分类： business

Fresh tensions have emerged in bilateral trade relations between the United States and the Dominican Republic, as Washington has formally called on Santo Domingo to scrap a controversial new tariff regime for imported rice that the Caribbean nation enacted to shield its domestic agricultural sector and shore up national food security. The demand was tabled during ongoing high-level negotiations over the two countries’ bilateral tariff agenda, which kicked off on September 9. Leading the discussions from the Dominican side was Foreign Minister Víctor “Ito” Bisonó, while the U.S. delegation was headed by Deputy Trade Representative Jeffrey Goettman and Julie Callahan, the chief agricultural negotiator at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). A virtual meeting between the three officials was held earlier this week, as confirmed by an official USTR social media post dated September 11, 2026. Per USTR’s position, rolling back Decree 693-24 is necessary for the Dominican Republic to uphold its market access obligations under the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR), specifically the commitments that grant U.S. rice preferential access to the Dominican market. Enacted by the Dominican government on December 17, 2024, the decree puts in place a two-tiered tariff structure for imported rice: a 20% levy applies to all rice imports brought in within the authorized import quota, and any shipments that exceed the quota face a steep 99% tariff. Dominican officials have stood firmly behind the policy, framing it as a critical measure to protect the country’s local rice production industry and preserve long-term food security. Santo Domingo argues that retaining robust domestic productive capacity is non-negotiable for ensuring a consistent, reliable food supply for its population. The policy did not come out of nowhere: it was preceded by Conassan Resolution No. 07-2024, which formally recommended the government implement special protective measures for rice, classified as a strategically sensitive product, to defend the country’s food sovereignty. The Dominican government has also emphasized the outsize economic importance of domestic rice cultivation, which supports livelihoods across 21 of the country’s provinces where rice is the primary agricultural crop. The U.S. demand to repeal the decree has now pushed the Caribbean nation’s rice import policy to the forefront of ongoing trade negotiations, with the outcome set to shape the future of U.S. rice access to the Dominican market under the terms of CAFTA-DR. Both sides have reiterated a shared commitment to strengthening overall bilateral economic ties through the talks, but the disagreement over rice tariffs remains a major sticking point that threatens to derail progress on other trade agenda items.

U.S.-born fast-food brand Carl’s Jr., known for its signature grilled burgers, has marked a major milestone in its global expansion strategy with the official opening of its first brick-and-mortar location in the Dominican Republic. The new outlet is strategically situated at Galería 360, a popular shopping center in the nation’s capital, Santo Domingo.

The location operates under the chain’s standardized international In-Line concept, a store model crafted to fit seamlessly into modern, high-traffic retail spaces while retaining the iconic visual branding that customers around the world recognize. The design prioritizes contemporary aesthetics, streamlined service layouts to reduce wait times, and spacious, comfortable zones tailored to enhance guest experiences.

Franchise operations in the Dominican Republic are overseen by DATH, a Mexican hospitality firm that already holds a prominent position within Carl’s Jr.’s global franchise network. Ranked as the third-largest Carl’s Jr. franchisee in Mexico, DATH runs more than 450 locations across its home market, where the chain has built a solid, loyal customer base. The company has secured exclusive operating rights for the entire Dominican Republic, making this launch the first step in a planned market entry into the Caribbean region.

Speaking at a pre-opening media presentation at the new restaurant, Mónica Cabrera Pérez, DATH’s chief executive officer for both Mexico and the Dominican Republic, emphasized the brand’s commitment to upholding the global quality standards that define Carl’s Jr. “We’ve come here committed to offering an excellent experience, meeting Carl’s Jr.’s international standards, based on the quality of our products, friendly service, and an atmosphere designed for the enjoyment of our guests,” Cabrera Pérez stated.

The official grand opening ceremony for the Galería 360 location was held on September 10, kicking off the brand’s official operations in the new market. For Carl’s Jr., this expansion opens up a new untapped consumer market in the Caribbean, while DATH looks to replicate its successful Mexican business model in the Dominican tourism and local dining sectors.

In a collaborative working meeting convened by Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Agriculture, key stakeholders across the entire bitter cassava and casabe production chain have finalized a set of targeted measures designed to scale up domestic output, standardize planting practices, and enhance market access, all while protecting grower profit margins and maintaining consistent consumer supply.

The roundtable discussion was chaired by Agriculture Minister Francisco Oliverio Espaillat, and brought together a cross-section of participants: independent bitter cassava producers, industry associations, processing operators, marketing firms, as well as elected senators and provincial government representatives from the major growing regions of Dajabón and Santiago Rodríguez.

In opening remarks to the gathering, Minister Espaillat underscored the critical importance of striking a careful balance between total production volume and existing consumer market demand. This balance, he explained, is key to avoiding two costly outcomes: widespread oversupply that drives down prices and erodes producer income, and unexpected shortages that push up costs for everyday consumers. “We cannot allow either an abundance that destroys producers, or a scarcity that affects consumers. It’s a balance,” Espaillat stated.

Among the core commitments reached during the meeting, stakeholders agreed to implement coordinated, data-driven production planning, establish consistent monitoring of planting cycles across growing regions, and reinforce existing market stabilization mechanisms to reduce price volatility for bitter cassava sales.

Current cultivation data shared at the meeting puts total planted bitter cassava acreage across Dajabón and Santiago Rodríguez at more than 40,000 tareas, equal to roughly 14,000 acres, with crops currently in varying stages of development. Pedro González Toribio, general secretary of the national Cassava Producers Association, shared that new plantations are also being established in Santiago, Cotuí, and Montecristi, a clear sign of the crop’s expanding footprint and its untapped potential as a reliable source of raw material for casabe and other value-added food products.

Participants also flagged two key structural barriers to sector growth: limited access to affordable financing and gaps in access to modern farming equipment. In response, the Ministry of Agriculture has pledged to deliver expanded technical assistance to producers, and to back industry-led efforts to raise overall output per acre while cutting input and production costs.

Moving forward, producer organizations will hold internal discussions to review the agreed proposals and build a unified consensus position to present back to the ministry. A second follow-up meeting is scheduled to take place in the coming weeks, where stakeholders will review progress on initial commitments and advance the joint action plan for the sector.

SANTO DOMINGO – The Dominican Republic’s tourism sector has hit a historic milestone, posting a record number of international visitor arrivals through the first eight months of 2026, according to official data released by Tourism Minister David Collado. Between January and August, the Caribbean destination welcomed 8,556,415 total visitors, marking a 6.9% year-over-year increase compared to the same period in 2025.

Breaking down the overall arrivals figures, 6,610,258 tourists entered the country via air travel, while 1,946,157 arrived on cruise ships. When compared to pre-pandemic levels from 2019, the current eight-month total reflects a dramatic 58.9% jump, signaling that the Dominican Republic’s tourism industry has not only fully recovered from global travel disruptions but is now outperforming pre-crisis levels by a substantial margin. Even against 2024 figures, the 2026 count shows a healthy 9.8% expansion, confirming consistent, long-term growth momentum for the sector.

The upward trend held strong in the final month of the reporting period as well: August 2026 alone drew 856,858 total visitors. This represents a 6.2% year-over-year increase over August 2025, a 5.4% rise from August 2024, and a 52.3% gain compared to the same month in 2019. A closer look at August’s breakdown shows outsized growth in cruise travel: air arrivals hit 725,560 for a modest 2.6% annual gain, while cruise passenger arrivals surged 31.9% year-over-year to reach 131,298.

The United States continues to anchor the Dominican Republic’s source market, accounting for 44% of all tourist arrivals in August. Rounding out the top source markets are Canada at 9%, Colombia at 8%, Argentina at 5%, Spain and the United Kingdom at 4% apiece, and Puerto Rico and Mexico at 3% each.

On the infrastructure side, the country’s major airports reflect the concentration of tourism activity in key resort regions. Punta Cana International Airport, the primary gateway to the country’s most popular eastern beach destinations, handled 49% of all incoming air tourist traffic. It was followed by Las Américas International Airport near Santo Domingo with 29% and Cibao International Airport in the country’s northern region with 14%. Puerto Plata and Higüero airports each captured 3% of traffic, while La Romana and Samaná airports accounted for 1% each.

Beyond raw arrival numbers, industry metrics point to strong visitor satisfaction and healthy hospitality performance. Average hotel occupancy across the country hit 68% in August, and the average visitor satisfaction rating came in at 4.3 out of a possible 5 points. Most notably, survey data from the Ministry of Tourism shows that 90% of recent visitors stated they would plan a return trip to the Dominican Republic, and 60% said they would actively recommend the Caribbean destination to friends, family, and social contacts. This high level of visitor loyalty bodes well for sustained future growth as the country works to build on its record 2026 results.