Hello. I am currently having a neoprene item produced in China but would prefer to have it made in the Dominican Republic if the cost is competitive. I have found almost no information about which companies may produce what types of products in the Dominican Republic. Can anyone tell me where I might be able to get this information? Any personal reviews of the experience of having a product made there and imported into the US would be valuable also. We are a small startup company, so we won't make or break any country's economy, but we would prefer to support the Dominican Republic vs China. (Unfortunately having a product made in the US, and supporting my own country, doesn't seem to be an option unless we want to be a "non-profit".) Thanks in advance!
- Thread starter GKLSY
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Looking for resources for manufacturing a product in the Dominican Republic.
Some thoughts come to mind. I doubt the DR has the correct resources to have a natural source of the raw materials to produce neoprene. Does the final product you require need to be sewn? That skill set probably still exists here in the Free Trade Zones if you can source the fabric.
Thanks for your reply. Yes, the item needs to be sewn and printed. I wondered about the availability of neoprene there also... I could source it but believe I would have to get it from the US in order to take advantage of the trade preferences given to importing from the Dominican Republic, so that may eat up any savings I might have on the actual manufacturing and importing to the US. I have looked online for some sort of directory of companies in the Free Trade Zone and their products and services but haven't found anything. Do you know if such a resource exists?
I think China will be your best bet for cost, even with importing costs.
Contact the American Embassy. They can sometimes give leads, esp if your final market will be for the US.
Contact the American Embassy. They can sometimes give leads, esp if your final market will be for the US.
PeterInBrat: We are currently having the production done in China. The lead time is an issue for us and should be much shorter with products coming to Fl. from the Dominican Republic. The cost may not be competitive with China even after break on dutys and lower transport costs, but we at least wanted to check it out. We have vacationed many times in the Dominican Republic and have a fondness for the people that we don't have for China. But business is business and if the price is too high we'll have to keep dealing with China. Thanks for the info about the Embassy.