Arkansas shipper opens routes to Dominican Republic
Arkansas-based ABF Freight Systems on Monday announced the launch of new carrier service between the U.S. mainland and the Dominican Republic, in addition to a route between Puerto Rico and the neighboring island nation.
The expansion responds to “increased demand for shipping solutions from customers taking advantage of opportunities created by the United States-Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement,” the company said in a statement issued Monday.
The CAFTA agreement — signed in 2004 — eliminates barriers to trade and investment among Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the United States. The commercial pact has generated business opportunities for stateside companies in the participating countries as the agreement also established common regulatory and environmental standards.
ABF’s service offers door-to-door shipping between the U.S. and any of the Free Trade Zones in the Dominican Republic, which at present is serving as a staging ground for rebuilding efforts in neighboring Haiti.
Aside from direct shipping, ABF — in business since 1923 — also offers once-daily freight service between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. ABF handles about 20,000 shipments daily throughout its service footprint, reporting $1.77 billion in revenue in 2008.
