The Dominican Republic is strengthening its integration into regional and global markets by leveraging its well-established free-zone model and preferential market access to promote higher-value manufacturing, technology-intensive services and logistics. This productive transformation, reflected in the government's Meta RD 2036, aims to raise productivity, attract strategic investment, and increase participation in regional and global value chains.
lnvestment attraction is led by ProDominicana, which promotes exports and foreign direct investment (FDI) as part of a broader strategy to strengthen the country's productive base and international competitiveness. In line with Meta RD 2036, recent efforts have shifted from attracting investment across sectors towards targeting higher-value activities. In March 2026, the government launched the FDI Attraction Plan far ICT Companies 2026-2036, prioritising semiconductors, software development, HealthTech and business process outsourcing to position the country within global technology value chains. The Dominican Republic received more than USD 5 billion in FDI in 2025. Meanwhile, free zones continued expanding, hosting over 850 companies, generating around 200 000 direct jobs and reinforcing the country's role as a regional manufacturing platform.
Trade policy focuses on leveraging preferential trade agreements and export promotion to diversify markets and increase participation in regional and global value chains. The National Export Promotion Plan of the Dominican Republic (PNFE-RD) 2020‑2030 provides a ten-year roadmap to expand exports of goods and services and diversify international markets, while ProDominicana supports firms' internationalisation. The Dominican Republic also benefits from its free trade agreements with Central America and Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries and the CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). Together, they strengthen market access within the Caribbean and with major external markets. Export diversification increasingly relies on higher-value manufacturing. Medical devices and pharmaceuticals are becoming two of the country’s leading export sector within the free-zone regime, illustrating the shift towards more sophisticated manufacturing activities.
The Dominican Republic is strengthening the enabling conditions far greater regional and global integration through logistics, digital connectivity and skills development. The National Freight Logistics Plan 2025‑2035, aligned with Meta RD 2036, seeks to consolidate the country as a regional logistics hub. To that end, it aims to modernise ports, logistics corridors and trade facilitation systems, while advancing rehabilitation of the Port of Manzanillo, strengthening cargo infrastructure and accelerating digitalisation of logistics and customs processes. Complementing these efforts, the government launched the Embajadores STEM programme to expand the supply of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills aligned with strategic sectors. Meanwhile, digital infrastructure initiatives, including new submarine cable investments and partnerships with global technology firms, aim to reinforce the country's role as a regional hub for digital services and technology-intensive investment. lmplementation is supported by the Meta RD 2036 governance framework, which brings together public and private sector actors to identify, prioritise and implement reforms that strengthen productivity and competitiveness.