Summary
- Exports
- $14.5billion
- Imports
- $33billion
- Trade balance
- -$18.4billion
Products
What it exports
Medical and dental instruments (17.7%) and gold (10.8%) together make up 28.5% of its exports.
What it imports
Refined petroleum (8.7%) and cars (4.7%) together make up 13.4% of its imports.
By Harmonized System chapter (96)
| Chapter | Exports | Imports |
|---|---|---|
| 90 · Precision and medical instruments | $2.7 billion | $478 million |
| 71 · Gems and precious metals | $2.1 billion | $807 million |
| 24 · Tobacco | $1.4 billion | $494 million |
| 85 · Electrical and electronic equipment | $1.3 billion | $2.5 billion |
| 39 · Plastics | $822 million | $2.4 billion |
| 61 · Knitted clothing | $664 million | $160 million |
| 08 · Fruit and nuts | $512 million | $137 million |
| 18 · Cocoa and chocolate | $462 million | $51 million |
| 72 · Iron and steel | $383 million | $1.1 billion |
| 84 · Mechanical machinery | $259 million | $3 billion |
| 30 · Pharmaceuticals | $233 million | $830 million |
| 64 · Footwear | $211 million | $200 million |
| 22 · Beverages and spirits | $210 million | $502 million |
| 62 · Woven clothing | $204 million | $156 million |
| 17 · Sugar and sweets | $203 million | $144 million |
| 63 · Home textiles and used clothing | $200 million | $192 million |
| 76 · Aluminum | $176 million | $363 million |
| 48 · Paper and paperboard | $160 million | $730 million |
| 21 · Food preparations | $159 million | $377 million |
| 96 · Other manufactured goods | $153 million | $79 million |
| 25 · Salt, stone and cement | $151 million | $99 million |
| 26 · Ores and slag | $139 million | $894 thousand |
| 20 · Preserved fruit and vegetables | $136 million | $264 million |
| 19 · Baked goods and cereal products | $131 million | $361 million |
| 52 · Cotton | $123 million | $537 million |
| 34 · Soap and cleaning products | $101 million | $150 million |
| 07 · Vegetables | $98 million | $243 million |
| 33 · Perfumes and cosmetics | $92 million | $355 million |
| 11 · Milling products and malt | $76 million | $75 million |
| 83 · Miscellaneous metal goods | $75 million | $165 million |
| 74 · Copper | $64 million | $50 million |
| 15 · Fats and oils | $64 million | $380 million |
| 38 · Miscellaneous chemicals | $57 million | $284 million |
| 94 · Furniture and lighting | $52 million | $392 million |
| 73 · Iron and steel products | $50 million | $732 million |
| 09 · Coffee, tea and spices | $48 million | $65 million |
| 87 · Vehicles | $42 million | $2.8 billion |
| 31 · Fertilizers | $39 million | $168 million |
| 27 · Oil, gas and coal | $36 million | $5.4 billion |
| 47 · Wood pulp | $28 million | $26 million |
| 42 · Leather goods and bags | $28 million | $84 million |
| 04 · Dairy, eggs and honey | $27 million | $426 million |
| 23 · Animal feed and food waste | $27 million | $213 million |
| 29 · Organic chemicals | $24 million | $251 million |
| 32 · Dyes, paints and tanning agents | $24 million | $209 million |
| 68 · Stone, plaster and cement articles | $23 million | $118 million |
| 03 · Fish and seafood | $21 million | $277 million |
| 95 · Toys and sports gear | $20 million | $118 million |
| 28 · Inorganic chemicals | $17 million | $130 million |
| 13 · Gums and plant extracts | $17 million | $22 million |
| 54 · Synthetic filaments | $15 million | $68 million |
| 41 · Hides and leather | $13 million | $48 million |
| 02 · Meat and offal | $13 million | $623 million |
| 44 · Wood | $10 million | $276 million |
| 58 · Special fabrics and lace | $10 million | $48 million |
| 06 · Live plants and flowers | $10 million | $22 million |
| 56 · Felt, nonwovens and rope | $10 million | $63 million |
| 55 · Synthetic staple fibers | $9 million | $142 million |
| 70 · Glass | $7 million | $200 million |
| 88 · Aircraft and spacecraft | $7 million | $26 million |
| 40 · Rubber | $6 million | $262 million |
| 35 · Glues, starches and enzymes | $6 million | $68 million |
| 78 · Lead | $5 million | $1 million |
| 49 · Books and printed matter | $5 million | $92 million |
| 10 · Cereals | $4 million | $798 million |
| 89 · Ships and boats | $4 million | $14 million |
| 79 · Zinc | $4 million | $3 million |
| 12 · Oilseeds and grains | $3 million | $200 million |
| 59 · Coated and technical textiles | $3 million | $27 million |
| 81 · Other base metals | $3 million | $7 million |
| 82 · Tools and cutlery | $2 million | $99 million |
| 69 · Ceramics | $2 million | $284 million |
| 67 · Feathers and artificial flowers | $2 million | $31 million |
| 36 · Explosives and matches | $2 million | $6 million |
| 75 · Nickel | $2 million | $2 million |
| 60 · Knitted fabric | $2 million | $92 million |
| 65 · Hats | $2 million | $17 million |
| 53 · Other plant fibers | $1 million | $3 million |
| 97 · Art and antiques | $1 million | $4 million |
| 86 · Railway equipment | $981 thousand | $79 million |
| 14 · Other plant products | $812 thousand | $922 thousand |
| 91 · Watches and clocks | $811 thousand | $20 million |
| 16 · Prepared meat and fish | $665 thousand | $156 million |
| 05 · Other animal products | $620 thousand | $3 million |
| 93 · Weapons and ammunition | $329 thousand | $31 million |
| 37 · Photographic goods | $180 thousand | $10 million |
| 01 · Live animals | $128 thousand | $10 million |
| 92 · Musical instruments | $81 thousand | $3 million |
| 46 · Wicker and basketware | $68 thousand | $1 million |
| 57 · Carpets and rugs | $62 thousand | $10 million |
| 66 · Umbrellas and canes | $60 thousand | $7 million |
| 80 · Tin | $41 thousand | $1 million |
| 51 · Wool | $10 thousand | $6 million |
| 45 · Cork | $4 thousand | $1 million |
| 43 · Fur and fur goods | $4 thousand | $536 thousand |
| 50 · Silk | $3 thousand | $107 thousand |
Trading partners
The United States is its main destination (52.4% of exports) and source (39.4% of imports).
Who it sells to
| Partner | Value (USD billions) | Share | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 7.6 | 52.4% | Sea |
| Haiti | 0.9 | 6.2% | Land |
| Switzerland | 0.76 | 5.2% | Air |
| India | 0.76 | 5.2% | Air |
| China | 0.6 | 4.1% | Sea |
| Canada | 0.37 | 2.5% | Air |
| Netherlands | 0.36 | 2.5% | Sea |
| Germany | 0.3 | 2.1% | Sea |
| United Kingdom | 0.2 | 1.4% | Sea |
| Mexico | 0.2 | 1.4% | Sea |
Overview 1995–2024
In 2024, the Dominican Republic accounted for 0.06% of world exports, compared with 0.08% in 1995.
Exports and imports
Exports grew 3.7-fold since 1995
USD billions (current). Bars: trade balance (green surplus, red deficit).
- Exports 14.5
- Imports 33
- Balance -18.4
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Exports | Imports | Trade balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | $3.9 billion | $4.5 billion | -$583 million |
| 1996 | $4.3 billion | $5 billion | -$668 million |
| 1997 | $5.1 billion | $6 billion | -$880 million |
| 1998 | $5 billion | $6.6 billion | -$1.6 billion |
| 1999 | $4.8 billion | $7.1 billion | -$2.3 billion |
| 2000 | $4.9 billion | $8.4 billion | -$3.5 billion |
| 2001 | $4.8 billion | $7.6 billion | -$2.8 billion |
| 2002 | $5.7 billion | $9.7 billion | -$4 billion |
| 2003 | $6.1 billion | $7.3 billion | -$1.1 billion |
| 2004 | $6.8 billion | $7.5 billion | -$676 million |
| 2005 | $7 billion | $9.6 billion | -$2.6 billion |
| 2006 | $7.9 billion | $12.1 billion | -$4.2 billion |
| 2007 | $9.1 billion | $15.4 billion | -$6.3 billion |
| 2008 | $8.9 billion | $18.4 billion | -$9.6 billion |
| 2009 | $6.6 billion | $13.6 billion | -$7 billion |
| 2010 | $7.2 billion | $16.5 billion | -$9.3 billion |
| 2011 | $9.1 billion | $19 billion | -$10 billion |
| 2012 | $9.4 billion | $18.1 billion | -$8.7 billion |
| 2013 | $10.1 billion | $17.9 billion | -$7.8 billion |
| 2014 | $11.1 billion | $19 billion | -$7.9 billion |
| 2015 | $10.3 billion | $18.8 billion | -$8.5 billion |
| 2016 | $10.5 billion | $19.5 billion | -$9 billion |
| 2017 | $10.7 billion | $20 billion | -$9.3 billion |
| 2018 | $11.3 billion | $22.5 billion | -$11.2 billion |
| 2019 | $12.2 billion | $22.5 billion | -$10.3 billion |
| 2020 | $11.2 billion | $19 billion | -$7.9 billion |
| 2021 | $13.1 billion | $27.8 billion | -$14.6 billion |
| 2022 | $13.9 billion | $32 billion | -$18.1 billion |
| 2023 | $13.8 billion | $31.4 billion | -$17.6 billion |
| 2024 | $14.5 billion | $33 billion | -$18.4 billion |
World rank
The Dominican Republic fell from 69th to 87th among the world's exporters
Rank among 222 countries by export value (1st at the top).
- 69th in 1995
- 87th in 2024
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 69th |
| 1996 | 70th |
| 1997 | 69th |
| 1998 | 72nd |
| 1999 | 74th |
| 2000 | 76th |
| 2001 | 78th |
| 2002 | 76th |
| 2003 | 78th |
| 2004 | 80th |
| 2005 | 80th |
| 2006 | 86th |
| 2007 | 86th |
| 2008 | 92nd |
| 2009 | 93rd |
| 2010 | 97th |
| 2011 | 98th |
| 2012 | 96th |
| 2013 | 95th |
| 2014 | 94th |
| 2015 | 89th |
| 2016 | 86th |
| 2017 | 91st |
| 2018 | 90th |
| 2019 | 89th |
| 2020 | 88th |
| 2021 | 88th |
| 2022 | 94th |
| 2023 | 92nd |
| 2024 | 87th |
What it sells
Precision and medical instruments became its top export group: from 8% to 19%
% of exports by Harmonized System chapter.
- Other 31%
- Cocoa and chocolate 3%
- Fruit and nuts 4%
- Knitted clothing 5%
- Plastics 6%
- Electrical and electronic equipment 9%
- Tobacco 10%
- Gems and precious metals 14%
- Precision and medical instruments 19%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Chapter | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Precision and medical instruments | 7.7% | 18.8% |
| Gems and precious metals | 5.1% | 14.2% |
| Tobacco | 2.8% | 9.6% |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 5.9% | 9.1% |
| Plastics | 1.5% | 5.7% |
| Knitted clothing | 12.5% | 4.6% |
| Fruit and nuts | 2.5% | 3.5% |
| Cocoa and chocolate | 1.9% | 3.2% |
| Other | 60.2% | 31.4% |
Who it trades with
The United States went from 76% to 43% of the Dominican Republic's trade
% of total trade (exports + imports) with each partner.
- United States 43%
- China 14%
- Spain 3%
- Mexico 3%
- India 3%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Partner | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 75.6% | 43.4% |
| China | 0.45% | 14.4% |
| Spain | 1.5% | 3.2% |
| Mexico | 2% | 2.9% |
| India | 0.04% | 2.6% |
Production hubs
Largest industrial emission sources (Climate TRACE, 2025)
- Punta Catalina power station
- Itabo power station
- Sabana Grande de Palenque Cement Plant
Largest economic production hubs (gridded GDP, 2024)
- Santo Domingo
- Santiago (Moca)
- La Romana
Sources and methodology
Sources and licenses
- CEPII BACI · Licence Ouverte Etalab 2.0
- Climate TRACE · CC BY 4.0 (emissions by asset; the 3 largest per country are shown)
- Kummu et al., gridded GDP · CC BY 4.0 (hubs aggregated by this site)
- Natural Earth · Public domain
Methodology
Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), in current US dollars, with exports and imports reconciled between countries. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Ranks are computed among the countries with data each year. Services are not included. Data up to 2024.