In 2023, the Dominican Republic imported 52,410.90 metric tons of fishery products for a value of RD$14,651,983,161.09, including the merchandise in port and the ad valorem of 20 percent.
This was reported yesterday by the president of the Dominican Association of Aquaculturists, Carlos Menagiving a talk at the IV Congress on Food Sustainability of Fresh Fish, on the Market for Tropical Aquaculture Products in the country, held at the Dominican Agrobusiness Board (JAD).
He also said that the estimated national production of wild-caught fishery products amounts to 13,575 metric tons and has a value of RD$3,000 million, according to the Institutional Strategic Plan 2021-2024, of Dominican Fisheries Council (Codopesca).
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He indicated that the majority of imported fishery products come from countries with which our country does not have free trade agreements.
He added that the value of imports corresponds to the value CFR+Advalorem In addition to 20%, there are other additional costs, depending on the fishery product, such as the ITBIS on shrimp, tilapia and basa, the tax charged by Codopesca, the inspection fees charged by Codopesca and Mispas, the cost of transportation, customs services and van rental for additional use to that established.
Mena pointed out that the market for fishery products in any country is made up of imported fishery products (of aquaculture and wild origin), the national production of aquaculture products and wild fishing.
He explained that due to the climate, with some exceptions, only aquaculture products of tropical species are produced in the Dominican Republic.
He added that only species of tropical origin are produced in the country, such as Vannamei Shrimp, Tilapia and Basa.
He clarified that “customs declarations are not using the available tariff codes appropriately and the international availability of creating new ones is not being used. For this reason, in the statistics given by the General Directorate of Customsthe exact volumes of the different product presentations cannot be precisely distinguished.”
He recalled that the country imports a wide variety of fishery products, many of which come from wild fishing and aquaculture in non-tropical countries.
