Fine pearls and precious stones are ranked high in Dominican exports in 2025, playing a pivotal role in a banner year for the nation’s foreign trade. According to the latest year-end report from the Customs Agency (DGA), total exports reached US$14,645.23 million, marking a robust 13.41% increase compared to 2024, as reported in El Dia.
The data reveals a significant shift in the country’s trade dynamics, with the “national regime” sector, which excludes free trade zones exports, seeing a dramatic 36.77% growth to reach US$5.46 billion. Within this category, pearls and precious stones accounted for a dominant 45.08% of the total value.
The export landscape remains heavily specialized. While pearls and stones led the way, metallic goods like gold and silver remained critical, making up nearly 45% of the national regime’s metallic exports. Gold is riding a wave of record prices.
Other key products contributing to the economy included cacao and preparations (6.60%), plastics (5.26%), iron and steel (4.44%), and edible fruits (2.98%).
Despite the surge in national regime exports, Free Trade Zones (Zonas Francas) continued to be the backbone of the country’s international trade, representing 58.75% of all exports. Raw materials were the most traded category, accounting for over 40% of total outbound shipments, followed closely by consumer goods at 38.6%.
The Dominican Republic’s export market remains concentrated in a handful of strategic destinations. Three countries alone absorbed nearly 58% of all national regime exports are India that sources most gold exports (28.74%), Haiti (15.34%) and United States (13.91%).
Read more in Spanish:
El Dia
22 January 2026