During the period April 2020 – October 2025, employment in free trade zones increased by 67%, rising from 119,974 to 200,134 positions, of which, 54% is held by women.“From the first day of this administration, we embraced a firm commitment: not to miss any opportunity to improve the lives of our people. We are focused on recovering the economy, strengthening productivity, and building a development model that upholds the dignity of the population,” affirmed Abinader.
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The greatest growth is seen in Santo Domingo and the National District with 17,260 new jobs and the province of La Altagracia, which went from 905 in 2020 to 2,791 in 2025. Meanwhile, in the South region, 5,374 new positions were added. “Currently, 97 parks and 861 companies operate in the country, and in these five years, 436 new companies and 45 parks have been approved,” highlighted Minister Ito Bisonó, who also emphasized the joint work of the private sector and the government to increase salaries, accumulating 66% since 2020, the highest in the history of the free zone regime. In the act participated, the president of ADOZONA, Claudia Pellerano, the director of the National Council of Free Zones, Daniel Liranzo, and representatives of the public and private sectors, academia and international organizations. Reopening of parks and diversification of the productive matrix Bisonó recalled that in these five years, policies have been promoted and implemented that created jobs in places that did not exist before, thanks to the reopening of industrial parks that remained closed for more than 15 years and the construction of new productive spaces such as that of San Juan de la Maguana, which has allowed the diversification of the productive matrix.“As of November 2025, the value of exports from the free zone sector amounts to US$7,936.1 million, being led by subsectors such as medical devices, tobacco and its derivatives, as well as electrical and electronic products,” concluded Bisonó.
To date, free trade zones are a sign of real change, evolving from traditional manufacturing to activities such as medical devices, electrical, electronic, logistics, and services. This last item registered 45,460 jobs until October 2025, for an increase of 6.03% compared to the month of October 2024.
Likewise, in these five years the technical capabilities of human talent have been strengthened, “developing 24,494 training actions in coordination with INFOTEP and companies in the sector, which allows to increase the productivity and salary trajectory of the collaborators”, indicated Claudia Pellerano, president of ADOZONA.
Local Purchases and Investment
Local purchases from free zones have grown by 87%, increasing from RD$83 billion in 2020 to RD$155.4 billion in 2024. Meanwhile, accumulated investment reached US$7,735.7 million in 2024, for an increase of 49% compared to 2020.
