Includes the barriers (tariff and non-tariff) that U.S. companies face when exporting to this country.
Last Published: 11/21/2019

While CAFTA-DR eliminates most of trade barriers to imports from the U.S., the treaty’s implementation, since its signing in March 2007, has not been without problems, and certain technical barriers and issues of interpretation can arise from time to time. For example, most U.S. agricultural goods that do not compete with local industries have zero or no duty.

Goods that compete with local industries are restricted strongly than the others.  Nevertheless, importers must obtain special import permits for all agricultural products (via the Agriculture and Livestock Promotion Directorate (DIGEGA) of the Ministry of Agriculture and, in the case of dairy products, from the Ministry of Health/DIGEMAPS). Even though the procedures to obtain an import permit have been improved lately, these import permits are not always easy to obtain in a timely manner and sometimes, are not available at all. In addition to the import permit, some agricultural products such as milk, cheese, rice, beans, onions, garlic, poultry, pork and sugar and certain consumer goods carry higher duty rates. Under the CAFTA-DR, the higher duties for sensitive agricultural goods will continue to be phased out over the next six years. Very small amounts of these products are also allowed in duty free each year under a Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) regime.

For more information and help with trade barriers please contact:

International Trade Administration
Enforcement and Compliance
(202) 482-0063
ECCommunications@trade.gov
https://www.trade.gov/enforcement/


For Agriculture:

USDA Office of Agricultural Affairs (USDA/FAS)
U.S. Embassy
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Phone: (809) 368-7741
E-mail: agsantodomingo@fas.usda.gov
Website: https://www.fas.usda.gov

Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.