New U.S. tariffs represent growth opportunity for the Dominican Republic

The new levies imposed by the United States on the Dominican Republic of 12.5% do not represent, at least in the short term, significant impacts on tariff rates.

For Vladimir Pimentel, executive director of the Export and Investment Center (ProDominicana), if these measures are extended over time, they could generate uncertainty in the industrial sector.

“What the businessman needs is certainty to be able to respond in time to the business and the president (Luis Abinader) stressed that the government is in negotiations with the U.S. government,” he said.

However, predicting favorable decisions between these meetings, he said that in the meantime ProDominicana will give support and guidance to exporters so that they can place their products in other markets with specific opportunities and differentiated products.

According to the U.S. administration, these new tariffs respond to an investigation into “insufficient efforts to combat forced labor” and represent a new phase in the trade war imposed by Donald Trump since April 2025.

He also mentioned that these new tariff measures imposed by the North American country can be an opportunity for the Dominican government to diversify its exports at both the market and product levels.

Among the main expansion markets, he highlighted the European continent, noting that the Dominican Republic remains competitive with its products, exporting to nations such as Spain and the Netherlands, and identifying Italy as an opportunity for growth.

Although he recalled that these new objectives also entail demands, for the Dominican exporter this should not pose any problem.

“We can say with total certainty that the Dominican exporter who is exporting to Europe is complying with all the requirements,” he clarified.

In this sense, this market remains one of the main growth destinations for export.