The Dominican Republic presents itself to Spanish business leaders as a strategic investment platform in the Caribbean.

 

The meeting, entitled “Dominican Republic: Caribbean strategic platform for Spanish investment”, was framed within the Ibero-American Key Conference Series and sought to strengthen economic ties between the two countries.

 

The opening day was attended by the first vice president of CEOE and president of the Business Confederation of Madrid-CEOE (CEIM), Miguel Garrido, and the international director of the Chamber of Commerce of Spain, Jaime MontalvoThe Dominican Republic's ambassador to Spain also spoke, Tony Raful Tejada, who highlighted the Caribbean country's potential as a strategic partner and presented concrete investment projects in priority areas such as energy, free trade zones, agribusiness, and tourism.

 

Miguel Garrido stressed the commitment of business organizations, both at the bilateral level through CEOE and the Employers' Confederation of the Dominican Republic (COPARDOM), as within the Ibero-American Business Council (CEIB) and the National Council of Private Enterprise (CONEP), in promoting economic development and regional cooperation. He highlighted that this collaboration was evident at the 2023th Ibero-American Business Meeting held in the Dominican Republic in 22, where business leaders from XNUMX countries committed to revitalizing investment in the region.

 

This commitment was continued in the Cuenca Summit in Ecuador, with a focus on youth employability and training. Garrido invited those present to participate in the II Ibero-American Tourism Forum in Santa Marta, Colombia, And in the VII Ibero-American Forum of MSMEs in Tenerife, emphasizing that only concrete action will allow us to move toward a more sustainable, inclusive, and innovative Ibero-America.

 

For his part, Jaime Montalvo highlighted the many attractions of the Dominican Republic for foreign investment, especially the Spanish one. He mentioned its strategic position, regional trade agreements, infrastructure, favorable legal framework, and incentives. He emphasized that the country not only offers opportunities in established sectors such as food and tourism, but also in emerging areas such as healthcare, acting as a bridge to important markets such as the United States, which is particularly relevant in the current context of trade tensions.

 

The presentation concluded with a call to Spanish businesspeople to explore the opportunities offered by the Dominican Republic as a safe, strategic investment destination with a promising future in the heart of the Caribbean.

 

 

Ambassador Tony Raful Tejada emphasized the Dominican Republic's strategic position in the region, thanks to its preferential access to 1.200 billion consumers through various trade agreements, a favorable regulatory framework, and a privileged geographic location. He reported that in 2023, the island attracted more than $4.300 billion in foreign investment in key sectors where Spanish participation is significant. The ambassador affirmed that the country offers legal certainty, institutional quality, and political stability, essential elements for economic growth, and highlighted a dynamic business environment with a strong private sector and government support.

 

In his central speech, the minister Ito Bisono He highlighted the profound transformation of the Dominican Republic in recent years, consolidating itself as a stable, modern and strategic economy in Latin America, with projected growth of 5% by 2024. He highlighted the 4,3% growth in sectors such as free trade zones and local manufacturing, as well as in construction and services. Currently, free trade zones represent 67% of national exports, consolidating their position as a fundamental pillar of the economy.

 

Bisonó attributed this performance to a solid policy of public-private partnerships, strengthening the country's position in a global scenario that demands reliable supply chains and resilient. He mentioned the country's robust infrastructure, including eight international airports with more than 180 daily flights and the sixth-best port connectivity in the region. As examples of the strategic vision, he cited the Logistics Centers Law, the industrial and logistics project of Manzanillo and the expansion of the Punta Cana Free Trade Zone, which will increase air connectivity to more than 300 cities.

 

Finally, Minister Bisonó emphasized that the Dominican Republic presents itself as an ideal platform for accessing third-party markets and establishing industrial and commercial operations, acting as a "natural bridge" between North America, Central America and EuropeHe highlighted that the European Union was the second destination for Dominican exports in 2024, while The United States remains the main economic partnerHe highlighted the country's swift response to new tariffs, strengthening the public-private partnership and opening a channel of dialogue with the United States.

 

The minister also highlighted Spain's role as a key strategic ally, with a cumulative investment of $6.000 billion between 1993 and 2023, and expressed interest in expanding this relationship to sectors with great potential, such as the digital economy, agribusiness, advanced manufacturing, and technological infrastructure.