The Chinese expand their businesses in the capital

With goods of all kinds and affordable prices for the lower-income population, Chinese importers have shown a great boom in many sectors of the Capital and in the interior of the country, creating significant competition for Creole commercial chains.

Just as, for more than a decade, people have not needed to go to Duarte Avenue to find the large stores and supermarket chains, the same happens now with Chinese importers with the difference that they do not seem to be branches but businesses of new Chinese investors. many who do not even speak Spanish.

The rise of Chinese businesses is visible in each sector of the capital, not only in the sale of chicken nuggets and food of Asian origin but also in businesses that sell even what you cannot imagine, with a great variety of products with technological innovations and always or almost always with the characteristic that they only accept cash payments.

In a tour of Luperón Avenue and the surroundings of kilometer nine of the Duarte highway, it was possible to verify the establishment of new importers and the large number of people who visit them for the purchase of clothes for all public, shoes, handbags, accessories of beauty, household items, ornaments, toys, hardware, and much other Chinese merchandise.

Working conditions
During these Christmas days and due to the low-cost merchandise they offer, Chinese importers cannot keep up with the great demand they have. Its hallways look congested and its employees work continuously from 8:00 in the morning to 9:00 at night with a mealtime of between 30 minutes and an hour.

Although these importers are a source of employment for hundreds of young people from the surrounding communities, the working conditions do not comply with the times of the days, nor with the conditions of decent work where companies must create decent spaces for lunch, for rest and the working day must not exceed 44 hours per week.

During this tour of the importers established in Santo Domingo Oeste, employees could be observed eating sitting in one of the aisles and under the shelves taking time off.

One of the employees, who requested that her name be reserved, told Listín Diario that most of the workers at that importer are temporary, for the Christmas period, that they pay RD $ 5,700 every two weeks and that they do not enjoy health insurance.

In another importer, one of the employees indicated that she worked fixed with a salary close to RD $ 13,000, that she enjoys medical insurance and other rights such as double salary, but that most of the workers at this time are temporary workers.

Working conditions
Of the total imported by the release for consumption regime, the top 10 countries account for 76.63% of the total, according to data from the General Customs Directorate (DGA).

The DGA, in its Trade Magazine, highlights that 55.96% of the country’s imports originate from two markets: the United States (38.48%) and China (17.47%). In 2020. Between January and October 2021, shipments for consumption imports from China amounted to US $ 2,729.61 million, about US $ 754.99 million more than in 2020.

INSIDE

A great expansion.
The importers of Chinese investors are no longer satisfied with being a majority in the traditional one on Duarte Avenue and its surrounding streets, but they already have a presence in different provinces of the country.

Opportunity.
These businesses established by Chinese investors are very well received by the population for their prices and variety.