The Round Table of Commonwealth Countries in the Dominican Republic held a meeting on 9 March 2020 with directors of chambers of commerce and other business entities to celebrate World Commonwealth Day. During the event, chaired by British Ambassador Chris Campbell, Fernando González Nicolás, president of the local chapter of the Commonwealth Round Table, highlighted how the Commonwealth bloc represents the DR’s second biggest export destination after the United States.
González said that in 2018 and 2019 Dominican exports to the United States amounted to US$4.68 billion and US$5.13 billion, respectively. Exports to Commonwealth countries during these same periods were for US$1.97 billion and US$1.13 billion dollars, respectively, with mining and farming products being at the top of the list.
Of the 54 Commonwealth countries, the main buyers for Dominican exports in 2019 were India, with US$420 million; Canada, with US$352 million; Great Britain, with US$109 million; and Jamaica, with US$74 million, among others.
Attending the event for the Commonwealth countries were: Collin Holditch, Consul General of Canada; Leonel Melo, president of the British Chamber of Commerce; Gustavo de Hostos, president of the Canadian Dominican Chamber; Dermendra Basita, president of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Edmundo Gil, president of the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Commerce.
Also participating were Norman de Castro, president of the Association of Friends of South Africa and consul of that country; Antonio Ramos, executive vice president of the Chamber of Commerce of Santo Domingo; and Ivonne García, deputy executive director of the Dominican Agribusiness Board (JAD), among others.
The Commonwealth Roundtable in the Dominican Republic is an entity that carries out efforts to promote bilateral, economic, political and social relations between Commonwealth countries and the Dominican Republic.
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Super 7FM
11 March 2020