Providenciales, Turks and Caicos.-Â The first Dominican Republic Trade Exhibition in Turks and Caicos has concluded with resounding success, showcasing a diverse range of commercial, tourism, and industrial exhibitors at The Shore Club Hotel in Providenciales.
This landmark initiative was a collaborative effort between the Chamber of Commerce of the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Dominican Republic and The Turks and Caicos Islands Dominican Republic Trade Alliance, garnering significant support from businesses in both nations.
César José de los Santos, the President of the Chamber, described the event as “historic,” marking the inaugural trade show between the two island nations, which share a century of amicable relations. He noted that since the Chamber’s establishment in 2022, their focus has been on strengthening trade exchange beyond tourism, recognizing the substantial potential within both markets. De los Santos expressed optimism that the trade fair would lay a solid foundation for deeper economic ties, providing a structured platform for companies to forge long-term partnerships that will benefit both economies through increased trade volume, job creation, and investment.
Caesar Campbell, Vice President of the Chamber and President of the TCI-RD TA, voiced his confidence in the event’s success, highlighting the considerable interest from the Turks and Caicos business community. He anticipates that this initiative will be highly fruitful for entrepreneurs from both islands, given the quality of products and services offered by the Dominican Republic and the close geographical proximity. “Our objective is to weave a stronger and more structured commercial relationship between the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Dominican Republic,” Campbell stated. “This trade fair is a crucial step in that direction, fostering opportunities for businesses on both sides to collaborate and achieve growth.”
The exhibition provided a platform for Dominican suppliers to connect with potential buyers from Turks and Caicos, promoting trade across various sectors including food distribution, fruits, vegetables, construction materials, hotel supplies, and healthcare, among others.
The Chamber of Commerce of the Turks and Caicos Islands and the TCI-RD Trade Alliance are committed to establishing a more formal and organized commercial relationship between the two island nations. This trade fair serves as the initial step towards cultivating a mutually beneficial economic partnership.
Yasmara MejÃa, Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce, announced the participating exporters, which included prominent Dominican companies such as Induban, Block Khoury, Grupo Bocel, Aquaplastica, Cementos Panam, Fruggies, Avocana, Voyager for Hotels, Prefabricados del Caribe, Espinal y Frometa, La Rosé, Oftalmolaser, VisionTech, Manaclar Dominicana, Nessparts, Cosmos 2000, Luxery Travel DR, Santiago Health City, Commodia Group, Bioberg, Aldi Group, Tracks, Manzanillo Maritime Center, and IGC Gaming Systems and Solutions.
The initiative also received valuable support from ProDominicana, the Roundtable of Commonwealth Countries in the DR, the Turks and Caicos Islands Investment Agency, the Turks and Caicos Islands Port Authority, Tropical Shipping, Caribbean Airways Cargo, HardRock Concrete, ADOEXPO, and the Santiago Chamber of Commerce and Production.
Addressing a key challenge in expanding trade, the Chamber of Commerce and the Trade Alliance are actively exploring solutions to improve the efficiency and frequency of transport logistics between the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Dominican Republic. Enhancing transportation capacity is expected to improve access to affordable goods and reduce reliance on imports from more distant markets like Miami.
Special guests in attendance included Fernando González, President of the Roundtable of Commonwealth Countries in the Dominican Republic; Fernando Puig, VP of the Santiago Chamber of Commerce and Production; Deyanira Papaterra, VP of Tourism Business at Banreservas; Carlos Medrano, a board member of the Association of Hotels of the DR; Segismundo Morey, Director of Exports at ProDominicana; Hon. Kyle Knowles, Minister of Health and Human Resources of TCI; Hon. Willin Belliard, Member of Parliament of TCI; and other distinguished authorities from the Islands.
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