Fuerza del Pueblo claims government failed to avoid 12.5% U.S. tariffs

The Fuerza del Pueblo (FP) political party has claimed that the Dominican Republic government failed to secure more favorable terms regarding new United States tariff policies. According to José Peña Santana, head of the party’s Secretariat for Foreign Trade and International Business Logistics, the country could have avoided a 12.5% additional tariff on certain Dominican exports through timely diplomatic and commercial management.

Peña Santana criticized the General Directorate of Customs (DGA) for failing to provide timely alerts to the Executive Branch and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding developments in Washington. He noted that while countries such as Argentina, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, and Mexico were subject to a 10% rate under Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act, the Dominican Republic was placed in a group facing a 12.5% rate, with only specific product exceptions.

These remarks were made during a lecture organized by the party’s trade secretariat at the Hotel El Embajador. The party stated that its trade wing is working to monitor international trade changes and formulate proposals to anticipate situations that could impact the national economy.