The Dominican Republic has marked a significant milestone in its export sector, closing the first ten months of 2025 with over US$12 billion in exports and a robust 10.3% growth rate. These figures were unveiled by the Dominican Exporters Association (Adoexpo) during the 39th Export Excellence Awards, an event presided over by President Luis Abinader. The ceremony celebrated companies that have made remarkable contributions to international markets. Adoexpo President Karel Castillo highlighted the country’s strong performance, with exports to the United States exceeding US$6 billion and shipments to the Caribbean reaching US$1.7 billion, reflecting a 15% increase. Castillo emphasized the Dominican Republic’s growing influence in both traditional and emerging markets, including India, and called for sustained reforms in logistics, technical education, regulatory modernization, and labor flexibility to solidify the nation’s position as a regional export powerhouse. Roselyn Amaro Bergés, Adoexpo’s Executive Vice President, presented findings from the Export Sector Indicator Study, revealing that exports totaled US$13.8 billion in 2024, creating 144,000 jobs. The study also noted significant growth in key products such as gold (+52%), cocoa (+54%), and steel laminates (+87%), with exports accounting for 29% of all foreign currency entering the country in 2025. The awards ceremony honored outstanding companies across various categories, with Pasteurizadora Rica receiving the prestigious title of Great Dominican Exporter. Other awardees included Plastifar, BotPro, Successment, Ghidora (Blink Esports), Textilab x Angie Polanco, Aparataje Distribution, Grupo RR&T, B Brawn Dominican Republic, Smurfit Westrock, and Nahshar Produce. Special recognitions were also extended to sector veterans, public institutions, private companies, media outlets, and journalists for their contributions to the development of national exports.
标签： Dominican Republic
多米尼加共和国
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Abinader: new Summit of the Americas date depends on consensus with U.S. and allies
Santo Domingo – President Luis Abinader announced on Monday that a new date for the postponed Summit of the Americas has yet to be finalized. The decision, he stated, will be made in collaboration with the United States and other participating nations. Speaking during ‘LA Semanal con la Prensa,’ Abinader revealed that prior to the postponement, approximately ten to eleven countries had confirmed their attendance, with several others still undecided. The Dominican government is currently evaluating the most opportune timing for the summit, particularly as many nations in the region are engaged in ongoing electoral processes. Abinader highlighted that scheduling the event after these elections would enable newly elected or re-elected presidents to participate with fresh mandates and greater availability. He further stressed that the final decision will be coordinated with key regional partners, including the United States and Brazil.
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U.S. drops tariffs on Dominican agricultural and industrial exports
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.
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X platform suffers major worldwide shutdown
A significant disruption originating from Cloudflare’s global network infrastructure triggered a widespread internet outage on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, severely impacting millions of users across a multitude of digital platforms. The incident, characterized by a cascade of system failures, rendered core services inaccessible for an extended period, highlighting the internet’s critical dependency on centralized content delivery networks.
The outage manifested for end-users as an inability to load content, engage with posts, or log into accounts, with platforms displaying persistent ‘500 Internal Server Error’ messages. Cloudflare’s official status page confirmed the severity of the incident, reporting a major global network issue that precipitated widespread ‘500 errors’ and concurrent failures in its administrative dashboard and API endpoints. Engineering teams were immediately mobilized to diagnose the root cause and implement mitigation protocols.
The scope of the disruption extended far beyond a single service, creating a domino effect that incapacitated a diverse portfolio of high-traffic websites and applications. Notably affected were the social media platform X, the AI-powered chatbot service ChatGPT, and the design tool Canva. The outage also impinged on the digital entertainment sector, hindering access to popular gaming services such as League of Legends, and caused significant downtime for various cryptocurrency exchange front-ends. In a notable irony, Downdetector, a leading service for tracking online outages which itself relies on Cloudflare, was also rendered partially unavailable, complicating real-time reporting of the event’s scale.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the interconnected nature of the modern web and the systemic risks associated with concentrated infrastructure, prompting renewed discussions on digital resilience and redundancy.
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Abinader says Dominican border under control amid Haiti protest call
Santo Domingo – President Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic addressed escalating tensions along the Haitian border during his weekly press conference on Monday. In response to a protest call issued by Haitian gang leader Jimmy Chérizier, alias ‘Barbecue,’ Abinader affirmed that the nation possesses a ‘sufficient level of intelligence’ and maintains robust control over its border. He underscored the government’s vigilance in monitoring the situation, given the potential repercussions of heightened unrest in Haiti. Abinader revealed that the Dominican government is in continuous coordination with international forces operating in Haiti and domestic security agencies. This collaboration, he explained, enables authorities to anticipate and mitigate any threats to border stability. A special alert was activated on Monday as a precautionary measure. The President emphasized that border security remains a top priority, with daily monitoring and enhanced surveillance efforts. Defense Minister Carlos Luciano Díaz has been provided with detailed intelligence on activities within Haiti to prevent any spillover of violence into Dominican territory.
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Amnesty International urges Dominican Republic to end health protocol tied to deportations
Amnesty International has once again urged the Dominican government to abolish a controversial health protocol that ties medical treatment for undocumented Haitians to deportation. The organization labeled the policy as ‘unjustified’ and ‘discriminatory’ during the virtual launch of its report titled ‘Health Without Stigma: The Impact of Migration Policies on the Right to Health in the Dominican Republic.’ The report delves into how current migration policies are obstructing Haitian migrants’ access to healthcare.
The findings are based on a comprehensive analysis of public health data, UNICEF reports, and interviews with health experts and Haitian patients. Amnesty International highlighted that the protocol’s requirements—such as ID verification, proof of residence, employment letters, and post-treatment deportation—contravene international human rights standards. These measures, the organization argues, deter Haitians from seeking medical care, perpetuate racial stereotypes, and amplify anti-Haitian sentiments, thereby undermining the fundamental right to health.
Implemented in April, the protocol permits undocumented patients to receive medical treatment but mandates their deportation once they are medically stable. Amnesty International contends that this approach not only jeopardizes public health but also disproportionately impacts vulnerable populations. The organization has called on the Dominican government to revoke the protocol, cease the detention and deportation of Haitians seeking medical care, and ensure that immigration status does not hinder access to health services.
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Abinader to attend annual semiconductor meeting in California
President Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic is set to embark on a significant diplomatic and economic mission to San Jose, California, on November 20. His visit comes at the invitation of the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), recognizing the country’s strides in developing a robust and dependable ecosystem for semiconductor investments. Abinader will be joined by Minister of Industry and Commerce Víctor “Ito” Bisonó and a delegation of private-sector representatives as part of the National Strategy for the Promotion of the Semiconductor Industry (Enfis).
During the Semiconductor Annual Meeting, the Dominican team will engage with top executives from global semiconductor giants, including Intel, TSMC, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, and Micron. The primary objective is to forge stronger alliances and position the Dominican Republic as a trusted partner for companies looking to diversify their production chains away from Asia.
The Dominican Republic is focusing on several key areas within the semiconductor industry, including the manufacturing of discrete semiconductors and passive components, assembly, testing, and packaging (ATP) of mature-node chips, and the production of printed circuit boards (PCBs) and chip integration into electronic devices. These sectors are currently dominated by China, but the Dominican Republic aims to capitalize on its logistical advantages, free zone system, and precision manufacturing capabilities to meet U.S. supply chain demands.
President Abinader emphasized that this event is a pivotal opportunity to showcase the nation’s potential. Several free zone companies in the Dominican Republic are already in advanced discussions with major global players, signaling a promising future for the country’s semiconductor industry.
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Barbecue warns Haitians to remain indoors as gangs prepare for confrontation
Port-au-Prince, Haiti – Jimmy Cherizier, a prominent Haitian gang leader commonly referred to as “Barbecue” and spokesperson for the Viv Ansanm armed coalition, has called on citizens to remain indoors starting Monday. This plea comes as gangs prepare to confront law enforcement in what is expected to be a violent escalation. In a social media message, Cherizier urged transport unions, drivers, and families to stay home, emphasizing that the warning aims to prevent civilian casualties during the impending clashes. He also cautioned parents to keep children indoors, stating that gangs would not be accountable for those who disregard the alert.
This development follows a significant joint operation by the Haitian National Police, the Armed Forces, and the Gang Repression Force targeting the 400 Mawozo gang, which has long dominated areas north of Port-au-Prince. Authorities reported several gang members killed or injured, alongside the seizure of weapons, including a Barrett rifle and heavy machinery used to destroy public infrastructure. The operation marks a renewed effort by Haitian authorities to curb gang violence, which has plagued the nation for years.
The situation highlights the ongoing struggle between law enforcement and powerful criminal networks in Haiti, with civilians often caught in the crossfire. Cherizier’s warning underscores the precarious security environment and the challenges faced by the Haitian government in restoring order.
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Gaming sector leaders gather in Santo Domingo for GAT Expo 2025
The GAT Expo Santo Domingo 2025, held at the Renaissance Jaragua Hotel & Casino, successfully convened industry leaders, experts, and representatives from the gaming and betting sector for a two-day event centered on knowledge, technology, and innovation. The expo’s academic program offered a comprehensive update on the online gaming market, emerging communication models, and the behavior of Dominican players. Key topics included regulatory advancements, technological trends, technical compliance, responsible gaming, data analysis, and artificial intelligence, providing attendees with valuable insights into the evolving industry landscape. Participants lauded the event as one of the most thorough and well-organized programs in Santo Domingo in recent years. A dedicated networking session further enhanced the experience, facilitating meaningful professional exchanges between local delegates and international guests. Aníbal Aguirre, CEO of GAT Events, emphasized the expo’s consistent growth and Santo Domingo’s strategic importance within the regional circuit. He also extended an invitation for industry stakeholders to join the GAT Events 2026 Circuit, set to kick off in Cartagena next March. The GAT Expo Santo Domingo 2025 concluded on a high note, solidifying its position as a pivotal platform for the development and integration of the gaming sector across the Caribbean and Latin America.
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United States ends air travel restrictions
Washington, DC – The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has officially announced the removal of all air travel restrictions that were enforced during the 43-day federal government shutdown. This decision allows the National Airspace System to resume normal operations starting Monday. The shutdown, the longest in U.S. history, forced the Trump Administration to curtail activities at 40 major airports due to a critical shortage of air traffic controllers, who were left unpaid during the period.
According to the DOT, the restoration of full operations was based on Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety reviews, which indicated a decrease in hazardous incidents despite the staffing crisis. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy expressed gratitude to FAA personnel for upholding safety standards and acknowledged the return of air traffic controllers following the shutdown’s conclusion as pivotal in reinstating normal flight operations. During the shutdown, major airports in cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Washington, and New York saw flight reductions of up to 6%, leading to approximately 9,000 delays or 2,900 cancellations daily.
Additionally, the DOT confirmed the termination of restrictions affecting commercial space launches, general aviation at 12 airports, parachuting activities, and aerial photography near collision-risk zones. With these measures lifted, the agency now aims to prioritize expanding controller recruitment and modernizing the U.S. air traffic control system.