In a keynote address delivered at the inaugural Maritime Vision Forum 2026 in Santo Domingo, José Ignacio Paliza, the Dominican Republic’s Minister of the Presidency, outlined how the nation’s prime geographic positioning creates a unique strategic opening to grow its influence in global supply chains. However, Paliza emphasized that unlocking this potential will demand significant upgrades to the country’s connectivity networks, core infrastructure, and logistics systems.
Paliza told attendees that maritime shipping handles over 65 percent of the Dominican Republic’s total export volume, and noted that combined public and private investment in port infrastructure has surpassed $531 million over the last five years. This sustained investment has laid the groundwork for expansion across multiple key port sites, he added.
The minister highlighted the untapped potential of the country’s major ports, including Haina and Caucedo, and also called out emerging opportunities at other coastal hubs: Manzanillo, Barahona, San Pedro de Macorís, and Puerto Plata. Beyond physical port infrastructure, Paliza pointed to new cross-border connections in the digital and energy sectors, such as Google’s planned international digital exchange infrastructure and a proposed energy linkage project with neighboring Puerto Rico.
According to Paliza, Decree 353-26, which mandates the creation of a national National Maritime Strategy, will provide a clear framework to set priorities across key focus areas: port infrastructure expansion, navigation safety protocols, marine environmental protection, and alignment with the Dominican Republic’s international trade commitments. He added that the strategy will incorporate measurable performance goals, assign clear implementation responsibilities to designated government institutions, and build in transparent progress monitoring mechanisms.
Paliza tied the maritime strategy directly to the nation’s long-term development plan, Meta RD 2036, which has set a target of doubling the real size of the Dominican economy by 2036. Reaching that ambitious goal will require streamlined goods movement, reduced trade costs, and stronger, more reliable connections between domestic production centers and global international markets, he concluded.