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Tariff quotas and farm imports in the Dominican Republic

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

Eight sensitive farm products sit under a WTO tariff rate quota system set in 1999: garlic, rice, sugar, chicken, onions, beans, powdered milk and corn. Quota is awarded through a commission, with rules that bar transfer. These products also face limits on logistics centers and duty refund regimes.

Key facts

Products under the WTO quota system	8 productsDecreto 505-99 art. 1, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Application lead time	2 monthsDecreto 505-99 art. 7, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Quota transferable	No textDecreto 505-99 art. 11, as of 2026-10-30 · in force

The rule

1. Decreto 505-99 regulates imports of garlic, rice, sugar, chicken, onions, beans, powdered milk and corn under the WTO technical rectification.Decreto 505-99, art. 1, 1999-11-24 official text · verified 2026-10-30

2. A Commission for Agricultural Imports, led by Agriculture with Industry and Commerce and Customs, applies the policy. It sets a yearly quota calendar, published in December.Decreto 505-99, art. 2, art. 3 and art. 6, 1999-11-24 official text · verified 2026-10-30

3. Importers apply 2 months before the import date with a bond, in sealed envelopes, and only as companies or associations.Decreto 505-99, art. 7, 1999-11-24 official text · verified 2026-10-30

4. If requests exceed the quota, it is split pro rata. Extra imports need a proven local shortage.Decreto 505-99, art. 8, 1999-11-24 official text · verified 2026-10-30

5. Quota cannot be transferred, and certificates are valid only for the assigned lot and period.Decreto 505-99, art. 10 and art. 11, 1999-11-24 official text · verified 2026-10-30

6. Sugars and syrups with 50% or more dry weight sugar take the tariff of heading 1701.Ley 168-21 de Aduanas, art. 410, 2021-08-09 official text · verified 2026-10-30

7. Rates for these goods are set in Annex I of the tariff law rather than the general bands.Ley 146-00, art. 2 paragraph I, 2000-12-27 official text · verified 2026-10-30

8. Logistics centers cannot handle garlic, rice, sugar, chicken, onions, beans or powdered milk, and those goods cannot use tariff replacement or drawback.Ley 168-21 de Aduanas, art. 409, 2021-08-09 official text · verified 2026-10-30

Worked example

Requests total 150% of the quota. Each importer receives two thirds of the volume it asked for, under the pro rata rule.

Step by step

Check the yearly calendar for your product.
File the sealed request and bond 2 months ahead.
Get the import certificate from the Commission's secretariat.
Import in the assigned period and declare with the certificate.

Common traps

Decreto 505-99 says quotas are allotted by auction but then describes pro rata division, so read the calendar for the actual method.
Quota sizes and current rates were not confirmed here, so read Annex I of Ley 146-00 and the yearly calendar.
Ley 168-21 art. 409 lists seven products and omits corn, unlike Decreto 505-99.
DR-CAFTA quotas use separate codes on the Aduanas site.

Sources

Related: Dominican Republic country profile · live dashboard · central bank and release calendar · our posts on X · where Argentina is involved, see The Argentine Thread guide

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