DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Since January 2006
Pillar Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) |
Indicator Adoption of the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty
WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty
The Dominican Republic has adopted the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Performances and Phonograms Treaty.
Coverage Horizontal
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Since May 2000
Pillar Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) |
Indicator Effective protection covering trade secrets
Industrial Property Law No. 20-00 (Ley No. 20-00 sobre Propiedad Industrial)
Law No. 20-00 provides a framework for effective protection of trade secrets. Chapters I and II of Title VI include a definition and conditions to protect a secret, what constitutes unfair competition related to trade secrets, what are the unfair means of access to a trade secret, information for sales authorisation and the actions that may be brought against this act of unfair competition.
Coverage Horizontal
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
ITA signatory?
I
II
Pillar Tariffs and trade defence measures applied on ICT goods |
Indicator Effective tariff rate on ICT goods (applied weighted average)
Effective tariff rate to ICT goods (applied weighted average)
6.51%
Coverage rate of zero-tariffs on ICT goods (%)
62.01%
Coverage: ICT goods
Sources
- http://wits.worldbank.org/WITS/
- https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/brief_ita_e.htm#:~:text=ITA%20participants%3A%20Australia%3B%20Bahrain%3B,%3B%20Jordan%3B%20Korea%2C%20Rep.
- https://www.wto.org/english/res_e/booksp_e/ita20years_2017_full_e.pdf
- https://web.archive.org/web/20220120054410/https://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2016/april/tradoc_154430.pdf
- https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/inftec_e/itscheds_e.htm
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
N/A
Pillar Tariffs and trade defence measures applied on ICT goods |
Indicator Participation in the WTO Information Technology Agreement (ITA) and 2015 expansion (ITA II)
Lack of participation in the Information Technology Agreement Expansion Agreement (ITA II)
The Dominican Republic is a signatory of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Information Technology Agreement (ITA) of 1996, but is not a signatory of its 2015 expansion (ITA II).
Coverage ICT goods
Sources
- https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/brief_ita_e.htm#:~:text=ITA%20participants%3A%20Australia%3B%20Bahrain%3B,%3B%20Jordan%3B%20Korea%2C%20Rep.
- https://www.wto.org/english/res_e/booksp_e/ita20years_2017_full_e.pdf
- https://web.archive.org/web/20220120054410/https://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2016/april/tradoc_154430.pdf
- https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/inftec_e/itscheds_e.htm
- Show more...
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Since July 2025, entry into force in January 2026
Since July 2006, until January 2026
Since July 2006, until January 2026
Pillar Public procurement of ICT goods and online services |
Indicator Exclusion from public procurement
Law No. 47-25 on Public Procurement (Ley No. 47-25 de Contrataciones Públicas)
Law No. 340‑06 on the Procurement and Contracting of Goods, Services and Works (Ley No. 340-06 sobre Compras y Contrataciones de Bienes, Servicios y Obras)
Law No. 340‑06 on the Procurement and Contracting of Goods, Services and Works (Ley No. 340-06 sobre Compras y Contrataciones de Bienes, Servicios y Obras)
Art. 61 of Law No. 47-25 establishes a sequencing requirement that prioritises nationally issued tenders and conditions recourse to international tendering upon the fulfilment of specified procedural thresholds, thereby functioning as a limitation on the immediate participation of foreign suppliers in public procurement. It stipulates that the call for a public tender may be issued at either the national or international level, with an international call required in any of the following circumstances: when the procurement falls under an agreement or treaty in force between the Dominican Republic and another State or a multilateral or bilateral credit organisation; when, on the basis of a market study and an accompanying technical report, it is determined that national bidders lack the capacity to supply the goods, provide the services, or execute the works in question; or when a nationally issued call has been declared void on two occasions due to non-compliant submissions or the absence of proposals, in which case a technical report must attest that enhanced efforts were made to notify and invite domestic suppliers. Notwithstanding the above, when a national call has been declared void twice, the contracting authority retains the power to issue further national calls.
Law No. 47‑25 repeals Law No. 340‑06, which establishes a similar restriction in Art. 16. The new legislation will take effect in January 2026.
Law No. 47‑25 repeals Law No. 340‑06, which establishes a similar restriction in Art. 16. The new legislation will take effect in January 2026.
Coverage Horizontal
Sources
- https://web.archive.org/web/20260217001529/https://www.dgcp.gob.do/new_dgcp/documentos/politicas_normas_y_procedimientos/leyes_y_decretos/Ley%2047-25.pdf
- https://web.archive.org/web/20260218142231/https://www.dgcp.gob.do/transparencia/documentos/base_legal_institucional/Ley-340-su-reglamento-aplicacion-Nov-2023.pdf
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Since July 2025, entry into force in January 2026
Since December 2008
Since December 2008
Pillar Public procurement of ICT goods and online services |
Indicator Other limitations on foreign participation in public procurement
Law No. 47-25 on Public Procurement (Ley No. 47-25 de Contrataciones Públicas)
Law No. 488-08 (Ley No. 488-08)
Law No. 488-08 (Ley No. 488-08)
Art. 172 of Law No. 47-25 stipulates that contracting institutions, when preparing their budget allocations, must reserve at least 30% of the funds designated for procurement for procedures exclusively intended for Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs), allocating 20% to MSMEs in general and 10% to MSMEs led by women; furthermore, Art. 173 provides that procurement processes reserved for MSMEs shall require interested suppliers to have an established domicile within the municipal district, municipality, province, or region where the goods are to be supplied, the services rendered, or the works executed.
The preference regime in Law No. 47-25 differs somewhat from that in Law No. 488-08, which nevertheless remains in force. According to Art. 25, state institutions must reserve 15% of purchases of goods and services to national MSMEs. Moreover, Art. 26 establishes that when MSMEs are managed by women who have a shareholding or capital stock of more than 50%, then the percentage of purchases by state institutions reserved for MSMEs goes up to 20%.
The preference regime in Law No. 47-25 differs somewhat from that in Law No. 488-08, which nevertheless remains in force. According to Art. 25, state institutions must reserve 15% of purchases of goods and services to national MSMEs. Moreover, Art. 26 establishes that when MSMEs are managed by women who have a shareholding or capital stock of more than 50%, then the percentage of purchases by state institutions reserved for MSMEs goes up to 20%.
Coverage Horizontal
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Reported in 2006, last reported in 2025
Pillar Public procurement of ICT goods and online services |
Indicator Other limitations on foreign participation in public procurement
Lack of transparency in public procurement
It is reported that public procurement in the Dominican Republic is not carried out in a transparent manner and that corruption is a problem.
Coverage Horizontal
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
N/A
Pillar Public procurement of ICT goods and online services |
Indicator Signatory of the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA) with coverage of the most relevant services sectors (CPC 752, 754, 84)
Lack of participation in the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA)
The Dominican Republic is not a party to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA). However, the country has been an observer of the WTO GPA since 2022.
Coverage Horizontal
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Since November 1995
Pillar Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in sectors relevant to digital trade |
Indicator Maximum foreign equity share
Law No. 16-95 on Foreign Investment in the Dominican Republic (Ley No. 16-95 sobre Inversión Extranjera en República Dominicana)
Law No. 16-95 on Foreign Investment in the Dominican Republic permits full foreign ownership (100%) across all sectors relevant to digital trade.
Coverage Horizontal
DJIBOUTI
N/A
Pillar Online sales and transactions |
Indicator UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Signatures
Lack of adoption of the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Signatures
Djibouti has not adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Signatures.
Coverage Horizontal
DJIBOUTI
Since August 2012, last amended in April 2019
Pillar Online sales and transactions |
Indicator Licensing scheme for e-commerce providers
Commercial Code of the Republic of Djibouti (Code de commerce de la République de Djibouti)
Art. L.1211-6 of the Commercial Code provides that any legal entity whose head office is located abroad and which undertakes a commercial activity in the Republic of Djibouti must, within one month from the start of this activity, require the registration of a branch in the Republic of Djibouti. This request is to be filed with the registry responsible for maintaining the Register of Commerce and Companies. The Code defines commercial activity as including e-commerce.
Coverage Horizontal
DJIBOUTI
Reported in 2021, last reported in 2025
Pillar Online sales and transactions |
Indicator Threshold for ‘De Minimis’ rule
Lack of de minimis threshold
Djibouti does not implement any de minimis threshold, which is the minimum value of goods below which customs do not charge duties.
Coverage Horizontal
DJIBOUTI
N/A
Pillar Online sales and transactions |
Indicator Framework for consumer protection applicable to online commerce
Lack of comprehensive consumer protection law applicable to online commerce
Djibouti does not possess a comprehensive regulatory framework for consumer protection in the context of online transactions. Neither the provisions of Law No. 28/AN/08/6th L on the Protection, Suppression of Fraud and Consumer Protection (Loi N°28/AN/08/6ème L portant sur la protection, la répression de la fraude et la protection du consommateur), nor any other existing legislation, address transactions conducted by consumers via digital platforms.
Coverage Horizontal
DJIBOUTI
N/A
Pillar Online sales and transactions |
Indicator Ratification of the UN Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts
Lack of signature of the UN Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts
Djibouti has not signed the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts.
Coverage Horizontal
DJIBOUTI
N/A
Pillar Online sales and transactions |
Indicator UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Commerce
Lack of adoption of the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Commerce
Djibouti has not adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Commerce.
Coverage Horizontal
