U.S. Homeland Security, Dominican Customs to keep a close eye on trade

Pact will create trade transparency unit

Santo Domingo.- The Customs Agency and the U.S. Homeland Security Dept. on Thursday agreed to bolster vigilance on trade and customs cooperation between both countries.

Acting U.S. Ambassador Daniel Foote and international deputy director for security affairs David A. Thompson signed the document for the United States, while Customs director Fernando Fernández signed for the Dominican Republic.

The Department of national security of the United States of America is represented by the immigration and customs enforcement service (ICE). Both countries agreed to create the trade transparency unit (TTU), aimed at increasing the exchange of information on international trade transactions between the participants.

Fernández said they’ve been working to reach the agreement for some time, and create the information exchange system in terms of trade transparency and the flow of people and goods, to strengthening security of both nations.

Thompson called the pact a step forward for both countries to strengthen ties between the two Nations, and the mechanisms will contribute to heightened transparency in commercial relations and collaboration.

For Foote, the pact also bolsters United States-Dominican Republic relations, and noted that his country has entered into a similar agreement with not more than 12 countries, and predicted its success.

The U.S. delegation also included Caribbean region attaché John Condon; Central, South America and the Caribbean section chief Douglas Freeman; ICE organized crime unit Chief Colonel Ambiorix Cataño; TTU Program Manager Anthony Tortora; ICE official Myron Larss Counsil; ICE representative Roberto Eric Moreno; press attaché Jose de los Santos, and translator Nany Martinez.