German investment in the Dominican Republic continues to grow, marked by what Ambassador Maike Friedrichsen describes as a significant “multiplication” of bilateral cooperation. According to an interview with Friedrichsen featured in Diario Libre on 17 February 2026, German investment in the country has increased nearly 15-fold over the last decade, signaling a deepening economic bond between the two nations. German Foreign Direct Investment in the DR in 2023 was EUR689 million.
The surge in capital has targeted renewable energy (solar and wind), logistics and manufacturing, health technology in addition to the traditional environmental cooperation.
Ambassador Friedrichsen identified several “determining factors” that have made the Dominican Republic an attractive destination for German capital. These include the country’s legal, democratic, and socioeconomic stability, as well as its strategic geographical location. Furthermore, international free trade agreements and the development of the country as a logistics hub provide a secure framework for long-term German operations.
During the interview, the ambassador mentioned the little known historic fact that the the founding father of the Dominican Republic Juan Pablo Duarte had spent time in Hamburg during his exile. Ambassador Friedrichsen is herself a native of the port city.
The ambassador says that the momentum continues with economic delegations visiting to take advantage of the trade agreements and geographic location Ambassador spoke of the visit in January 2026 of a mission of the German DEG (Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft) development bank, a subsidiary of KfW Group. She also said the Embassy backs efforts of the Dominican-German Chamber of Commerce, and helps follow up to activities organized by Dominican Embassy in Germany during the Dominican Week in Germany.
Friedrichsen mentioned the investments in the tobacco sector, the presence of high tech companies such as Fresenius Kabi (Parque Industrial Itabo in Haina) and B. Braun (Las Americas Free Zone in eastern Santo Domingo), that manufacture here high tech medical devices for exporting to more than 180 countries.
The ambassador envisions increases in German investment to take advantage of logistics and nearshoring. Due to the DR’s strategic location, German firms are eyeing the country as a regional logistics hub. This “nearshoring” trend is making the DR an attractive destination for German manufacturing plants looking to serve the Americas.
The ambassador praised the Dominican Republic’s efforts to maintain a stable investment climate, noting that legal certainty and institutional transparency are the primary reasons German investors are choosing the DR over other regional competitors.
The interview underlines a shift from a purely diplomatic relationship to a robust economic partnership. Germany remains one of the DR’s most important trading partners within the European Union, particularly in the export of medical devices, organic cacao, and bananas from the Dominican side, and machinery and automotive parts from the German side.
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Diario Libre
17 February 2026