The Dominican Republic’s free zones have achieved unprecedented growth in exports, setting both monthly and cumulative records. August 2024 saw exports from these zones reach a value of US$743.3 million, marking a 10.4% increase compared to the US$673.5 million exported in August 2023.
Accumulatively, through August 2024, free zone exports hit a new high of US$5.78 billion, reflecting a 7.8% growth year-over-year. This robust performance positions the country to surpass US$8.6 billion in total free zone exports by the end of 2024.
Preliminary data released by the General Customs Agency confirms the upward trend in free zone exports, indicating a recovery in overall national exports. In August 2024, total exports surged 18.3% year-over-year to US$1,119.69 million, exceeding the US$1 billion mark for the sixth consecutive month and accumulating a total of US$8.61 billion in the first eight months of the year.
Domestic exports also showed a significant increase, rising for the fifth consecutive month. August 2024 saw these exports reach US$348.9 million, a 37.6% increase compared to the same period in 2023. Year-to-date, domestic exports totaled US$2.67 billion, 2.7% more than the US$2.44 billion exported in the same period last year.
Dominican free zones have experienced remarkable growth in the past year, with the addition of new companies and the expansion of existing ones. This development has been fueled by the adoption of cutting-edge technologies and improvements in logistics infrastructure, enhancing efficiency and global competitiveness.
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Ministry of Industry & Commerce
17 September 2024