The Export and Investment Center of the Dominican Republic (ProDominicana) reported that the volume exported during the January-July 2022 period reached USD 7,388.9 million, thus experiencing a positive growth of 10.8 % compared to the same period of 2021, and of 28.2 % with respect to the pre-pandemic year 2019, according to data from the Directorate General of Customs (DGA).
In monthly terms, July 2022 exports totaled USD 1,072.1 million, showing a year-on-year growth of 10.1 % with respect to July 2021. Similarly, this value represents a 23.4 % growth compared to July 2019, positioning this month of July 2022 as the highest value exported in the Dominican Republic.
Exports directed to the US market are positioned as the destination with the highest absolute growth in exports for the period January-July 2022, with an increase of USD 314 million additional to the amount exported during the same period of 2021, which is equivalent to a year-on-year growth of 9.2 %. This market is followed by Haiti, with an absolute growth of USD 157 million and a relative inter-annual variation of 30.2 %.
Other markets showing significant growth in terms of amounts and a positive year-on-year variation are: China with USD 84 million (77 %), Puerto Rico USD 57 million (16 %), South Korea USD 52 million (379 %), Canada USD 44 million (156 %), United Arab Emirates USD 44 million (748 %), Spain USD 19 million (45 %), Jamaica (23.89 %), among other 89 destinations that presented increases in their purchase volumes of our products in the period analyzed.
In turn, the products that explain this growth were: medical instruments and apparatus, which were positioned with the highest absolute growth in the analyzed period, accumulating an absolute growth of USD 123 million additional. Similarly, ferronickel is among the products that lead the growth of Dominican exports in the period analyzed, representing a total of USD 107 million additional to the previous year.
Also standing out for their absolute growth in the period are: jewelry articles and their parts with an absolute growth of USD 71 million; tableware and other related articles in USD 55 million; iron or steel bars with an additional USD 55 million; T-shirts USD 49 million and plastic articles in USD 44 million.
Exports of raw gold continue to position itself as the main product exported by the Dominican economy, representing in January-July 2022 10.58% of total exports, equivalent to USD 782.1 million. In terms of importance, gold was followed by cigars, which accounted for 8.08% of total exports. Among the main products exported from the agricultural sector, the following stand out: cocoa beans USD 125.8 million, bananas USD 120.9 million and cane sugar USD 91.2 million.
It is important to highlight that this growth during the period is explained by both national and free trade zone exports, which grew by 12.2 % and 9.0 %, respectively. In terms of participation, free zones represent 61.9% of total exports in January-July 2022, and the national regime 35.5%.
Finally, the executive director of ProDominicana, Biviana Riveiro Disla, said that “the institution is constantly deploying the actions of the National Plan for the Promotion of Exports, strengthening its internal capacity for services to the internationalization of MSMEs, as well as the internal structure in charge of promoting exports and attracting foreign investment to the Dominican economy; sectors considered as the essential pillars of the post-pandemic recovery, growth and economic development with inclusive characteristics to increase the quality of life of Dominicans”.
