Adoexpo warns US tariff could hurt Dominican export competitiveness

Santo Domingo.- The president of the Dominican Exporters Association (Adoexpo), Karel Castillo, warned that the new 10% tariff imposed by the United States on Dominican products could undermine the country’s competitiveness and called for negotiation mechanisms to cushion its impact. Speaking at the luncheon conference “Modern Customs: Secure Trade in a Globalized World,” he explained that the measure makes Dominican goods less attractive compared to those from Mexico and Canada. He revealed that exporters paid 50 billion pesos in tariffs in May, a figure that climbed to 58 billion in June.

Despite this challenge, Castillo highlighted the strength of Dominican exports, which surpassed US$8 billion between January and July, marking 30.4% growth. He noted that India has emerged as the nation’s second-largest trading partner, while ties with Canada and China continue to expand, opening new opportunities for local producers.

He stressed the need to accelerate customs and logistics modernization to address high costs, bureaucracy, and technological gaps. Castillo praised reforms by the General Directorate of Customs, including 24-hour clearance, digitalized processes, and improved trade security. However, he cautioned that the sector cannot afford to slow down, insisting that stronger public-private collaboration is essential to face this tariff turbulence and safeguard export competitiveness.

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