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Dominican Republic rice trade dispute intensifies with United States
A trade dispute has emerged between the United States and the Dominican Republic regarding rice imports under the DR-CAFTA agreement. The U.S. is calling for the repeal of Decree 693-24, which establishes a 20% ad valorem tariff within a specific quota and a 99% tariff for shipments exceeding 23,300 metric tons. Washington argues this decree hinders market access for American rice.
Dominican agricultural groups and the political party Fuerza del Pueblo are advocating for the protection of local producers. They argue that Dominican farmers face significant economic asymmetries, competing against highly mechanized and subsidized U.S. sectors. The Fuerza del Pueblo has requested a dialogue mechanism to address these disparities and noted that the U.S. is also set to apply a 12.5% additional tariff on certain Dominican products in 2026.
Local producers, represented by Fenarroz, have also pointed to a lack of control over recent imports, noting that 220,000 metric tons of rice entered the country last year, with $16.4 million worth of imports coming from Uruguay between 2024 and 2025. The Dominican Association of Exporters (Adoexpo) is currently awaiting the results of official government negotiations before determining its position on the matter.
Entities
Adoexpo · DR-CAFTA · Dominican Republic · Fenarroz · Fuerza del Pueblo · Héctor Acosta · Josefina Reynoso · José Peña Santana · Karel Castillo · United States · United States
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The United States is pressing the Dominican Republic to repeal a decree governing rice imports, arguing that the measure affects market-access commitments under DR-CAFTA. dominicanscope.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] Customs records show that rice imports from Uruguay to the Dominican Republic totaled $16.4 million during the 2024-2025 period. impactobarahonero.com.do · laveganews.net · opiniondelpueblo.com · elpaisdominicano.do
- [● 5 SOURCES] The Fuerza del Pueblo political party has formally requested that the U.S. grant special treatment to Dominican rice to account for economic asymmetries under DR-CAFTA. diariofinanciero.do · diarionoticias.do · diariopuertoplata.com.do · noticias24horasrd.com · surinformard.com.do
- [● 4 SOURCES] The National Federation of Rice Producers (Fenarroz) claims that 220,000 metric tons of rice entered the local market last year due to poor import management. impactobarahonero.com.do · laveganews.net · opiniondelpueblo.com · elpaisdominicano.do
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The rice production chain in the Dominican Republic supports approximately 30,000 producers and generates over 300,000 direct and indirect jobs. loultimodigital.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The United States is set to apply an additional 12.5% tariff on certain Dominican products in 2026, a move linked to investigations regarding forced labor. diarionoticias.do · noticias24horasrd.com · surinformard.com.do
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Dominican Association of Exporters (Adoexpo) is awaiting the outcome of bilateral government negotiations before taking a stance on the U.S. request to repeal rice protection decrees. sernoticia.com.do
- [DISPUTED] Decree 693-24 applies a 20% ad valorem tariff within the applicable quota and a 99% tariff for shipments exceeding the 23,300 metric ton duty-free quota. dominicanscope.com