Citizens back “war” against illicit Chinese businesses announced by Customs

Santo Domingo.– Citizens consulted by De Último Minuto showed support for the actions announced by the general director of Customs, Eduardo “Yayo” Sanz Lovatón, who announced that the government has “declared war on illicit Chinese trade”. The measure seeks to combat practices such as undervaluation, smuggling, and violations of intellectual property rights, considered harmful to tax collection and fair competition. In that sense, interviewees in the so-called Chinatown stated that the initiative represents a necessary step to balance competition in the market and ensure that all businesses comply with the same tax obligations.

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“If they are not paying taxes as they should, everyone must be charged the same, there must be a balance,” stated Ramón Alberto Santos.

Other citizens were more forceful in assessing the Customs decision, pointing out that local commerce has been displaced by the practices of Chinese businesses.

“He should have done that a long time ago… Those Chinese are ruining Dominican merchants here. A Dominican brings a sneaker for 2,000 pesos and they sell it for 800, and that’s what they’re doing, destroying Dominican commerce,” said Mr. Ángel Antonio Ferrera.

What Yayo said

The Director General of Customs, Eduardo “Yayo” Sanz Lovatón, stated that the decision to declare war on illicit Chinese trade “is not an ethnic or origin issue, but rather to combat illegal practices that affect legitimate trade.” The official reported that, thanks to these actions, more than 9.6 billion pesos have been collected in taxes, fines and penalties, with a 300% increase in inspections. Furthermore, it was pointed out that more than 195 importers of Chinese origin have been audited, demonstrating the DGA’s commitment to transparency and compliance with regulations in foreign trade.