Santo Domingo, RD
The Dominican Association of Free Zones (Adozona) reported that according to preliminary data obtained from the Dominican authorities, this sector grew by more than 25% at the end of the third quarter of the year, between January and September 2021, compared to same period of 2020; and more than 17% if compared to 2019.
Through a statement sent to the media, Adozona explains that according to preliminary data, exports from free zones as of September 30, 2021 exceeded US $ 5.25 billion, which represents an unprecedented figure in the country.
The president of Adozona, Luis José Bonilla, described these results as extraordinary and a demonstration that this sector has been vital for the recovery of the economy and jobs in the Dominican Republic. And he highlighted that at the end of September these companies have directly employed more than 180,000 people, when in February 2020, before the pandemic, there were only 170,000.
“The recovery has been total and that is mainly thanks to two things: The first is the legal framework that exists in our country, so we must continue to preserve it without variations as a fundamental basis of trust and the opportunities we have to attract more investment and generate more jobs; and the second is the successful public-private work strategy that we have carried out together with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, taking advantage of nearshoring and the opportunities brought by the readjustments of value chains worldwide “
Bonilla also supported the statements of the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Víctor Bisonó, who defended the legal framework of the free zone regime in the country, and who warned that there should be no rumors of changes in this regard, as there has been. President Luis Abinader remarked on several occasions, since this sector has had record results in 2021, which has been vital for the country in terms of generating foreign exchange and attracting new investments.
Adozona indicated that for 2021 there is an estimated projection of exports that could break for the first time in the history of the Dominican Republic the barrier of US $ 7,000 million. The year with the highest exports from free zones to date has been 2019, where they reached just over US $ 6.249 million.
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