Dominican Republic processes first DR-CAFTA shipment

Dominican Republic processes first DR-CAFTA shipment The Dominican Customs Agency said it has handled its first tariff preference request under the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement, which took effect for the Dominican Republic March 1.
   Officials said an inbound shipment of some 25 tons of apples and pears launched the near era, according to a report in Dominican Today.
   Initial implementing legislation for DR-CAFTA was passed in 2005, but the various participating nations have been working to put detailed requirements for implementation in place for more than a year.
   In announcing the completion of that process for the Dominican Republic on March 1, U.S. trade Representative Susan Schwab said: 'We have worked closely and intensively with all six CAFTA-DR countries to ensure they meet their obligations and responsibilities under the agreement. Trade with these countries has increased significantly over the past year. We are pleased that the Dominican Republic is now ready to join El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua in putting the agreement into force. I greatly appreciate the diligent effort by President Fernandez and his government to adopt legislation and regulations to implement the Dominican Republic's commitments under the CAFTA-DR. This step marks an important milestone in our relationship with the Dominican Republic, which will enable us to continue our strong economic and political partnership.'