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Dominican Republic - Relations with U.S. (Notes)

U.S.-DOMINICAN REPUBLIC RELATIONS The U.S. has a strong interest in a democratic, stable, and economically healthy Dominican Republic. The country?s standing as the largest Caribbean economy, second-largest country in terms of population and land mass, with large bilateral trade with the United States, and its proximity to the United States and other smaller Caribbean nations make the Dominican Republic an important partner in hemispheric affairs. The Embassy estimates that 60,000 U.S. citizens live in the Dominican Republic; many are dual nationals. An important element of the relationship between the two countries is the fact that more than 1 million individuals of Dominican origin reside in the United States, most of them in the metropolitan Northeast and some in Florida. U.S. relations with the Dominican Republic are excellent, and the U.S. has been an outspoken supporter of that countrys democratic and economic development. The Dominican Government has been supportive of many U.S. initiatives in the United Nations and related agencies. The two governments cooperate in the fight against the traffic in illegal substances. The Dominican Republic has worked closely with U.S. law enforcement officials on issues such as the extradition of fugitives and measures to hinder illegal migration. The United States supports the Fernández administrations efforts to improve Dominican competitiveness, to attract foreign private investment, to fight corruption, and to modernize the tax system. Bilateral trade is important to both countries. U.S. firms, mostly manufacturers of apparel, footwear, and light electronics, account for much of the foreign private investment in the Dominican Republic. Exports from the United States, including those from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, to the Dominican Republic in 2005 totaled $4.7 billion, up 8% from the previous year. The Dominican Republic exported $4.6 billion to the United States in 2005, equaling some 75% of its export revenues. U.S. goods exports in 2006 (January-September) were $5.2 billion, up 17.8% from the previous year. Corresponding U.S. imports (January-September) from the Dominican Republic were $4.5 billion, up 16.3%. The Dominican Republic is currently the 35th largest export market for U.S. goods. The U.S. Embassy works closely with U.S. business firms and Dominican trade groups, both of which can take advantage of the new opportunities in this growing market. At the same time the Embassy is working with the Dominican Government to resolve business disputes from previous administrations. The Embassy counsels U.S. firms through its Country Commercial Guide and informally via meetings with business persons planning to invest or already investing in the Dominican Republic. This is a challenging business environment for U.S. firms, especially for medium to smaller sized businesses. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) mission is focused on four areas: availability of health care, increasing economic opportunity, improving participation in democratic processes, and environmentally sound energy production. Principal U.S. Officials Ambassador--vacant Charge dAffaires--Roland Bullen USAID Mission Director--Richard Goughnour Consul General--Michael Schimmel (Acting) Economic and Political Counselor--Michael Meigs Public Affairs Adviser--William Millman Commercial Counselor (DOC/FCS)--Michael McGee Defense Attaché--Lt. Col. Fred Fagan (U.S. Marine Corps) The U.S. Embassy is located at the corner of Calle César Nicolas Penson and Calle Leopoldo Navarro, Gazcué District, Santo Domingo (tel. 809-221-2171). Other Contact Information U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration Trade Information Center 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20230 Tel: 1-800-USA-TRADE Internet: http://trade.gov/ Caribbean/Latin American Action 1818 N. Street, NW, Suite 310 Washington, DC 20036 Tel: (202) 466-7464 Fax: (202) 822-0075 American Chamber of Commerce in the Dominican Republic Torre Empresarial, 6to. Piso, Ave. Sarasota No. 25, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Tel: (809) 381-0777 Fax: (809) 381-0303 E-mail: [email protected] Home Page: http://www.amcham.org.do