Authorities and representatives of the duty free zones announced they will put into effect a project to re-launch the local textile sector with the objective of identifying potential markets and buyers in the United States and Europe.

The initiative seeks to reposition the sector, one of the most productive in the Dominican Republic...

The initiative seeks to reposition the sector, one of the most productive in the Dominican Republic, according to a press release from the Association of Dominican Duty Free Zones (ADOZONA).

The project will help identify new investment and increase the value of production, improving export offering of clothing and textiles to the different markets around the world, the communiqué expressed.

The so-called “Re-launching of the Dominican Textile Sector” surfaced as a result of the difficulties facing the local textile sector in recent months due to external factors such as the end of the textile quota system and the lack of fabric supplies from the United States.

 The textile unions have also been affected by the rising prices of raw materials and services in the local market.

The plan was designed by three international experts who guaranteed that the plan will follow “all the steps, from the concept of the product to the consumer, which will facilitate the capitalization of the inventory process, skills and technologies which the clothing industry today can count on.”

According to the experts, “the idea is to evaluate and document the current value of the clothing industry in the Dominican Republic and to see how it can be focused to assure better development.”

The first level of the project will be the collection of information through the realization of meetings with government authorities, representatives from the private sector and professionals from different areas.

The second level will be focused on organizing businesses to create a group of suppliers and to orient them on how to apply technology that allows for quicker business response and how to more effectively market their products in the US and European market.

The textile industry is one of the most important productive sectors in the Dominican Republic with more than 200 businesses that generate 80,000 direct jobs and more than $1.4 million dollars in annual exports.