Santo Domingo.- Víctor Bisonó, the Minister of Industry, Commerce, and MSMEs (MICM), celebrated the remarkable success of the “Made in the Dominican Republic” seal on its first anniversary. The MICM has authorized the use of this seal for 815 products across various sectors, representing 80 industries in the country.

Bisonó, in collaboration with the Association of Industries of the Dominican Republic (AIRD), emphasized the seal’s role in stimulating local production and employment. He lauded President Luis Abinader’s vision of placing production at the core of the Dominican Republic’s sustainable economic development.

Expressing gratitude for the enthusiastic industry support, Bisonó acknowledged substantial investments made by companies to integrate the “Made in the Dominican Republic” seal into their products. The seal has successfully passed internal and external audits and is now part of the MICM’s ISO 9001:2015 Certification, ensuring service excellence.

Juan José Attias, the first vice president of AIRD, highlighted the seal as a tool that uniformly emphasizes the identity and origin of Dominican products, fostering national pride. AIRD has embraced the initiative since its launch, aligning with its goal to enhance the positioning of local products domestically and internationally.

Mario E. Pujols, the executive vice president of AIRD, emphasized the seal’s importance in promoting, defending, and acknowledging the significance of products “Made in the DR” for the country’s sustainable development.

The impact of the “Made in the Dominican Republic” seal is evident in the economic sector, providing 146,658 formal jobs and contributing approximately 9% of private employment from January to November 2023. During the same period, local manufacturing exports reached US$1,409.6 million, equivalent to 12.2% of the country’s total exports.

The commemoration event, supported by AIRD, took place in a hotel in the Dominican capital, featuring a keynote lecture by Ricardo Hausmann from Harvard University on the importance of industrial policies for national development. The event also included a digital gallery showcasing products.

Launched on February 8, 2023, the “Made in the Dominican Republic” seal is a distinctive and coordinated effort by MICM and AIRD, available through the MICM Virtual Window. It is granted voluntarily, free of charge, and is 100% digital.