AIRD backs CDC investigation of supermarkets for cookie import

The Association of Industries of the Dominican Republic (AIRD) expressed its support for the companies that requested the Trade Defense Commission (CDC) to initiate an investigation process to decide on the application of a safeguard measure to imported cookies from countries with which we do not have free trade agreements, while defending the importance of allowing the process to run its course in accordance with current regulations.

In a public statement, the country’s main industrial guild stated that its position is based on strict adherence to the rules of the game and the institutional mechanisms established to protect national production.

“The companies that have submitted the investigation request have acted in accordance with the corresponding legal framework and in legitimate use of the trade defense instruments contemplated by Law 1-02 on Unfair Trade Practices and Safeguard Measures, as well as by the corresponding agreements of the World Trade Organization (WTO) of which we are a part,” specified Mario Pujols, executive vice president of AIRD.

Pujols underscored the relevance of the work carried out by the CDC, which he defined as “an essential institution to guarantee the protection of the local industry against unfair practices or increased imports that may cause it damage.” Additionally, he specified that “it is the same Law 1-02 that declares the protection of national production against the increases in imports of cookies that have been seen in the local market to be of national interest.”

The guild recalled that what has been published so far is only the beginning of the investigation and that the law establishes precise stages that must be met before any official decision by the CDC. “The CDC has reported that the preliminary resolution will be published no later than the end of February 2026. For now, we must wait for this administrative process to continue normally, remembering that each CDC decision is appealable, so any of the parties involved who understand that their rights have been affected has the power to bring the matter before the competent courts,” Pujols specified.

The AIRD reiterated its confidence in the country’s institutional framework and in the CDC’s technical capacity to conduct a rigorous, transparent investigation in accordance with the criteria established by Law 1-02 and the applicable WTO agreements.