A high-profile delegation of 45 Dominican business leaders is set to embark on a four-day official visit to Washington, D.C., and New York this September, organized to deepen economic and commercial ties between the Caribbean nation and the United States. Running from September 28 to October 1, the mission forms the core of Dominican Week 2026, an initiative spearheaded by the American Chamber of Commerce of the Dominican Republic (AmchamDR) to unlock new cross-border collaboration opportunities.
The event brings together top-tier public and private sector leaders from the Dominican Republic with key stakeholders across the U.S. business landscape, including corporate representatives, federal government agencies, leading financial institutions, and national trade associations. Attendees will hold targeted discussions across a diverse range of high-priority sectors, from nearshoring operations and climate-resilient supply chains to advanced manufacturing, renewable energy, critical mineral development, commercial aviation, and artificial intelligence innovation.
Notably, the Dominican delegation will include several of the country’s most senior government officials to underscore the national commitment to strengthened bilateral economic relations. Among the senior policymakers joining the mission are José Ignacio Paliza, Minister of the Presidency; Víctor Bisonó, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Eduardo Sanz Lovatón, Minister of Industry and Commerce; Joel Santos, Minister of Energy and Mines; and Igor Rodríguez, Director of the Dominican Civil Aviation Board (IDAC).
The itinerary is split between the two major U.S. economic and political hubs to address different policy and business priorities. In the nation’s capital of Washington, D.C., discussions will center on broad trade frameworks, cross-border investment policy, energy development, and regional economic resilience. The schedule will also include deep-dive working sessions focused on targeted priorities, such as AI adoption for Dominican small and medium-sized enterprises, critical mineral supply chain development, advanced manufacturing expansion, aviation sector modernization, and streamlined trade facilitation reforms.
Once the Washington portion of the mission concludes, the delegation will travel to New York to hold closed-door meetings with leading private sector and industry institutions. Top scheduled engagements include talks with global financial services giants Visa and JPMorgan Chase, as well as leaders from the New York City Bar Association. The conversations in New York will focus on expanding access to U.S. financial services, advancing infrastructure development projects, growing participation in global capital markets, and attracting new foreign direct investment to the Dominican Republic.
Beyond these core meetings, the 2026 Dominican Week program will also include a featured Americas Connect regional connectivity session hosted at Google’s New York facilities, alongside additional scheduled engagements with other key U.S. government agencies and national business advocacy organizations.
In comments previewing the initiative, AmchamDR President Francesca Rainieri emphasized that Dominican Week fills a unique gap in bilateral economic relations by providing a dedicated, high-level platform for Dominican firms to connect directly with U.S. business leaders and top policy decision-makers. Through these face-to-face engagements, Rainieri noted, participants can co-develop collaborative partnerships that will drive long-term growth and deepen the interconnectedness of the U.S. and Dominican economies.