Exports reached 1.2 million tons during 2025, registering a growth of 9% compared to the previous year
SANTO DOMINGO.– While the construction sector faces challenges related to financing, costs and the technological transformation of its processes, the Dominican cement industry maintains that it arrives at this moment with one of the greatest strengths in its history: a productive capacity that has multiplied by twelve in the last five decades.
During the presentation of the 2025 Memoirs of the Dominican Association of Portland Cement Producers (ADOCEM), held yesterday Tuesday in Santo Domingo, the president of its Board of Directors, Jorge David Pérez, stated that the Dominican Republic currently has the largest cement production capacity per capita in the Americas.
He explained that the country went from having an installed capacity of 866,000 tons of cement to approximately 11 million tons today, an evolution that he attributed to decades of investment and industrial expansion.
“Today we have a production capacity approximately 12 times greater than it was five decades ago,” Pérez said during his speech.
The businessman highlighted that this growth has allowed them to respond to the increase in national demand, which according to figures cited from the Central Bank went from 3.1 million tons in 2003 to 5.6 million in 2025, equivalent to a growth of 75%.
Ability to support growth
For ADOCEM, the increase in production not only reflects industrial expansion, but also the sector's ability to support the country's economic and urban development.
Pérez assured that the industry is prepared to supply the needs of the national market for the next 25 years with locally manufactured products.
“These figures represent more than industrial capacity. They reflect investment, a long-term vision, and the sustained confidence that Dominican businesses and international investors have placed in the country’s future,” he said.
The executive maintained that the development of the cement industry has been linked to the growth of the Dominican economy and the stability that, he said, has characterized the national investment climate.
Exports on the rise
One of the highlights during the presentation was the performance of exports.
Cement exports reached 1.2 million tons in 2025, registering a 9% increase compared to the previous year. According to the organization, this performance consolidates the Dominican Republic's position as a regional hub for the production and supply of construction materials.
“Exports represent much more than a positive contribution to the trade balance. They reflect our industry's ability to compete internationally, generate foreign exchange, and strengthen the national productive apparatus,” Pérez stated.
According to the business representative, export growth has helped position the country as a strategic regional distribution point.
“Some already refer to the Dominican Republic as the hardware store of the Caribbean,” he commented.
Geopolitics and stability
The activity also included a keynote lecture by Guatemalan economist Paulo De León, director of Economic Intelligence at CABI, entitled “Geopolitics and the global economy: impacts on the region and the construction sector”.
Although the exhibition addressed the international context, the cement company took advantage of the stage to highlight the importance of preserving stable conditions in the face of a global environment marked by geopolitical conflicts, economic volatility, and market transformations.
“The cement industry belongs to a sector that plans and invests long-term, and requires certainty to expand capabilities, innovate and generate jobs,” Pérez stated.
In that regard, he highlighted that the investments made by cement companies have allowed them to absorb external pressures, maintain the supply of the local market and preserve price levels that he considers competitive within the region.
Beyond production
During his speech, the president of ADOCEM also linked the future of the industry with issues such as sustainability, circular economy and climate resilience.
He explained that the sector sees opportunities in the use of waste as part of more sustainable production processes, although he warned that the transition requires significant investments in infrastructure, logistics and technology.
He also defended the role of cement and concrete in the construction of infrastructure capable of withstanding extreme weather events.
“For highly vulnerable countries like the Dominican Republic, resilience and climate change adaptation projects are fundamental,” he said.
Pérez concluded by noting that the sector seeks to consolidate itself not only as a productive activity, but also as a strategic actor for the country's economic and social development.
“The Dominican cement industry doesn’t just build infrastructure. It also builds progress, resilience, and a vision for the future of the Dominican Republic,” he said.
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