Longer port hours save Dominican importers US$13.1M

Santo Domingo.- Since the extended hours in Dominican ports was implemented, importers saved around RD$694.9 million (US$13.1 million).

But in addition, Customs management has become more efficient and the lag time of containers in the ports has been reduced, said Alexander Schad, president of the Trade Facilitation Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Dominican Republic (Amchamdr).

Schad spoke in the panel “Experiences of public-private committees: Case of the National Committee of Trade Facilitation,” organized by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and MSMEs together with the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

He said since the launch of that schedule, more than 79,000 trucks have exited the port after peak hours, “which also implies a 20% savings in fuel for companies and a reduction in CO2 emissions in the environment.”

Previously, the of goods were dispatched from 8am until 5pm, but after executive order 384-18 was issued, the new schedule was established from 7am to 10pm.