Addressing attendees at the 2026 Toronto Global Forum, Dominican Republic Foreign Minister Víctor “Ito” Bisonó laid out a formal proposal to launch an entirely new, upgraded chapter of bilateral economic ties between his nation and Canada, shifting longstanding collaborative focus beyond traditional sectors to prioritize high-growth, high-impact verticals including frontier technology, industrial innovation, advanced manufacturing, and low-carbon clean energy.
Bisonó contextualized his call for expanded cooperation by citing Canada’s longstanding status as one of the Dominican Republic’s most reliable and high-impact economic allies, with deep historical roots in the nation’s thriving tourism sector and globally recognized mining operations. Official aggregated data confirms that Canada holds the position of the Dominican Republic’s second-largest source of foreign direct investment globally, with cumulative inflows totaling $6.107 billion USD across the 15-year period spanning 2010 to 2025.
The foreign minister mapped out a targeted set of under-tapped, high-value sectors where cross-border collaboration could deliver mutual benefits for both Canadian investors and Dominican economic development goals, including medical device production, precision electronic component manufacturing, aerospace supply chain integration, next-generation digital technology deployment, cutting-edge advanced manufacturing systems, and scalable renewable clean energy projects. These priority areas align directly with the Dominican government’s broader economic diplomacy mandate, which is structured to bridge connections between domestic Dominican enterprises and global industry leaders, draw in targeted foreign capital and technical expertise, open expanded access for local goods and services to international markets, and drive sustained productive development that lifts national industrial competitiveness.
Closing his formal address, Bisonó extended an open, targeted invitation to Canadian industry leaders and global international investors in attendance to conduct on-the-ground due diligence of emerging project pipelines in the Dominican Republic and co-develop long-term, mutually beneficial commercial partnerships. Immediately following his keynote presentation, Bisonó joined a dedicated closed-door panel discussion focused on cross-border trade frameworks, investment facilitation mechanisms, and expanded bilateral economic cooperation alongside Francisca Insulza, President of the International Economic Forum of the Americas. For additional in-depth local coverage of Dominican Republic economic policy and international diplomacy developments, readers can access full reporting via DominicanScope.