Customs describes March as a historic month, with exports exceeding US$1 billion

Santo Domingo, DR

The Directorate General of Customs (DGA) reported that exports corresponding to March 2021 totaled US$1.1 billion, which represents a growth of 36.69 %, compared to the same month in 2020.

According to official data, exports in March surpassed US$299.66 million of the same period last year, for which it was qualified as a historic month.

Among the sectors that showed growth was the free trade zones, with an increase of 42.48%. In the free trade zones, the most significant increase was evidenced in cigars (cigars), with a rise of 94.29%, followed by electrical circuit breakers 51.96%, medical instruments 26.54%, and jewelry 55.42%.

Meanwhile, in exports of the national regime, gold grew by 22.71%. Likewise, traditional products (sugar, cocoa, and bananas) increased 91.37%, 33.49%, and 21.43%, respectively.

The DGA indicated that October 2020 held the record for the highest exported levels with US$925.06 million, surpassing March 2021 by 20.7%, with an additional US$191.30 million.

DGA general director, Eduardo Sanz Lovatón, emphasized that this increase resulted from the government and the private sector’s efforts to strengthen foreign trade through national export activity to strengthen foreign trade promote the economic and social welfare of the country.

Sanz Lovatón assured that the institution he heads is committed to building a “New Customs” supported by modern technologies to have greater control over its operations, streamline processes and provide better service to users.

Transformation and modernization

The DGA is currently undergoing a transformation process to ensure that the Dominican Republic becomes the region’s logistics hub, leveraging our geographical position, infrastructure, and the country’s connectivity with other points in the area.

To combat smuggling, the institution set up a line to report illicit trade or undervaluations as part of its commitment to reduce and eliminate this crime and update its digital platform so that users have more direct access to customs processes.

As part of its modernization process, the entity has strengthened its Foreign Trade Single Window (VUCE) services, which are currently considered the fourth-best in the Americas for managing the permits required for certain goods.