How Much Rum Does the Dominican Republic Export Each Year?

The Dominican Republic is one of the world’s significant rum exporters, with exports under HS code 220840 reaching 22.3 million liters worth $118.8 million in 2024. Spain was by far the largest destination, followed by the United States, while European and Caribbean markets accounted for much of the remaining trade. The latest detailed international trade data also show that Dominican rum exports have fluctuated considerably in volume and value over the past three years.

August 10, 2026 | 10 min read

Rum is one of the Dominican Republic’s best-known agricultural and manufactured exports, linking the country’s sugar-cane tradition with a global spirits market. Although Dominican rum is widely associated with tourism and domestic consumption, a substantial share of production is sold abroad. International trade statistics provide a clearer picture: the country exported 22.3 million liters of rum and tafia worth approximately $118.8 million in 2024.

The export market is also highly international. Spain has consistently been the leading destination in recent years, while the United States occupies the second position. Other important markets have included Cyprus, Latvia, the Netherlands, Haiti, Germany, Peru, Italy and Chile. The distribution changes from year to year, but Europe and North America remain central to the Dominican rum trade.

How Much Rum Does the Dominican Republic Export?

The most comparable international trade series is reported under HS code 220840, which covers “Rum and tafia.” According to UN Comtrade data compiled by the World Bank’s World Integrated Trade Solution (WITS), Dominican Republic exports in this category amounted to $118.8 million in 2024, corresponding to approximately 22.3 million liters.

Looking at the previous two years shows why it is important to consider both value and physical volume. In 2023, exports reached about $129.7 million and 42.4 million liters. In 2022, they were approximately $137.6 million and 28.2 million liters. The figures therefore do not move in a simple upward or downward pattern: export value declined between 2022 and 2024, while the physical volume first increased sharply and then fell.

These figures should not be interpreted as a measure of total rum production in the Dominican Republic. They measure international merchandise trade recorded under the specific HS 220840 classification. Export statistics can include different types and commercial presentations of rum and tafia, and the reported value is the customs export value rather than the retail value ultimately paid by consumers.

What Happened to Dominican Rum Exports Between 2022 and 2024?

The three-year series shows significant variation. Export value was highest among these years in 2022, at $137.6 million. It fell to $129.7 million in 2023 and then to $118.8 million in 2024.

Volume followed a different pattern. Dominican exporters shipped approximately 28.2 million liters in 2022, but the figure rose to 42.4 million liters in 2023 before dropping to 22.3 million liters in 2024. That means the 2024 volume was roughly half the 2023 level.

The difference between value and volume is particularly important when interpreting rum trade statistics. A smaller volume of exports can still generate substantial export revenue if the composition of shipments changes toward higher-value products, different markets or different commercial formats. For that reason, neither liters nor dollars alone provide a complete picture of the industry.

Which Countries Buy the Most Dominican Rum?

Spain is the Dominican Republic’s largest rum export market. In 2024, Dominican exports to Spain were valued at approximately $47.9 million, with shipments totaling about 8.75 million liters. Spain therefore accounted for roughly two-fifths of the Dominican Republic’s recorded rum export value that year.

The United States was the second-largest destination, receiving about $24.4 million worth of Dominican rum, equivalent to approximately 4.0 million liters. Together, Spain and the United States represented more than 60% of the export value recorded for the product category in 2024.

Other important destinations included Cyprus, the Netherlands, Haiti and Latvia. Germany, Peru, Italy and Chile also ranked among the leading markets.

Why Is Spain Such an Important Market?

Spain stands out not simply because it buys Dominican rum, but because of the scale of that trade relative to other destinations. In 2024, Spain purchased almost $48 million worth of Dominican rum, nearly twice the value shipped to the United States.

The relationship is not new. Spain was also the leading destination in 2023, when Dominican rum exports there reached approximately $54.2 million and 14.2 million liters. In 2022, Spain again ranked first, with exports of about $59.3 million and 11.8 million liters.

This consistency makes Spain the clearest long-term destination in the recent trade data. ProDominicana, the Dominican Republic’s Export and Investment Center, has also identified the Dominican Republic as the number-one supplier of rum to Spain in its international trade positioning materials.

The United States Is the Second Major Destination

The United States is another key market for Dominican rum. In 2024, exports to the U.S. were valued at about $24.4 million and amounted to 4.0 million liters.

The U.S. position has been remarkably stable. Dominican rum exports to the country were worth approximately $23.8 million in 2023 and $22.3 million in 2022. The volume, however, changed considerably, rising from about 4.5 million liters in 2022 to 8.1 million liters in 2023 before falling to 4.0 million liters in 2024.

ProDominicana currently identifies the Dominican Republic as the leading rum exporter to the United States and Spain, highlighting the importance of these two destinations in the country’s international rum trade.

Europe Plays a Particularly Important Role

One of the clearest characteristics of Dominican rum exports is the importance of European destinations. Spain is the dominant market, but the trade extends well beyond the Spanish market.

In 2024, significant shipments went to Cyprus, the Netherlands, Latvia, Germany, Italy, France, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Poland and the United Kingdom, among others. The presence of Cyprus and Latvia among the largest destinations is especially notable because their importance is much less obvious if Dominican rum exports are viewed only through the lens of large consumer markets.

Trade statistics should therefore be read as shipment destinations rather than simply as a ranking of where consumers drink the most Dominican rum. Some countries can play roles in regional distribution, logistics or commercial supply chains in addition to representing final consumer markets.

How Have the Main Destinations Changed?

The leading markets have remained relatively stable, but the ranking below the top two has changed.

In 2022 and 2023, Latvia was the third-largest destination by export value. In 2024, Cyprus moved into third place, with Dominican rum exports worth approximately $7.2 million. Latvia remained an important market, with exports of about $3.2 million.

How Much of the Export Market Is Concentrated in the Top Countries?

The Dominican rum export business is relatively concentrated at the top. In 2024, Spain alone represented about 40% of total export value, while the United States contributed roughly another 21%. The top five destinations—Spain, the United States, Cyprus, the Netherlands and Haiti—accounted for approximately three-quarters of recorded export value.

This concentration has two sides. Established markets provide scale and established commercial relationships, but dependence on a limited number of destinations can also expose exporters to changes in consumer demand, taxation, regulation, exchange rates, distribution arrangements or market conditions in those countries.

Is the Dominican Republic a Major Rum Exporter Worldwide?

Yes. The Dominican Republic is a significant exporter within the global rum and tafia trade. In 2024, its recorded exports under HS 220840 were worth approximately $118.8 million, placing it among the leading individual country exporters worldwide.

For comparison, global trade data for 2024 show Italy, France, the United States and the Netherlands among the largest exporters by value, while the Dominican Republic recorded the sixth-largest value among the individual countries shown in the World Bank’s WITS ranking.

The Dominican Republic’s position is particularly notable because its export volume does not always rank in exactly the same order as its export value. This reflects differences in the types of products shipped and the prices associated with different export markets.

What Does “Rum and Tafia” Mean in the Trade Data?

The international statistics used for this analysis are based on HS code 220840, officially covering “Rum and tafia.” The Harmonized System, commonly known as HS, is an international classification system used by customs authorities to categorize traded goods.

This distinction matters because the term “Dominican rum exports” used in everyday discussion does not necessarily correspond to one single commercial product. The customs classification groups rum and tafia under the same six-digit HS code. The trade figures therefore represent the category as recorded by customs rather than a specific brand, bottle size or style of rum.

The World Bank’s WITS database states that its figures are based on UN Comtrade data and identifies the trade figures as gross exports. The Dominican Republic’s General Directorate of Customs (DGA) also maintains an official foreign-trade statistics system with data that can be filtered by tariff subheading, destination country and other variables.

What Is the Value of Dominican Rum Exports Compared With the Country’s Total Exports?

Rum is important but remains one component of a much larger Dominican export economy. The Dominican Republic recorded total merchandise exports of approximately $12.9 billion in 2024, according to figures reported by ProDominicana from preliminary DGA data.

Against that total, the approximately $118.8 million in rum and tafia exports represented just under 1% of merchandise export value. This puts the industry in perspective: rum is a recognizable Dominican export and an important branded product, but the country’s overall export economy also depends heavily on other industries and commodities.

Which Dominican Rum Export Markets Matter Most?

For a reader looking for the simplest answer, the export map can be divided into several major groups.

• Spain: the dominant destination, with nearly $48 million in Dominican rum imports from the country in 2024.
• United States: the second-largest market, with about $24.4 million in 2024.
• European distribution and consumer markets: including Cyprus, the Netherlands, Latvia, Germany, Italy, France, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Poland and the United Kingdom.
• Latin America and the Caribbean: including Haiti, Peru, Chile, Panama, Mexico, El Salvador, Jamaica and Guyana.
• Other international markets: smaller shipments also reached countries in Asia, the Middle East and Oceania.

The breadth of destinations is significant. In 2024, Dominican rum was recorded as being exported to dozens of individual markets, illustrating that the industry is not dependent exclusively on one geographic region even though Spain and the United States dominate the trade.

What Do the Numbers Say About the Dominican Rum Industry?

The trade data point to three important characteristics. First, the Dominican rum industry has a substantial international business, measured in tens of millions of liters and more than $100 million in annual export value.

Second, Spain and the United States are the industry’s two anchor markets. Their combined importance is much greater than that of any other pair of individual destinations in the recent data.

Third, export volumes can change dramatically from one year to another without an equivalent movement in export value. That makes it risky to describe the industry simply as “growing” or “shrinking” based on one year’s shipments. A meaningful assessment requires looking at both the dollar value and physical volume over several years.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much rum did the Dominican Republic export in 2024?

The Dominican Republic exported approximately 22.3 million liters of rum and tafia worth $118.8 million in 2024, according to UN Comtrade data compiled by the World Bank’s WITS database.

Which country buys the most Dominican rum?

Spain was the largest destination in 2024, receiving approximately $47.9 million worth of Dominican rum, or about 8.75 million liters.

How much Dominican rum goes to the United States?

In 2024, Dominican rum exports to the United States were worth approximately $24.4 million and amounted to about 4.0 million liters.

Was Spain also the largest market in previous years?

Yes. Spain was the largest recorded destination in both 2022 and 2023. Exports to Spain were approximately $59.3 million in 2022 and $54.2 million in 2023, before falling to about $47.9 million in 2024.

How much rum did the Dominican Republic export in 2023?

In 2023, Dominican rum and tafia exports reached approximately 42.4 million liters with a reported value of $129.7 million.

How much rum did the Dominican Republic export in 2022?

In 2022, the country exported approximately 28.2 million liters of rum and tafia, valued at about $137.6 million.

Is Dominican rum mainly exported to Europe or the United States?

Both markets are important, but Europe—particularly Spain—plays the larger role in the recent data. Spain alone accounted for about 40% of Dominican rum export value in 2024, while the United States accounted for roughly 21%.

What HS code is used for rum exports?

International trade statistics classify rum and tafia under HS code 220840. The category is useful for comparing countries and years, although it does not distinguish individual rum brands or every commercial characteristic of the products shipped.

The Bigger Picture

Dominican rum is a significant export product with a distinctly international footprint. The country shipped about $118.8 million worth of rum and tafia in 2024, with Spain and the United States accounting for the largest shares. Europe provides a particularly important network of markets, while Caribbean and Latin American destinations add geographic diversification.

The three-year record also shows why annual export figures need context. The Dominican Republic exported more than 42 million liters in 2023 but just over 22 million liters in 2024, while the corresponding export values were $129.7 million and $118.8 million. These differences demonstrate that shipment volume and export revenue can move independently.

For anyone assessing the international importance of Dominican rum, the clearest conclusion is therefore not simply how many bottles or liters leave the country in a given year. It is that the Dominican Republic has built a sizeable export industry whose strongest and most consistent foreign markets include Spain and the United States, supported by a much broader network of European, Caribbean and Latin American destinations.

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