The Association of Industries of the Dominican Republic (AIRD) supported this Thursday the companies that requested the Trade Defense Commission (CDC) to begin an investigation process to decide on the application of a safeguard measure at cookies imported from countries with which there are no free trade agreements.
According to the World Trade Organization, safeguard measures are defined as “emergency” measures with respect to increased imports of certain products.
Likewise, he defended the importance to allow the process follow its course according to the current regulations.
In one public statementthe country’s main industrial union stated that its position is based “on the strict respect to the rules of the game” and to the institutional mechanisms established to protect the national production.
“The companies that have submitted the research request have acted in accordance with the corresponding legal framework and in legitimate use of the commercial defense instruments contemplated by the Law 1-02 on Unfair Trade Practices and Safeguard Measures, as well as the corresponding agreements of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to which we are a party,” he specified. Mario Pujolsexecutive vice president of the AIRD.
Pujols stressed the relevance of the work carried out by the CDCwhich he defined as “an essential institution to guarantee the protection of the local industry against unfair practices or increases in imports that may cause harm.”
Additionally, he specified that “it is the same Law 1-02 which declares national interest the protection of national production Given the increases in imports of cookies that have been seen in the local market.
An investigation that is just beginning
The entity recalled that what has been published so far is only the beginning of the investigation and that the law establishes precise stages that must be fulfilled before any official decision by the CDC.
“The CDC has reported that the preliminary resolution will be published no later than the end of February 2026. For now, we must hope that this administrative process continues normally, remembering that each decision of the CDC is appealable, so any of the parties involved who understand that their rights have been affected has the power to air the issue before the competent courts,” Pujols said.
The AIRD reiterated its confidence in the country’s institutions and in the technical capacity of the CDC to conduct a rigorous researchtransparent and attached to the criteria established by the Law 1-02 and applicable WTO agreements.
