Dominican consumers are benefitting from the ban affecting Dominican fruit and vegetable exporters. Last week, the US ordered a ban on the perishable exports after authorities at the Punta Cana International Airport reported the detection of Medfly in a shipment that was in transit through the airport. Local supermarkets have purchased some of the surplus and are passing the savings on to consumers. Exporters of bell pepper and avocados are especially affected. Deloitte’s Nassim Jose Alemany told El Dia that of the list of 18 products banned from export, the DR exported US$61 million worth of seven of the products in 2014. No date has been set for the resumption of exports.
Following the US announcement, the government of Haiti announced it also would ban the entry of fresh produce from the Dominican Republic.