Trade with Brazil exceeds US$1 billion, but remains tilted in Brazil’s favor

Santo Domingo.- The Dominican-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce celebrated its 38th anniversary with a call to turn the Dominican Republic into a regional trade hub with Brazil, taking advantage of the country’s geographical position, its logistical connectivity, and its network of trade agreements.

The proposal was made by its president, Leonel Castellanos Duarte, during a cocktail party that brought together partners, business leaders, authorities, and diplomatic representatives. The minister-counselor of the Embassy of Brazil, Luiz Marfil, attended on behalf of Ambassador Carlos Luis Dantas Coutinho Perez.

Castellanos Duarte highlighted that the trade exchange between both countries went from about US$370 million to US$1,000 million in 2025. However, he warned: «It is worth saying it frankly: our balance remains asymmetric. That data is not a reproach; it is an alert that compels us to improve».

Brazil supplies the Dominican market with cereals, agricultural machinery, food, raw materials, steel, and public transport vehicles, while the Dominican Republic mainly exports pharmaceutical products and medical devices.

To balance that relationship, the president of the Chamber called for opening space for Dominican supply and taking advantage of Brazilian technical cooperation, such as the recent agreement with Embrapa to modernize national agricultural production.

In a context of volatile markets, geopolitical tensions, and reappearing tariffs, he highlighted the strength of the Brazilian economy, whose agribusiness closed 2025 with record exports of US$169 billion, and its recent integration into the free trade area between Mercosur and the European Union.

In his view, the country can offer Brazilian companies not only a market of more than eleven million inhabitants, but also a platform to the Caribbean, Central America, and North America, with port and airport infrastructure, free trade zones, and export experience.

The leader linked his proposal to the call made by President Luis Abinader, who, upon inaugurating the 41st session of ECLAC in Santiago de los Caballeros, stated that no country in Latin America and the Caribbean can respond to current challenges on its own. “That conviction has its natural partner in Brazil,” he expressed.

“Our challenge is not to manage an already developed relationship. Our challenge is to develop its full potential,” concluded Castellanos Duarte, who thanked the entity’s founders, former presidents, and partners, and urged the new generation of entrepreneurs to deepen the economic relationship between both countries.

About the Dominican-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce

Founded in 1988, the Dominican-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce promotes trade, investment, and cooperation between the Dominican Republic and Brazil.