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NY Companies Explore Caribbean Markets on Trade Mission
20 Jun
Summary
- New York companies explored opportunities in apparel, beauty, healthcare, and defense.
- Trade mission aimed to build relationships and expand market access in the Caribbean.
- New York's trade with the Dominican Republic was $694 million in 2025.
Empire State Development recently completed a successful trade mission to the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. This initiative, led by ESD President Hope Knight, aimed to foster new business relationships and expand market opportunities for New York companies in the Caribbean.
The delegation included businesses from sectors such as apparel, beauty, healthcare, and defense. They participated in business briefings, networking events, and meetings with government and private-sector leaders in both nations.
This mission strengthens the collaboration established during Governor Kathy Hochul's November 2025 visit to the Dominican Republic. That visit resulted in a Declaration of Intent to deepen ties in trade, disaster response, tourism, and agricultural innovation.
In the Dominican Republic, discussions in Santo Domingo and Santiago focused on trade, industry, commerce, logistics, and free trade zone opportunities. In Jamaica, the delegation met with key trade and investment partners to bolster new business relationships.
Economic ties are significant, with New York's total trade reaching $694 million with the Dominican Republic and $112 million with Jamaica in 2025. The mission was facilitated by ESD's Global NY program.
