Page "Economy of the Dominican Republic" Paragraph 18

About 500 companies in the Dominican Republic manufacture goods primarily for the North American market.

Situated in 50 industrial free zones around the country, these mostly foreign-owned corporations take advantage of generous tax and other financial inducements offered by the government to businesses that operate within the zones.

Approximately 200, 000 people, or about 8 percent of the workforce, are employed in this sector.

They mostly produce clothing, electronic components, footwear, and leather goods, which are assembled.

The raw materials or semi-manufactured goods are usually imported duty-free from other developing countries ( electronic parts are imported from industrialized Puerto Rico ) and put together in the free zones.

Products created are cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, textiles, perfumes & foodstuffs.

The value of exports amounted to US $ 1. 9 billion in 1996, but the contribution to the trade balance was only US $ 520 million because many of the basic materials for the free zones had to be imported and paid for.