Metal exports up!

[NewsWhore]

The headline is correct and Dominican metal exports are up, according to the Dominican Republic Center for Exports and Investment (CEI-RD). During the first 10 months of 2008 the DR exported US$44.6 million in metal for a 40.3% growth rate. In 2007 the DR only exported US$31.8 million worth of metals. Metal exports make up 6.6% of non-traditional exports, which totaled US$1.07 million. Metal exports are also the fourth largest Dominican export after steel rods, sugar cane, rum and cement. What's most surprising about these figures is that the metal being exported here is not mined in the DR. While some is legitimate scrap metal, the increase in metal exports coincides with an increase in theft of manhole covers and other metal installations from public and private property across the country.

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