The DR is the only DR-CAFTA signatory that maintains a trade deficit with the US in spite of being its biggest client among the Central American countries, according to a report in Diario Libre. International trade expert Manuel Gonzalez Tejera indicated that in spite of the deficit, the DR increased its exports to the US by 5.6% during the first semester of this year. During that same period, the five Central American countries (Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras) sold more than they bought from the US (US$9.038 billion against US$8.218 billion) and only Costa Rica showed a decrease in exports. Tejera is recommending a summit of the FTA beneficiaries so that they can design a joint trade strategy for the region that would guarantee it a better position as a client of the US.