Dominican exports grow 52.22 percent in June, paced by tobacco

Dominicantoday.com, Santo Domingo , August 21 st 2007

The country's exports rose 52.22 percent in June this year compared with that same month in 2006, said the Dominican Export and Investment Center (CEI-RD).

The CEI-RD's National Exports report by sectors, which includes traditional, mineral and nontraditional products, says exports went from US$158.68 million in June 2006 to US$241.55 million in June this year. Traditional products rose 14.43 percent in June this year compared with June 2006.

The report says sugar cane derivatives grew 26.70 percent, whereas crude sugar exports rose from US$9.64 million to US$12.40 million, for a 28.63 percent growth.  It said furfural, a raw material used to manufacture PVC pipes, also posted a growth for June, though no figures were provided. It said that product was not exported in the same 2006 period.

Tobacco in leaf grew 5,500 percent in June this year, with US$560,000 in exports, when compared with the same period the previous year, with exports of only US$10,000.

The minerals group grew 88.86 percent in June, when compared with the same 2006 period. Ferrous-nickel's 88.72 percent growth paced the group, going from US$73.30 million in June last year to US$138.33 million in June this year, a 99.15 percent growth.

The agribusiness sub-group grew 50.56%, from US$14.38 million in June 2006 to US$21.65 million in the same 2007period.