From The Rio Times · Rocco Caldero · · 3m
Dominican Republic Natural Resources Explained 2026
Dominican Republic's gold exports hit $2.39 billion in 2026 as rare earths and oil exploration advance.
In brief
Dominican Republic's gold exports hit $2.39 billion in 2026 as rare earths and oil exploration advance. Dominican Republic's gold exports reached $2.39 billion from January to September 2026, with rare earths exploration expected in November 2026. Originally reported by The Rio Times.
Key Facts
Gold is the Dominican Republic’s top export at US$2.39 billion from January to September 2026, while rare earths, oil and a new mining law are all still unfinished.
Why it matters
One mine, Pueblo Viejo, owned 60% by Barrick and 40% by Newmont, paid the state US$649 million in taxes in 2025, so mining income rests on a few assets.
The numbers
Mining exports hit a record US$2.59 billion in 2025, forests cover 46.7% of the land, and fuel imports were US$3.50 billion from January to September 2025.
Who is who
Energy and Mines Minister Joel Santos oversees mining and oil, Barrick runs Pueblo Viejo with Newmont, and Cormidom mines copper and zinc at Cerro de Maimón.
What to watch
A first rare earth resource determination for Pedernales is due in November 2026, and the first reserves are expected in the first half of 2027.
What it means for you
US investors reach the country through Newmont and Barrick, US suppliers sell 81.8% of its fuel imports, and Washington has signed a critical minerals cooperation framework with Santo Domingo.
Gold and Pueblo Viejo
Pueblo Viejo sits in Sánchez Ramírez province, about 100 km northwest of Santo Domingo, and Pueblo Viejo Dominicana operates it.
Pueblo Viejo Tax Payments
Its president, Gisselle Valera, told a Santo Domingo industry conference that it paid US$649 million in taxes in 2025.
Pueblo Viejo Expansion
Barrick is spending about US$2.6 billion on a life of mine extension, with US$1.301 billion spent by 30 June 2026.
Larimar and Other Minerals
Larimar, a blue stone mined in Barahona and named the national stone in 2011, supports about 800 miners.
Rare Earths in Pedernales
The Ministry of Energy and Mines said on 14 September 2026 that more than 5,000 results had been analysed.
Oil, Gas and Fuel Imports
Fuel imports were US$3.5 billion from January to September 2025, 1.4% less than a year earlier.
Farmland and Rice
Domestic farms produced 14.78 million quintals of rice in 2025, up 5.24%, supplying about 96% of the 15.44 million quintals consumed.
Water and Forests
Forest covered 46.7% of land in 2024, about 22,575 square kilometres, with reforestation planting over 12 million trees in 2023 and 2024.
Who Profits and What It Costs Nature
Foreign companies hold the biggest mines: Barrick and Newmont at Pueblo Viejo and Cormidom at Cerro de Maimón.
What It Means for US Readers
US suppliers sold 81.8% of the country’s fuel imports from January to September 2025, and Washington has signed a critical minerals cooperation framework.
Here's the gist
Dominican Republic's gold exports reached $2.39 billion from January to September 2026, with rare earths exploration expected in November 2026.
