Energy Strategy: Energy Minister Joel Santos laid out the Dominican Republic’s long-term plan to meet rising electricity demand through 2030s, stressing new generation, grid modernization, rural electrification, and tighter public-private coordination. Agro-Industry & Border Development: ITESIL and the Dominican Agrarian Institute (IAD) launched an agro-industrial project to turn 900+ tareas of state land in Montecristi into a research, innovation, production, and training hub across the full value chain. Tourism & Environment: Record sargassum levels are hitting Punta Cana and wider DR beaches, with cleanup costs rising and tourism experience affected—while experts also point to potential industrial uses. Air Connectivity: Frontier Airlines added eight routes, including a daily San Juan–Punta Cana service, as the airline reshapes its Caribbean network after Spirit cutbacks. Sugar Sector Modernization: Mechanized sugarcane harvesting jumped from 1% to 70% in five years, reducing reliance on foreign labor and boosting productivity. Banking Sustainability: Banco Popular will issue Gnial cards made with plastic recovered from the Dominican coast via Parley for the Oceans, tying card use to ocean-protection funding. Coffee Supply Pressure: Reproca warns 60%-70% of coffee consumed locally is imported, urging stronger transparency and border controls to protect Dominican producers. Tobacco Farming Upgrade: TNR and Intabaco signed to modernize tobacco production with pressurized irrigation tech, training, and demonstration plots to improve yields and water efficiency. Border Trade Debate: Border merchants urged Abinader to reconsider dry port plans, warning they could disrupt binational trade and livelihoods. Manufacturing Investment: Garware Fulflex completed acquisition of a fully automated 300,000-square-foot medical products plant in Jacksonville, expanding North American healthcare manufacturing capacity.