The competitive prices and the incorporation of designs with modern and attractive technology have made the new chinese vehicles assume the preference of the consumers in the market.
China led imports of new vehicles with 14,556 units brought in in 2025, while only 2,944 were imported from the United States new vehicles.
Thus, there is five chinese cars new ones that are being offered for each unit brought from the American Union, according to the United Group of the Automotive Industry of the Dominican Republic (Guide-RD), which also explained that the drop in vehicle imports to the dominican market In general sense it allowed importers to reduce the gaps between supply and demand.
“Although vehicles originating in the United States are exempt from tariffs under the DR-Cafta (Free Trade Agreement between the Dominican Republic, Central America and the United States), that country only leads imports of used vehicles with 32,700 units (…), while only 505 medium-use vehicles arrive from China,” the union detailed.
He indicated that the Dominican consumers are opting for vehicles from the Asian giant because they represent a safe investment and with a guarantee of authorized dealerwhich avoids “the risk of venturing into purchasing a used vehicle whose wear and tear and origin are unknown.”
The new vehicles they drop in price
Added to this trend is that the FOB value of the new vehicles fell to 22,228 dollars on average, which contributed to the consumer would be inclined to buy more new vehicles that used. The FOB (Free on Board) value is the cost of a merchandise at the port of origin, including the price of the product, packaging costs, local transportation and export procedures, but excluding international freight and insurance to the final destination.
This also encouraged dealers and importers of new vehicles to diversify the offer to orient it to the new market requirements, which led them to transform the offer with the introduction of hybrid vehicles and superhybrids.
These models – whose imports grew by 54.7% last year – added value to the offer of new cars“with better performance of fuel and superior warranties from the manufacturer and dealer.
Why did vehicle imports drop?
The reduction in the entry of vehicles to the dominican market in 2025 allowed importers to correct the gap between supply and demand, at a time when the economy was showing a slowdown that reduced the purchasing capacity of the consumers.
Guide-RD He explained that the Dominican automotive sector has started from a sustained dynamism for more than a decade, with an average growth rate of 8% annually. This meant that in some years – such as 2023 – importers acquired an overstock that was stabilized by reducing purchases in subsequent years.
“This explains that in 2025 the global imports of motor vehicles will fall by 4% compared to 2024,” he explained Guide-RD after analyzing Customs data, excluding the categories of tourist vehicles. When including them, imports fall by 2.72%.
Faced with a global scenario of uncertainty and inflationary pressures, the authorities implemented a monetary policy restrictive policy that reduced the money in circulation, at the same time increasing active interest rates on personal and consumer loans to place them at a 19.4% annually.
This made the consumers will change their pattern when they see their purchasing capacityand that also encouraged the dealers and importers of new vehicles in diversifying the offer to orient it to the new market requirements.
