Free Trade Zones Grow More Than Ever

[NALs]

Exports surpassed US$8 billion in 2024.

Free Trade Zone subsectors that grew the most:

Metals and their manufacturing 46.9%​

Plastics 28.9%​

Agroindustrial 11%​

Medicines, medical equipments and medical instruments 10.1%​

Most Free Trade Zone industrial parks are found around Santo Domingo and Santiago, but there are Free Trade Zone industrial parks in other towns (Puerto Plata, La Vega, San Pedro de Macorís, La Romana, San Cristóbal and a few more.) Some Free Trade Zone companies are outside Free Trade Zone industrial parks but got special treatment from the government. Most factories outside Free Trade Zone industrial parks are not Free Trade Zone companies and most Dominican manufacturing centers are not part of the Free Trade Zone. However, most manufactured and ensambled products in the DR are from the Free Trade Zone industrial parks and main reason for that is that most things manufactured in the DR are consumed in the DR.

 

[Manuel01]

Not surprising. Labour and Labour Rights make it almost inpossible to produce in the US. A friend of mine is moving his farm from North Carolina to the DR this summer. One Legal Mexican costs 16$ / Hour + Insurance + Housing makes almost 4,000$US a month vs. 400 $ for a highly paid Dom. Agricultural worker.
Multiply this by 50 employees and he saves 180,000 $US a month. Take away higher shipping costs and some monthly travel, he still saves 120k a month. Only an Idiot would keep producing in the US.

 

[NanSanPedro]

Not surprising. Labour and Labour Rights make it almost inpossible to produce in the US. A friend of mine is moving his farm from North Carolina to the DR this summer. One Legal Mexican costs 16$ / Hour + Insurance + Housing makes almost 4,000$US a month vs. 400 $ for a highly paid Dom. Agricultural worker.
Multiply this by 50 employees and he saves 180,000 $US a month. Take away higher shipping costs and some monthly travel, he still saves 120k a month. Only an Idiot would keep producing in the US.

Trying to understand. Will he then sell his NC farm and use those proceeds to ramp up here in the DR?

 

[Manuel01]

Trying to understand. Will he then sell his NC farm and use those proceeds to ramp up here in the DR?

He will hold on to the the Farm but not grow on it. He will keep serving his clients all over the US with the exported products from the DR. DR > NC > US Client. There are already a lot of companies in the DR that export their fruits and veggys to the US. It used to be only products that are hard to grow in the US (tropical fruits etc.) , but now it is almost everything with a shelflife of > 10 days because it becomes to expensive to produce in the US.

 

[aarhus]

Exports surpassed US$8 billion in 2024.

Free Trade Zone subsectors that grew the most:

Metals and their manufacturing 46.9%​

Plastics 28.9%​

Agroindustrial 11%​

Medicines, medical equipments and medical instruments 10.1%​

Most Free Trade Zone industrial parks are found around Santo Domingo and Santiago, but there are Free Trade Zone industrial parks in other towns (Puerto Plata, La Vega, San Pedro de Macorís, La Romana, San Cristóbal and a few more.) Some Free Trade Zone companies are outside Free Trade Zone industrial parks but got special treatment from the government. Most factories outside Free Trade Zone industrial parks are not Free Trade Zone companies and most Dominican manufacturing centers are not part of the Free Trade Zone. However, most manufactured and ensambled products in the DR are from the Free Trade Zone industrial parks and main reason for that is that most things manufactured in the DR are consumed in the DR.

When I was a broker I dealt with Piisa. They were very professional. Me and my partner worked with commercial leases. My partner still does and keeps in touch with our contact person at Piisa.