Barcelona (EFE).- A total of 22 companies from the Dominican Republic have participated in the SIL Barcelona logistics show, where the Latin American country has sought to establish itself as a benchmark for the sector worldwide, due to its strategic value and its drive for this economic activity .
This was explained in statements to EFE by the Deputy Director General of Customs of the Dominican Republic, Johannes Kelner, who stressed that the sector is “increasingly important” in his country, that “it has grown in volume, in double digits”, since that the nation now has “more infrastructure.”
Kelner has stated that the country has “excellent air connectivity in the region” as a result of its high tourism, and that its geographical location is strategic, with good “proximity and cargo flow” with the United States by sea, ” which is the largest consumer”.
He has also highlighted the good connectivity by sea with Europe, since the Dominican Republic has “the shortest maritime transit in Latin America” -a region with which it also has fluid circulation- to reach the Old Continent, only 9 days away. .
Get the Dominican Republic recognized
The deputy director of customs of the country has assured that the objective in the SIL, which has just closed its last edition with more than 15,000 participants, is “to achieve that the Dominican Republic is recognized”, that the economic sector see the advantages that it has logistic level.
“We have been recognized for the tourism issue but this is also the time for this new part of the economy”, such as logistics and manufacturing, he stressed.
Regarding this last issue, he has detailed that the manufacturing companies in the Free Zones, especially the multinationals but also some local companies, “have decided to outsource their services.”
In addition, it has detailed that some “have also decided to add value and set up their distribution centers so that the merchandise, when it is manufactured, can be combined with another from another origin, and exported and delivered to its final destination, to its final customer. ”.
A logistics hub
Kelner has stated that the Dominican Republic has established itself as a logistics hub thanks to public-private collaboration, and has detailed the favorable legal framework for the sector with the new customs law, approved in 2021, as well as the stability of the country in comparison with others around him.
The Free Trade Zone sector in the Latin American country had 192,300 jobs last year and, in addition, with an export figure for a total value of 7,767 billion dollars between January and December 2022.
In terms of connectivity, the Dominican Republic has 8 international airports, 40 airlines operating in the country, 320 daily flights, 150 connections to cities around the world and 9,600 monthly international flights.