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General Regulations for the application of the new Customs Law
By Guzmán Ariza, Attorneys at Law
The Executive Branch of the Dominican Republic promulgated the General Regulations for the application of the new Customs Law, which includes guidelines from international organizations in the customs and international trade fields, such as the World Customs Organization and the World Trade Organization.
Law 168-21 was promulgated on August 25, 2021, replacing a previous 68 yer old regulation.
The general director of Customs, Eduardo Sanz Lovatón, affirmed that this new regulatory framework will further strengthen the Dominican Republic strategy to become the most important logistics hub in the Latin American and Caribbean.
“It will allow us to be among the countries with the greatest transparency and efficiency in foreign trade operations and activities, which will place us among the most competitive and innovative customs in the region," said Sanz Lovatón.
There are over 24 existing Customs offices in Dominican Republic: eleven at ports, seven in airport zones, and six on the border with Haiti. The principal offices handling the majority of the cargo are: Port of Haina Oriental, Port of Haina Occidental, Caucedo Multimodal Port, Las Américas International Airport, and the Port of San Pedro de Macorís.
Dominican Customs officials indicate that the average clearance takes three days from submission of complete documentation. Clearances can be made in hours if importers make use of the “On-Line Customs Clearance”, which allows for pre-arrival clearance. The on-line service provided at the website of the Customs Office allows importers to register the importation, submit the documentation, verify and pay (before arrival) the amount of taxes to be paid.
The new regulation covers aspects such as control and inspection of Customs; entry and exit of means of transport and goods.; Customs clearance process; Customs tax regime and sanctioning administrative regime.
Guzmán Ariza, Attorneys at Law
Guzmán Ariza is a leading full-service law firm in the Dominican Republic, consistently ranked among the country’s top-tier firms by the most prominent global legal directories such as Chambers and Partners and The Legal 500.
With ten strategically located offices across the nation's principal business and tourism hubs, we are uniquely positioned to support clients in seizing opportunities within the largest and fastest-growing economy in Central America and the Caribbean.
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