Dominican Rep. Exports more than 5,000 million dollars in the first semester

Dominican Republic exports reached 5.064 billion dollars in the first half of 2017, a growth of 6% compared to last year, sources informed today Officers.

Santo Domingo, Nov 22 (EFE) .- Exports from the Dominican Republic reached 5,064 million dollars in the first half of 2017, a growth of 6% in relation to the year Past, official sources reported today.

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Local Mipymes, Nelson Toca Simó, said that exports of free zones accounted for 55% of that total and that these numbers reaffirm the current trend towards the growth of that line.

"From an extraordinary expansion of exports (23% in 2010) went to a phase where The value of merchandise exports remained broadly declining, with 2015 being the most critical year, with a contractionary performance (-5.1%). of the commerce returned to scene in 2016 ", affirmed the official.

Toca Simó, on the other hand, revealed that his country exported 37,600 million dollars in the period 2007-2016 to the United States. United States and Central America, its partners in the US Free Trade Agreement. dollars.

Of all these exports, 93% went to the US market.

"This reveals the predominance of the US market in Dominican international trade, in both ways, "he said, noting that the commercial result is deficient for the Dominican Republic.

He also explained that in relation to the commercial exchange of the country with the European Union (EU), Dominican imports from that bloc reached 18% in the period 2012-2017.

Toca Simó predicted a favorable environment for the growth of Dominican exports, based on the reactivation of the global economy, "as well as the frank recovery observed in the growth of the exchange of goods in the world. "

In that order, he estimated that world trade will follow the same course of growth as the economy, as projected by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and anticipated that the Trade will rebound in these years, "growing at a rate of approximately 4% per annum, above the expected growth of the economy."