Dominican Republic Begins Tariff Talks With United States

The Dominican Republic has begun formal discussions with the United States on the bilateral tariff agenda, opening a new channel of talks focused on trade relations between the two countries. The meeting brought Dominican Foreign Minister Víctor “Ito” Bisonó together with Jeffrey Goettman, the U.S. deputy trade representative, to review areas of commercial interest and the next stage of negotiations.

The discussions involve the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), the U.S. government agency responsible for developing and coordinating American trade policy. For the Dominican Republic, the talks come as Washington remains its most important export market, giving the outcome of the bilateral process significance for companies and industries that depend on access to the U.S. market.

Trade Ties With the United States

Dominican exports totaled $14.65 billion in 2025, with 48.6% destined for the United States, according to figures cited by the Dominican Ministry of Foreign Affairs. That share makes the U.S. market a central component of the country’s external trade and places tariff policy among the issues with direct implications for Dominican exporters.

U.S. investment is also a major part of the economic relationship. Foreign direct investment from the United States reached $1.04 billion in 2025, highlighting the scale of the commercial links between the two countries and the importance of maintaining favorable conditions for cross-border investment.

Bisonó Expands Contacts With U.S. Officials

The tariff discussions form part of a broader diplomatic engagement by Bisonó with U.S. officials since taking office. In recent weeks, the foreign minister has held talks with Patrick Nelson, director for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the U.S. National Security Council; Juan Pablo Segura, undersecretary of state for Western Hemisphere Affairs; and Viviana Bovo, a senior adviser to the U.S. secretary of state.

Bisonó has also spoken with U.S. lawmakers including Senator Bernie Moreno and Representatives Brian Mast, Mario Díaz-Balart and Carlos Giménez. The Dominican government has presented these contacts as part of continued engagement built around longstanding ties, cooperation and shared economic interests.

The opening of the tariff dialogue adds a trade-policy dimension to those broader diplomatic contacts. The two governments have yet to announce the specific outcomes that could emerge from the process, but the initial meeting established the main areas of commercial interest and the next steps for continued discussions.

Focus On Competitiveness And Market Access

The Dominican government says it will approach the talks from the perspective of the broader bilateral relationship, with an emphasis on strengthening the competitiveness of domestic productive sectors and expanding trade opportunities. For Dominican businesses, tariff conditions can affect the cost and competitiveness of goods entering the U.S. market, particularly given the scale of exports directed there.

The government has also framed the discussions within its objective of consolidating the economic relationship with the United States. Further talks are expected to determine how the issues identified during the initial meeting develop and whether additional measures or agreements emerge from the bilateral process.

With the United States accounting for nearly half of Dominican exports in 2025 and providing more than $1 billion in direct investment that year, the tariff dialogue will remain closely linked to the Dominican Republic’s broader trade and investment relationship with its largest economic partner.