Countries › Dominican Republic › Guide › 12. Sectors › Ports and port concessions

Ports and port concessions

Last verified: 2026-10-30 · Status: Stable

APORDOM, created by Ley 70 of 1970, runs commercial ports and oversees private ones. Its board may grant private national or foreign firms concessions for port services, terminals and marinas for 10 renewable years, through published competitive calls. Plants in port areas need Executive approval, and disputes on concession contracts may go to arbitration.

USD figures use the Banco Central de la República Dominicana reference selling rate of RD$60.9007 per US dollar, as shown on its home page on 30 October 2026, rounded to the cent.

Key facts

Port concession term	10, renewable yearsDecreto 309-98 art. 7; Ley 70 art. 8 j, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Foreign private concession holders	Allowed Decreto 309-98 art. 5, as of 2026-10-30 · in force

The rule

1. The Autoridad Portuaria Dominicana is an autonomous body with its own assets, including the port precincts of Santo Domingo, Haina and Andrés and other enabled ports.Ley 70, art. 1 and 3, 1970-12-17 official text · verified 2026-10-30

2. It directs and operates commercial ports under its control and supervises private ports run under State concessions or leases.Ley 70, art. 4 a and b, 1970-12-17 official text · verified 2026-10-30

3. Customs keeps full control over inspection, valuation and collection in ports.Ley 70, art. 4 i paragraph I, 1970-12-17 official text · verified 2026-10-30

4. Its board may grant concessions for services and for use, occupation and exploitation of areas for up to 10 renewable years. Industrial plants in port areas need Executive authorization.Ley 70, art. 8 j, 1970-12-17 official text · verified 2026-10-30

5. The board has three Executive representatives and one each from shipowners, the chamber of commerce and the industry association.Ley 169 amending Ley 70 art. 7, art. 1, 1975 official text · verified 2026-10-30

6. APORDOM may grant concessions to private national or foreign companies.Decreto 309-98, art. 5, 1998-08-27 official text · verified 2026-10-30

7. Concessions may cover towing, pilotage, berthing, cargo handling, cranes, container terminals and yards, storage, dredging, works and other port activities.Decreto 309-98, art. 6, 1998-08-27 official text · verified 2026-10-30

8. Contracts last 10 years, renewable by mutual agreement.Decreto 309-98, art. 7, 1998-08-27 official text · verified 2026-10-30

9. APORDOM publishes the concessions it wants to offer in one or more national newspapers, allowing a fair time for offers.Decreto 309-98, art. 8, 1998-08-27 official text · verified 2026-10-30

10. Bidders file in Spanish an expression of interest, a proposal, project description, feasibility studies and environmental studies. The winner must give guarantees through authorized institutions, in amounts set in the tender terms.Decreto 309-98, art. 9, 1998-08-27 official text · verified 2026-10-30

11. APORDOM receives economic consideration for each concession, under the formulas it sets.Decreto 309-98, art. 10, 1998-08-27 official text · verified 2026-10-30

12. Port works need an APORDOM authorization by board resolution, with a decision on requests within a set period.Decreto 309-98, art. 16 to 19, 1998-08-27 official text · verified 2026-10-30

13. A concession ends on expiry, mutual agreement, breach and other causes listed in the decree.Decreto 309-98, art. 28, 1998-08-27 official text · verified 2026-10-30

14. Disputes during performance of concession contracts may go to arbitration.Decreto 309-98, art. 29, 1998-08-27 official text · verified 2026-10-30

Worked example

An operator bids for a container yard. It files in Spanish with feasibility and environmental studies, and if it wins it gives the guarantee fixed in the tender. It should model debt within a 10 year term, since renewal needs mutual agreement.
A fuel terminal wants a site inside a port precinct. As an industrial plant it needs Executive approval on top of the board's concession, plus a ministry licence on the fuels page.

Step by step

Watch for the call in national newspapers.
Prepare Spanish language proposal and studies.
Obtain environmental authorization.
Bid and sign the contract with the guarantee.
Get resolution for works.
Report statistics and data as required (art. 27).

Common traps

A 10 year term is short for heavy terminals. Long term deals may need other tools such as a PPP, or approval by Congress, so take advice before pricing.
Ley 70 is old, and an APORDOM official has said it is under review (press only). No reform text was found.
The decree says APORDOM sets fees by formula and tender. No current tariff of concession fees was found.
Decreto 519-02 sets the regulation for port services and should be read with this decree.
Customs and port roles differ, so a port concession does not include customs warehouse status. See the trade pages.

Sources

← Tourism operating licencesAviation and airlines →

Get rule changes weekly

Free. One email a week from The LatAm Thread.

One more step after you press the button: we take you to Substack, where your email is already filled in. Confirm there to start. No spam, unsubscribe anytime, we never share your address. By subscribing you agree to the privacy policy.