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Promote:Dominican Republic

Export from the Dominican Republic

A short guide for companies selling from the Dominican Republic: the export figures, the agreements and their limits, the main steps and who can help, each with its source.

1. What the Dominican Republic sells, and who buys it

Top goods exports

2025

  1. 1. Gold (HS 7108)US$2.47 billion
  2. 2. Medical and dental instruments (HS 9018)US$1.92 billion
  3. 3. Cigars and cigarettes (HS 2402)US$1.03 billion
  4. 4. Electrical switches and circuit breakers (HS 8536)US$934 million
  5. 5. Cocoa beans (HS 1801)US$668.9 million
  6. 6. Pharmaceutical goods (HS 3006)US$502.2 million
  7. 7. Jewelry (HS 7113)US$474.8 million
  8. 8. T-shirts and knit tops (HS 6109)US$458.4 million
Show 12 more products
  1. 9. Raw tobacco (HS 2401)US$281.6 million
  2. 10. Plastic articles (HS 3926)US$260.9 million
  3. 11. Iron and steel bars (HS 7214)US$201 million
  4. 12. Bananas (HS 0803)US$199 million
  5. 13. Plastic packaging (HS 3923)US$176.4 million
  6. 14. Cement (HS 2523)US$139.9 million
  7. 15. Rum and other spirits (HS 2208)US$134.2 million
  8. 16. Cane sugar (HS 1701)US$130.8 million
  9. 17. Brooms and brushes (HS 9603)US$123.8 million
  10. 18. Copper ores (HS 2603)US$118 million
  11. 19. Plastic tableware and kitchenware (HS 3924)US$109.9 million
  12. 20. Avocados, mangoes and pineapples (HS 0804)US$104.2 million

Source: UN Comtrade, Dominican Republic exports by product, 2025⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of 2025

Where the goods go

2025, share of goods exports

  • United States54.3%
  • India11.2%
  • Haiti8.1%
  • Canada5.3%
  • Netherlands3.3%
  • China2.2%
  • Belgium1.6%
  • Germany1%

Source: UN Comtrade, Dominican Republic exports by destination, 2025⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of 2025

2. What to look into next

Our reading

Promote:Global’s reading of the figures above, not a source’s statement, and not advice.

3. Trade agreements

What each arrangement can mean for a seller, and its limits. A preference is conditional: check the rules of origin before you quote.

  • Dominican Republic–Central America–United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR)

    Gives qualifying Dominican goods preferential or duty-free entry to the United States and Central America when origin is certified.

    Rules-based preference as of October 30, 2026; United States Section 301 duties still apply except where the notice exempts the goods.

    Source: ProDominicana, Export Guide, February 2025 (in Spanish)⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of October 30, 2026

  • Free Trade Agreement between Central America and the Dominican Republic

    Gives qualifying Dominican goods preferential entry to Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

    Signed in 1998 and ratified in 2002, ProDominicana says; check each tariff line against CAFTA-DR as well.

    Source: ProDominicana, Export Guide, February 2025 (in Spanish)⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of October 30, 2026

  • Free Trade Agreement between CARICOM and the Dominican Republic

    Gives qualifying Dominican goods reciprocal preferential entry to participating Caribbean Community members.

    The Bahamas and Haiti do not take part, the WTO Secretariat says, so check each destination.

    Source: WTO Secretariat, Dominican Republic Trade Policy Review report, November 2022⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of November 29, 2022

  • Economic Partnership Agreement between the CARIFORUM States and the European Community and its Member States

    Gives qualifying Dominican goods and services preferential access to the European Union.

    Applied provisionally since December 2008, the European Commission says; rules of origin apply, so confirm the proof of origin your buyer needs.

    Source: European Commission, European Union-CARIFORUM page⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of October 30, 2026

Show 3 more agreements

4. Steps to export

The main steps, in order, each with the body responsible and its official page.

Exporting from the Dominican Republic

  1. Form the business: reserve the trade name, enter the commercial register and obtain a taxpayer number.FormalízateOfficial page⁠ (opens in a new tab)

    Source: ProDominicana, Export Guide, February 2025 (in Spanish)⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of October 30, 2026

  2. Register as an exporter with customs, which needs the taxpayer number first.Dirección General de AduanasOfficial page⁠ (opens in a new tab)

    Source: ProDominicana, Export Guide, February 2025 (in Spanish)⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of October 30, 2026

  3. Check whether your product needs a permit or clearance, and request it through the single window before the declaration.Ventanilla Única de Comercio Exterior de la República DominicanaThe single window is free to use, the WTO Secretariat reported in 2022; a customs declaration costs DOP 200.Official page⁠ (opens in a new tab)

    Source: WTO Secretariat, Dominican Republic Trade Policy Review report, November 2022⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of November 29, 2022

  4. For plant and animal products, get the Ministry of Agriculture's phytosanitary or animal health clearance, requested through the single window.Ministerio de AgriculturaOfficial page⁠ (opens in a new tab)

    Source: ProDominicana, Export Guide, February 2025 (in Spanish)⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of October 30, 2026

Show 4 more export steps
  1. Prepare the proof of origin your market needs, such as EUR.1 from customs or, for CAFTA-DR, a certification by importer, exporter or producer.Dirección General de AduanasOfficial page⁠ (opens in a new tab)

    Source: DGA, manual to attach EUR.1 to declarations (in Spanish)⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of October 30, 2026

  2. Check technical rules for your product with the standards body, which also handles WTO technical barrier notifications.Instituto Dominicano para la CalidadOfficial page⁠ (opens in a new tab)

    Source: ePing, enquiry point records, TBT, October 2026⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of October 30, 2026

  3. File the single customs declaration electronically in SIGA before departure and export within 20 calendar days of approval.Dirección General de AduanasDeclare at least 48 hours before sea or land departure, or four hours before air departure.Official page⁠ (opens in a new tab)

    Source: WTO Secretariat, Dominican Republic Trade Policy Review report, November 2022⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of November 29, 2022

  4. Claim duty drawback from customs within one year of export.Dirección General de AduanasOfficial page⁠ (opens in a new tab)

    Source: WTO Secretariat, Dominican Republic Trade Policy Review report, November 2022⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of November 29, 2022

5. Organizations that help exporters

Start with ProDominicana, DGA and ONE. Each card links to the organization’s own site.

Each card says what it can help with:Get adviceFind financeMeet requirementsResearch markets

Export development and market information

Show 4 more organizations

Customs and tax

Show 1 more organization

Standards and sector requirements

Show 2 more organizations

Chambers and industry associations

Show 2 more organizations

6. Worth knowing

7. How Promote:Global helps

  • Compare potential export marketsSee which markets import what you sell, ranked on public trade data, and read each country before you commit.
  • Check duties and document requirementsCheck the duty, the origin conditions for a preferential rate and the documents a shipment needs.
  • Find advisors and service firmsAsk an advisory firm a scoped, paid question, or browse firms that list their own services, from legal work to logistics.
  • Organize your next stepsKeep each product and market in a project, with a roadmap of steps you work through.

Turn this guide into your Dominican Republic project.

Use Promote:Global to explore markets, understand requirements and organize your next steps.

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Promote:Dominican Republic is an independent guide by Promote:Global, not an official government portal. The organizations named here are independent public and membership bodies, not Promote:Global partners, and every link goes to their own site.

Facts read from public sources, with an editorial cut-off of October 30, 2026. Nothing here is investment, legal, tax or sanctions advice. Check current status with the organization before you rely on it.