Santo Domingo.- More than 500 buyers from 30 countries havebeen arriving since Monday to attend the first export fair being held at SanSouci port, where some 500 local distributors show just how much the nation hasto offer to the world.
Agro, beauty, construction, manufacturing and industrializedproducts are showcased by producers and traders both local and foreigners atExportaRD 2016, hosted by the Export and Investment Center (CEI-RD).
CEO CEI-RD director Jean Alain Rodriguez on Tuesday said he’ssatisfied with the results of the fair’s second day, when a large number ofpeople attended. He said the high number of business meetings exceededexpectations. "There were 3,500 scheduled and could reach 4,500 because it’son the increase every moment."
Results
After participating in the panel “Exports Promotion and Support,"Rodriguez said ExportaRD 2016 will soon bear fruit, citing Puerto Rican businessleaders’ revelation of a nearly-signed contract to start exporting coconuts to thatUS territory.
Federico Padron, of Agroconversion Corporation, said his companywants around 1.6 million coconuts per year from the Northeast, to makevegetable oils in Puerto Rico.
Richard De Cortemanche, of Guadalupe, said they want lemons,passion fruit and other local agro items because they are very scarce andexpensive in his country.
Both the Dominican and foreign traders interviewed byListin hailed the fair as “an excellent opportunity to do business,” for which Rodriguezaffirms the intention is to sign the contracts right here.
“Around 100 people came from the Caribbean islands, andfrom Cuba, France and Panama about 30 of each, among many other countries.”