According to USDA-FAS GAIN Report DR2023-0011 released on October 3rd, negotiation between the USDA and their counterpart in the Dominican Republic has resolved restrictions on access to their market. The Dominican Republic imposed restrictions on U.S. hatching eggs, live birds and products at the onset of the HPAI epornitic in 2022.
The Dominican Republic will now follow the policies of the World Organization for Animal Health that incorporates regionalization (zoning). Exporters will submit health certificates specifying facility and county of origin certifying freedom from HPAI infection in commercial poultry that is derived from a location more than a six-mile radius of an affected farm. Exports can resume 28 days after completion of decontamination as certified by APHIS.
During 2022 the Dominican Republic ranked 18th among importers received 43,348 metric tons of broiler products from the U.S. valued at $69.6 million, down 24% in volume from 2021. For the first eight months of 2023 the Dominican Republic imported 37,076 metric tons of broiler products from the U.S. valued at $51 million. Imports are required to compensate for losses in domestic pork production due to endemic African swine fever.