The United States government has enacted a significant tariff reduction, eliminating duties on more than 1,000 products by amending Executive Order 14257. This policy change, signed by President Donald Trump and effective from November 13, updates the Harmonized Tariff Schedule for imported goods and directly benefits the Dominican Republic. The Caribbean nation exports approximately $581 million worth of these goods to the U.S. market annually. The updated list includes a wide range of products such as cocoa, gold, medicines, semiconductors, avocados, bananas, coffee, tomatoes, mangoes, guavas, coconuts, plantains, and papayas. Dominican Minister of Industry, Commerce, and MSMEs, Víctor ‘Ito’ Bisonó, hailed the decision as a major cost-saving measure for Dominican exporters. He emphasized that the government would continue negotiations with U.S. agencies to secure zero tariffs for additional exports. President Trump justified the move by citing a review of trade data, domestic production capacity, and ongoing negotiations with trading partners, deeming the expansion of tariff-exempt products ‘necessary and appropriate.’ The revised order notably removes certain agricultural goods from the list of tariff-affected items, further enhancing trade relations between the two nations.
U.S. drops tariffs on Dominican agricultural and industrial exports
