The United States said it considers it important for the Dominican Republic to repeal Decree 693-24, the measure that sets tariff protections for domestic rice production, as part of efforts to secure access for American rice to the Dominican market under the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA).
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced the position on Friday in a post on its account on X, describing a virtual meeting held earlier in the week with Dominican officials to discuss strengthening economic and trade ties between the two countries.
According to the USTR, the meeting brought together Deputy United States Trade Representative Jeffrey Goettman, Ambassador Julie Callahan, the chief United States agricultural negotiator, and Dominican Foreign Minister Víctor "Ito" Bisonó.
In its post, the USTR wrote: "Earlier this week, Ambassador Goettman and Ambassador Callahan met virtually with Foreign Minister Víctor Bisonó of the Dominican Republic. The Ambassadors noted the opportunity to strengthen our countries' bilateral economic relationship and highlighted the importance of..."
The USTR statement said the American delegation stressed the importance of President Luis Abinader repealing Decree 693-24 so that the Dominican Republic meets the market access commitments it made under DR-CAFTA with respect to rice originating in the United States.
The USTR also said it welcomes the opportunity to negotiate a Reciprocal Trade Agreement with the Dominican Republic and expects those talks to conclude in a timely manner.
What Decree 693-24 does
Decree 693-24 was signed by President Luis Abinader in 2024 and sets specific tariff measures for rice products to regulate their entry into the Dominican market.
Under the decree, rice falling under tariff codes 1006.10.00, 1006.20.00, 1006.30.00 and 1006.40.00 carries a 20% ad valorem tariff within the quota the Dominican Republic has established before the World Trade Organization (WTO). Once that quota is exceeded, the tariff rises to 99% ad valorem.
Preferential treatment for US rice
The decree also gives preferential treatment to rice from the United States. Article 2 sets a quota of 23,300 metric tons of United States-origin rice that can enter the Dominican Republic at a 0% tariff.
Outside that quota, American rice is subject to the Most Favored Nation tariff, set at 99% ad valorem under the presidential decree.
DR-CAFTA and the trade relationship
DR-CAFTA is the free trade agreement linking the United States, the Dominican Republic and several Central American nations, and it governs the tariff terms under which goods, including agricultural products such as rice, move between the signatory countries. The USTR's call for the decree's repeal centers on whether the Dominican Republic's tariff protections for its rice sector comply with the market access terms it agreed to under that pact.
The USTR said it looks forward to negotiating a Reciprocal Trade Agreement with the Dominican Republic and expects the talks between the two countries to conclude on time, though the source gave no further detail on a schedule for those negotiations or for a decision on the decree.
