Dominican authorities will go to bat for the Dominican sugar industry, whose members are unhappy about opening the Dominican market to sugar imports after a 15-year period without any reciprocity being granted. The difference in the commercialization of sugar between the United States and the Dominican Republic could delay the signing of the bilateral free trade treaty. President Mejia sent a letter to the authorities in Washington and pointed out that new talks were needed on this point, or else the issue should be excluded from the treaty.
On the other hand the US authorities have given little sign that they are willing to enter into new talks, according to Technical Secretary of the Presidency Carlos Despradel, who recently visited the US capital.
A top local government official said that in reality the DR does not know what it has obtained regarding sugar. According to what was written, the Dominican Republic in turn for the eventual opening of market can export up to 10,000 tons of sugar to the United States. The deal, however, contains the phrase ?world market.? Apparently, what was agreed to was the same as Central America accepted. The problem is that the Dominican Republic is not a player in the world market. It sells its sugar exclusively to the United States market.