Exports were down 5.7% and imports were up 8.5%, Hoy newspaper reports yesterday, looking into US-DR bilateral trade. The DR trade deficit with the US was US$2.62 billion, which compares to a US$169 million surplus in 2004, explains economist Luis Vargas, using US Department of Commerce data. Since 2005, the trade deficit has been growing. DR would first post a deficit of US$115 million in 2005, then US$818 million in 2006, and this would leap to US$1.87 billion in 2007, the year of the signing of the DR-CAFTA free trade agreement. For 2008, the deficit is now at US$2.62 billion. <\/p>\n
Exports in 2004 were at US$4.52 billion, but have fallen to US$3.97 billion, four years later. Tobacco and beverages have been the two top export performers at US$203.1 million and diverse manufactured items has reaped US$960.4 million. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Exports were down 5.7% and imports were up 8.5%, Hoy newspaper reports yesterday, looking into US-DR bilateral trade. The DR trade deficit with the US was US$2.62 billion, which compares to a US$169 million surplus in 2004, explains economist Luis Vargas, using US Department of Commerce data. Since 2005, the trade deficit has been growing. … <\/p>\n