USDA Advances Trump Administration’s America First Agenda in the Dominican Republic

Delegation championed expanded market access, strategic partnerships to strengthen U.S. agribusiness and promote national prosperity

WASHINGTON, July 21, 2025 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Michelle Bekkering led a high-level delegation to the Dominican Republic delivering a clear message: the United States is committed to leveling the playing field for U.S. companies doing business globally, expanding partnerships, and delivering results that benefit American farmers, ranchers, and producers.

During the mission, Deputy Under Secretary Bekkering addressed the delegation’s opening plenary session and held meetings with the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Small and Medium Enterprises where USDA advocated for reducing non-tariff barriers and expanding bilateral trade.

“I am honored to lead my first trade mission with this impressive delegation made up of 46 agribusinesses, trade organizations, and officials from Colorado and Montana departments of agriculture,” said Deputy Under Secretary Bekkering. “There is no substitute for doing business face-to-face, building trust, and strengthening long-term partnerships.”

Since the implementation of Central America Free Trade Agreement-Dominican Republic (CAFTA-DR), U.S. exports to the Dominican Republic have more than doubled, from $800 million in 2007 to $2.2 billion in 2024 – a 6% increase from 2023. Today, the United States is the Dominican Republic’s largest agricultural trading partner, supplying 44% of the country’s agricultural imports.

With a growing food processing sector, expanding middle class, economic growth, and a thriving hotel and restaurant industry, the Dominican Republic offers U.S. producers a stable and high-potential market in the Caribbean Basin. It ranks as the fourth-largest market for U.S. agricultural exports in the Western Hemisphere and the top destination within the CAFTA-DR region, which includes Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

The delegation of 38 businesses participated in more than 450 one-on-one meetings with vetted buyers representing more than 100 Dominican, Jamaican and Haitian importers. Sales are expected over the next several months and many new partnerships are in the works.

In bilateral meetings with the Minister of Agriculture Limber Cruz and the Minister of Industry, Commerce, and Small and Medium Enterprises Victor Bisono, Deputy Under Secretary Bekkering discussed priority issues including:

• Re-establishing free market access for U.S. rice
• Eliminating discretionary import licenses
• Addressing the selective application of value-added taxes in selected U.S. products
• Exploring opportunities for U.S. ethanol in gasoline blends

During the bilateral meetings, Deputy Under Secretary Bekkering emphasized the legacy of strategic partnership between the United States and the Dominican Republic to reinforce President Trump’s America First trade agenda, which is generating new opportunities and stronger bilateral ties for American producers.

The mission also included several site visits to Dominican agribusiness, including Grupo Bocel and Productos Integrales del Cibao, showcasing integration of U.S. commodities in the country’s food pipeline. At the Nacional grocery chain, USDA’s Office of Agricultural Affairs in Santo Domingo launched the marketing “SaborUSA” campaign, designed to promote U.S. products in Latin America – including meats, beans, dairy, baby foods and prepared foods – in Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America.

Deputy Under Secretary Bekkering also met with representatives from U.S. cooperators and trade associations to discuss market opportunities and identify current non-tariff barriers to entry. The participating organizations reflected a diverse range of agricultural producers, including:

• The Montana Department of Agriculture
• The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute
• The U.S. Dairy Export Council
• USA Rice and the U.S. Rice Producers Association
• The U.S. Dry Bean Council
• The U.S. Soybean Export Council
• Sunkist Growers and Fruit Growers Supply

This was USDA’s fifth trade mission of 2025, with three remaining missions planned this year. To date, the four completed missions included more than 100 U.S. businesses and resulted in nearly 1,600 business-to-business meetings with qualified foreign buyers, delivering an estimated $46 million in 12-month sales.

###