the due excise duty, the duty-free traders association said.’
- ‘It was announced then that duty-free shops were allegedly part of smuggling channels, and as duty-free shops do not exist at land borders of EU countries, Bulgaria should also close its duty-free operations.’
- ‘If you aren't interested in doubling your duty-free allowance, as the first cruise winds to a close, ask the purser about your boarding pass for the second cruise, and how to circumvent Customs if you want to go ashore.’
- ‘Both boast the world's finest china, crystal, jewellery, linens, watches, fragrances, and designer clothing, all at duty-free prices, plus local crafts and souvenirs.’
- ‘The airline began outsourcing these services when it retrenched most of the employees in the maintenance, ramp and duty-free operations during a restructuring exercise in January 2003.’
- ‘Some experts from the Union of Democratic Forces also said they would support duty-free business in discussions in the parliamentary budget committee.’
- ‘This assessment, however, was disputed in the airline's board approved strategic plan, which valued the duty-free operations at less than US $3 million.’
- ‘Those countries already enjoy duty-free access for many of their products, and the CAFTA will actually expand our opportunities to sell our goods and services into those markets.’
- ‘Under the Caribbean Basin Initiative, the company will enjoy duty-free entry status into the United States, supplying them with fuel ethanol up to seven per cent of their requirements.’
- ‘But I doubt they have luggage tags still attached and duty-free goods sitting next to them.’
- ‘One word of advice to drivers hoping to fill the boot with bubbly - the duty-free limit for importing champagne into the UK is a measly 90 litres.’
- ‘They suspected the tanker-loads of red diesel - duty-free fuel supplied for industrial use only - were being treated to remove the colour and sold on the black market as genuine diesel.’
- ‘The only items banned from the tax- and duty-free crossing are firearms, tobacco, alcohol, motor vehicles, plants, animals and illegal substances.’
- ‘After a series of embarrassing courtroom defeats, the Government has announced that Customs will now allow smokers to bring back up to 3,200 duty-free cigarettes per trip.’
- ‘All money which goes to the state budget from duty-free trade will now go to the neighbouring countries.’
1. 1.1(of a shop or area) selling or trading in goods that are exempt from payment of duty.
  ‘there was an enormous duty-free shop’
  ‘Tobacco products for sale in duty-free shops will be sold only with a ‘for duty free only’ stamp rather than with special paper bands.’
  ‘In the foreground, the concourse is lined with banks, money exchanges, holding areas, and duty-free shops.’
  ‘The cigarettes will be sold at duty-free shops, hotels, airports, tourist spots and World Cup venues only during the May 31 - June 30 World Cup finals in South Korea and Japan.’
  ‘Liquor and cigarettes will be sold by duty-free shops only if purchasers show their travel passports.’
  ‘There are duty-free grocery shops at Clark that sell mostly American-made products.’
  ‘Major retailers jump at the opportunity to set up shop in the ultimate duty-free zone.’
  ‘The company will continue to sell some film cameras in duty-free shops at airports, it said.’
  ‘There are a couple of bars on board, as well as duty-free shops and a small play area for children.’
  ‘A duty-free shop, a convention hall, a hotel, a long-stay housing estate and a variety of other tourist and entertainment businesses would all be housed in the complex.’
  ‘There used to be a duty-free shop in this vicinity, if I am not mistaken.’
  ‘Pier B caters for US-bound passengers and the duty-free shop will reflect this market with a wider range of merchandise, including alcohol sales.’
  ‘In the airport, I couldn't resist the bargain price of cigarettes in the duty-free shop.’
  ‘Officials, keen to test the effectiveness of the new procedures, were aghast when they managed to smuggle dangerous items through the security checks and into the duty-free area.’
  ‘There were also children ogling some cute trinket they wanted in a duty-free shop along with women on colorful high heels chasing the children and keeping them under control.’
  ‘Floating between check-in counters, passport controls, security checks and duty-free shops, we are freed from the responsibility of knowing how we are travelling.’
  ‘Six small airlines in China are planning to open duty-free shops on domestic flights as an added attraction to customers in the current cutthroat aviation market.’
  ‘Wine is rarely a good buy in so-called duty-free shops, however, as profit margins are rarely low enough to warrant the weight and breakability of wine bottles.’
  ‘Clearing false alarms from, say, smoked salmon from the duty-free shop, may mean significant delays.’
  ‘As a result, hotels, duty-free shops and travel agencies have been much less busy than anticipated.’
  ‘Unlike the neighboring U.S. Virgin Islands - St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John - Tortola and Virgin Gorda are not duty-free ports.’

noun

mass nounBritish also duty-frees

Goods that are exempt from payment of duty.
‘a bag of duty-free’
- ‘My partner of five years' standing is spending at least one week in three overseas, as his new job takes him all round the world; our drinks cabinet is bulging from all the duty-frees.’