DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

The Dominican economy demonstrated remarkable resilience in the first quarter of 2026. In March alone, the country surpassed the historic US$1.4 billion barrier in exports, recording US$1.45 billion in outward trade. The country exported 20.7% more compared to March 2025.

This time the primary driver of this growth is raw gold, which experienced a 78.2% surge in value, adding US$110.8 million to the monthly total. Gold reached a new record peak of US$5,626.75 on 29 January 2026. Since then, the price has fluctuated due to a “push and pull” between geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and shifting interest rate expectations. This is up from the peak of US$3,613.20 for the ounce of gold in 2025.

Other high-performing sectors included tobacco (up US$16.5 million) and medical instruments (up US$12.3 million). Canada has emerged as a major growth market, with...