After the raising of the flag, Dominican Week 2023 was officially opened. 

The thirty-first edition of Dominican Week in the U.S. began with the raising of the Dominican flag at the residence of Sonia Guzmán, the Dominican Republic's ambassador to the United States. This event has served for more than three decades to strengthen political, commercial, social, and cultural ties between the two countries.

This event, held within the framework of the centennial of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Dominican Republic, will focus on promoting the Dominican Republic as a Nearshore destination and Regional Logistics Hub, showcasing the country's progress in trade facilitation; the rule of law; existing opportunities for Public-Private Partnerships in different sectors of the national economy; and other topics, according to Edwin De los Santos during his opening speech.

In this regard, De los Santos noted that the important agenda the SEMDOM 2023 delegation will develop in Washington, DC, and New York will bring the country closer to achieving important milestones that could influence the Dominican Republic's economic ecosystem, promoting investment and trade between the two countries.

“This year, we will fulfill an important agenda where we will address priority issues for us and the country, such as: the tenth Summit of the Americas, to be held in the Dominican Republic in 2025; engagement with the Dominican diaspora; progress in trade facilitation and zero red tape; renewable energy; the implementation of Global Entry in the Dominican Republic, with which AMCHAMDR is fully prepared to collaborate; and, of course, the development and promotion of Dominican tourism,” said De los Santos.

In his opening remarks, Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez explained how the Dominican government is strengthening its international relations through the implementation of its new foreign policy, which has led to an expansion in the number of countries with which the Dominican Republic maintains diplomatic relations, as well as the opening of embassies in strategic locations, including Guyana and, soon, Saudi Arabia. He also highlighted the strengthening of ties with the European Union, the United States, and Caribbean countries such as Jamaica, the Bahamas, Suriname, and Antigua and Barbuda.

For her part, the Dominican ambassador in Washington, D.C., Sonia Guzmán, thanked the entire delegation present at the 31st edition of Dominican Week, wishing for a successful mission that will further strengthen relations between the two nations.

"It is an honor for the Embassy to welcome you. Welcome to this Dominican Week, celebrated within the centennial of AMCHAMDR. I hope it will be fruitful for everyone and that we can continue strengthening the ties between our great friend and partner, the United States of America," said the Dominican diplomat.

Following this, the group visited Jennifer Bachus, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of State, where they discussed digital transformation and cybersecurity. A delegation then met with Eduardo García, Special Assistant at the same U.S. Department of State, to discuss the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity (APEP). Continuing their visits to the State Department, the SEMDOM participants spoke with Deputy Assistant Secretary Juan González and Katherine Beamer, Director of the Bureau of Caribbean Affairs, with whom they discussed topics related to the Nearshore.

Following this, the AMCHAMDR Executive Committee held a meeting with officials from the State Department's CHIPS program to discuss recent U.S. efforts in the semiconductor sector and how the Dominican Republic could play a vital role in this initiative.

The day will culminate with a dinner hosted by John Murphy, Senior Vice President for International Policy at the US Chamber, where attendees will learn Murphy's perspective on geopolitical and geoeconomic trends and their implications for American businesses and US trade policy.

About Dominican Week

It is a mission of the American Chamber of Commerce that aims to manage common interests and promote government decisions in line with the needs of the various productive sectors that comprise our membership, with a view to achieving a balanced business environment and bilateral relations through contact with government institutions, international organizations, the diplomatic corps, and Dominicans in the diaspora. SEMDOM seeks to strengthen bilateral trade relations and strengthen ties with the Dominican diaspora in the United States.

As every year, Dominican Week has had the collaboration of the United States Embassy in the Dominican Republic and the Embassy of the Dominican Republic in the United States.

Dominican Week is made possible thanks to the support of brands belonging to the AMCHAMDR Elite Circle: AES Dominicana, Barrick Pueblo Viejo, Cervecería Nacional Dominicana, Citi, HIT Puerto Río Haina, Grupo Humano, Inicia, Grupo Martí, Altice Dominicana, Grupo Rica, Grupo SID, Grupo Punta Cana, Grupo Estrella, and Squire Patton Boggs.

We would also like to thank Banco BHD, Banco Popular, Barceló, Bandex, Bella Aldea, CEPM, Chinola, CONEP, Delta, DP World, INARU, INDEX, Jiménez Peña, La Aurora, NAP del Caribe, Rizek Abogados, Schad, and Seguros Reservas.