The Dominican Republic has asked the World Trade Organization to allow free zone industries to maintain tax exemptions until the year 2018, instead of until 2005 as established in one of the draft proposals to be presented at the 9-13 November WTO meeting in Qatar. Originally, free zone exemptions would have ended on 31 December 2002, but a three year extension is being contemplated. The request is part of a letter signed by Federico Cuello, Dominican ambassador to the WTO, in the name of 15 nations from Latin America, nine from Africa and one from Asia.
