U.S. trade data and Dominican free-zone figures show the continued importance of manufacturing, exports and commercial ties with the United States to the Dominican Republic’s external economy.

U.S. goods trade with the Dominican Republic totaled an estimated $20.5 billion in 2025, according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).

USTR data show that U.S. goods exports to the Dominican Republic reached $12.9 billion in 2025, while U.S. imports from the country totaled $7.6 billion. The United States recorded a $5.4 billion goods trade surplus with the Dominican Republic during the year.

The figures provide context for the Dominican Republic’s external economic profile during the administration of President Luis Abinader, as tourism and services coexist with an export-oriented manufacturing sector closely connected to the U.S. market.

That commercial relationship operates within a framework established well before the current administration. The Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement, or CAFTA-DR, entered into force for the Dominican Republic on March 1, 2007. The agreement covers trade in goods and services as well as customs administration, investment, telecommunications, electronic commerce, transparency, labor and environmental protections.

U.S.-Dominican goods trade remains substantial

The United States remains a major commercial partner for the Dominican Republic. According to USTR, total U.S. goods and services trade with the Dominican Republic reached an estimated $33.4 billion in 2024, an increase of 6.8% from 2023.

Goods trade alone totaled an estimated $20.5 billion in 2025, with U.S. exports reaching $12.9 billion and imports from the Dominican Republic totaling $7.6 billion.

More recent U.S. Census Bureau data show continued bilateral merchandise flows during the first half of 2026. Through June, U.S. goods exports to the Dominican Republic totaled approximately $7.24 billion, while imports from the country reached approximately $3.74 billion.

Those figures cover only the first six months of the year and should not be interpreted as a full-year projection. They do, however, show the scale of the bilateral goods relationship entering the second half of 2026.

Free zones remain central to the export sector

Free zones continue to represent an important part of the Dominican Republic’s export infrastructure, supporting manufacturing across several industries and connecting domestic production with international markets.

According to the Consejo Nacional de Zonas Francas de Exportación (CNZFE), free-zone exports reached approximately $2.80 billion during the first four months of 2026, an increase of 4.3% from the same period a year earlier.

The composition of those exports illustrates the range of manufacturing activity within the sector. Medical and pharmaceutical products generated approximately $966 million, followed by tobacco products at $461.2 million and electrical and electronic products at $415.2 million.

Earlier first-quarter data showed free-zone exports of approximately $2.09 billion, also up 4.3% year over year. The figures show that the free-zone sector extends beyond traditional assembly operations and includes medical, pharmaceutical, electrical and electronic manufacturing.

Manufacturing broadens the Dominican economic profile

Tourism remains one of the Dominican Republic’s most visible economic sectors internationally, but merchandise trade and manufacturing also account for a significant share of the country’s external economic activity. Free-zone exports provide one measure of that role.

Medical and pharmaceutical products, tobacco, electrical and electronic goods and other manufactured products connect Dominican production facilities with international supply chains and overseas markets.

The sector’s international orientation also connects Dominican manufacturing with evolving U.S. demand, global supply chains and new production strategies. Continued investment in productivity, infrastructure and logistics can further strengthen the ability of Dominican manufacturers to participate in higher-value segments of international supply chains.

First-half 2026 data show continued export activity

More recent figures provide an additional measure of the sector’s performance. In a July 28, 2026 external-sector report, the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic said free-zone exports reached approximately $4.36 billion during the first half of 2026, an increase of 3.2% compared with the same period a year earlier.

The first-half figures add to the trade data reported by USTR and the U.S. Census Bureau and to the sector data published by CNZFE. Together, these sources document the scale of merchandise trade between the Dominican Republic and the United States and the role of free-zone manufacturing in Dominican exports.

During President Luis Abinader’s administration, the Dominican Republic has continued to participate in the established CAFTA-DR trade framework, while free zones have remained an important component of the country’s manufacturing and export activity.

As of the first half of 2026, official data show that trade with the United States and free-zone exports continue to account for a substantial part of the Dominican Republic’s external economic activity.