The global medical device sector has the Dominican Republic in its focus. Already 40 manufacturers lead the way, representing 31% of all free zone exports in the country and US$2.6 billion in exports in 2023 alone. DP World is spearheading the next step in positioning the DR as a global medtech manufacturer, a company press release highlights. DP World manages port-manufacturing enterprises at the Dominican Republic’s two main entry points — Santo Domingo and Punta Cana.
Behind the renewed manufacturing efforts is location, location, location that favors the Dominican Republic. The geographic location of the country supports speed-to-market. Manufacturers serving North American customers can reduce transit time and inventory pressure compared with longer Asia-based supply chains, while still operating within an established export platform.
Scale matters because medtech manufacturing is operationally demanding, requiring regulated inputs, validated processes, cleanroom standards, and strict traceability expectations. Countries that win in medtech tend to pair incentives with execution – e.g., consistent rules, reliable utilities, quality systems’ maturity, and a workforce that can support precision manufacturing.
Trade frameworks have helped reinforce that advantage. The Dominican Republic participates in DR-CAFTA, the free trade agreement linking the United States, the Dominican Republic, and several Central American countries. The Dominican Republic also has been levied with the lowest tariffs, under the Trump administration.
The country’s next chapter is taking shape at the Port of Caucedo – where DP World’s planned Special Economic Zone (SEZ) expansion is designed to create a new, integrated logistics-industrial ecosystem that is well-positioned to serve high-value, time-sensitive sectors like medtech.
The DP World highlights that the Dominican Republic’s rise did not happen by accident. It was built through deliberate industrial policy – especially the expansion of free zones that lowered barriers for global manufacturers and helped create “plug-and-play” operating environments.
The press release highlights that scale matters because medtech manufacturing is operationally demanding, requiring regulated inputs, validated processes, cleanroom standards, and strict traceability expectations. Countries that win in medtech tend to pair incentives with execution. Consistent rules, reliable utilities, quality systems’ maturity, and a well trained workforce come together to support precision manufacturing.
The company stresses its port-to-zone model built for high-value manufacturing. As the country’s medtech base grows, the next constraint often becomes logistics: speed, reliability, storage, and integration across inbound materials and outbound finished goods.
That is where the next phase of development for DP World’s operations at the Port of Caucedo becomes strategically relevant., the company release explains.
In May 2025, DP World signed a historic agreement with the Dominican government to expand the Port of Caucedo and the adjacent Free Trade Zone, increasing terminal handling capacity and developing 225 hectares of integrated logistics and industrial infrastructure as part of an ESG-driven SEZ.
The planned SEZ includes new industrial buildings and a multimodal logistics network intended to attract manufacturers looking for a turnkey environment – and it is being positioned specifically to support nearshoring demand.
DP World is also managing the Punta Cana Free Trade Zone operations that link the Central American and Caribbean region’s airport with the most destinations served with new free zone operations.
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DP World
Yahoo Finance
19 January 2026