Government already applies zero rate law

The General Directorate of Customs (DGA) reported that since June 7, 2022, the Dominican Government has been implementing Law 6-22, which provisionally levies a zero rate on the Customs tariff to certain goods that affect the food cost of the basic family basket in the Dominican Republic.

According to the document sent to Diario Libre, to date, the Commission for Agricultural Imports, headed by the Ministry of Agriculturealong with other State agencies, has issued authorizations for the importation of garlic, chicken wings, pork belly, pork meat, pork cheeks, vegetable fat, black beans, pinto beans, powdered milk, chicken thigh, chicken feet, uncooked pasta, chicken breast, pork leg, and frozen whole chickens.

It specifies that the applications are received and evaluated in the Ministry of Agriculture at the technical level by the members of the commission, based on sanitary regulations and import quotas.

On his side, he adds, the companies that have the authorization of products and quantities to be imported, by the Ministry of Agriculture they must request the application of zero rate to the General Directorate of Customs, and the latter sends the request to the administration through which the merchandise arrives.

Customs indicates that, to date, a total of 38 companies have applied to the Commission for Agricultural Imports, the products and quantities that they wish to import with a zero tariff rate, and after their evaluation, an authorization will be issued.

It explains that the application of Law 6-22, which provisionally levies a zero rate on 67 tariff subheadings, is made up of products such as raw, chilled or frozen chicken meat; short and long thighs (legs) of chicken, whether or not joined, fresh or chilled; minced or ground chicken meat, breast, thigh, wings and other frozen pieces.

Likewise, powdered milk, granules or other solid forms, without added sugar or sweetener, will have a zero percent import duty rate. References are established for net contents less than or equal to 2.5 kilograms or fats less than or greater than 1.5 percent by weight.

Also, garlic; chickpeas; black, red, white beans, points, twists and jacomelos; lentils, broad beans, pigeon peas and peas, butter, margarine, except liquid margarine.

Likewise, wheat and corn flour, soybean, peanut, sunflower and refined corn oils; uncooked, stuffed or otherwise prepared pasta that does not contain eggs, cooked or otherwise prepared pasta, sobao bread, water bread, wholemeal, baguette and mold type, even frozen and other types of bread . Other products that complete the list are: peas; kidney beans, black, white, shelled or uncanned; as well as sweet corn and canned pigeon peas, among others.

In principle, various sectors of national life expressed their concern about the zero rate law, and pointed out that this piece came to affect local producers.

However, despite this scenario, on April 27, 2022, the Executive Branch enacted the law to temporarily remove (six months) import taxes on 67 tariff subheadings of products that make up the basic basket.