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Arturo Peguero
By Arturo Peguero | International Trade Specialist | Former Dirección de Comercio Exterior | Former International Trade Professor
Last updated: April 2026
Most US specialty buyers source one avocado: Hass. Mexican Hass dominates the volume conversation, and for good reason. The supply is deep and the variety is familiar. But for buyers building differentiated assortments, ethnic and Caribbean retail programs, or counter-cyclical Q3 supply plans, there is a separate avocado category worth knowing.
The Dominican Republic exports Caribbean avocados across three commercial varieties: Pollock, Semil 34, and Carla. Combined, they cover a window from July through February. Dominican avocado exports grew from $223 million to $309 million over four years. Under CAFTA-DR, they enter the US at 0% duty. Sea freight from Santo Domingo to Miami runs 3 to 5 days.
This guide covers what makes Caribbean avocados varietally different from Hass, when each Dominican variety is in season, and where they fit in a specialty retail or foodservice program.
Caribbean avocados are a different cultivar group than the Mexican-origin Hass that dominates US retail. Buyers used to Hass should expect a meaningfully different fruit at the receiving dock.
Size. Caribbean varieties typically run larger than Hass. A single fruit often handles a foodservice spread or salad application that would require two Hass.
Skin. Smooth and green at maturity. Caribbean avocados do not turn black-purple the way ripe Hass does. Retail merchandisers should brief produce teams so green skin is not mistaken for unripe fruit.
Flesh and flavor. Higher water content than Hass. Milder, less buttery flavor profile. The texture leans creamy-soft rather than dense and oily. Strong fit for slicing, salad, sandwich, and Caribbean and Hispanic culinary applications. Less ideal for guacamole programs that depend on Hass-style oil content.
Shelf and ripening. Caribbean varieties generally have a shorter post-harvest window than Hass and ripen on a different curve. Retail and foodservice buyers should plan inventory turns accordingly and align with their importer on ripening protocols.
Commercial naming. In US trade, Caribbean varieties are also marketed as "tropical avocado" or, historically, "Florida avocado" when grown in South Florida. Dominican Republic origin, with CAFTA-DR duty status and proximity to Miami, has become the natural supply base as Florida tropical fruit production faces ongoing pressure.
Pollock opens the Dominican avocado export window in July. It is a premium summer-window variety that arrives during a period when Mexican Hass supply faces seasonal pressure and prices typically tighten. For buyers managing summer assortment gaps or Q3 promotional programs, Pollock is the entry point into Caribbean avocado sourcing.
Large fruit. Smooth green skin. Mild, creamy flesh. Suited for retail produce sets that want a differentiated avocado SKU alongside Hass.
Semil 34 is the bridge variety. It opens in August, overlaps with Pollock through October, and runs through December. This is one of the longer single-variety windows in the Dominican Republic export calendar and the workhorse of the program for buyers who want consistent Caribbean avocado availability across Q3 and Q4.
Reliable supply, broad season coverage. Often the variety chosen for foodservice contracts and retail programs that require predictable weekly volume across multiple months.
Carla picks up the winter window. It opens in October and runs through February, covering the period when Pollock has finished and most Northern Hemisphere tropical avocado origins are out of season. For buyers building a 12-month Caribbean avocado program, Carla is what makes year-round-adjacent supply possible.
Large fruit, mild flavor, retail-friendly size. Strong fit for late-fall and winter holiday programming where alternative produce SKUs differentiate from commodity sets.
Each variety has a defined export window. Buyers planning a multi-month or year-round Caribbean avocado program should map the overlap and the off-season directly:
Off-season: March through June. Dominican avocado is not commercially available during this window. Buyers planning a 12-month Caribbean avocado program typically pair DR supply with other Caribbean Basin origins for the spring window.
Season windows shift by farm, region, and weather year to year. Confirm current availability with your supplier before committing to a program calendar.
Differentiated assortment. A retail produce set with both Hass and Caribbean varieties signals depth and serves customers who actively seek out non-Hass avocado. Mexican-American and Caribbean-American shoppers, in particular, are an underserved demographic for green-skin avocado at most mainstream chains.
Counter-cyclical supply. Pollock and Semil 34 land in the July-through-December window when Mexican Hass pricing is most volatile. Buyers managing summer-fall supply risk can use Caribbean avocado as a hedge SKU, not just an additional one.
Foodservice menu development. The mild, creamy texture of Caribbean varieties suits sliced applications, sandwich and salad programs, and Caribbean and Latin culinary menus where the heavy oil content of Hass is not a fit.
Origin story. Dominican Republic, CAFTA-DR, GlobalGAP-certified packhouses, 3 to 5 days to Miami. For specialty retail programs that lean into origin storytelling at the produce wall, Caribbean avocado from the DR has a complete narrative.
Tariff status. Under CAFTA-DR, fresh avocados from the Dominican Republic enter the United States at 0% duty. This applies through and beyond the Section 122 tariff window currently affecting non-FTA origins.
Logistics. Sea freight from DR ports to Miami runs 3 to 5 days. To European ports, transit runs 12 to 15 days. FOB pricing from port of departure is the standard among Dominican exporters.
Certifications. GlobalGAP is available among Dominican avocado packhouses with EU export experience. FDA registration is the baseline for any facility shipping food into the US and is widely held. EU-bound buyers should additionally confirm IFS Food at packhouse level, GRASP social compliance, and per-shipment multiresidue analysis.
Supplier process. WhatsApp is the primary business communication channel in the DR, not email. Paid samples are standard practice. Verify any Dominican company's RNC (Registro Nacional del Contribuyente) for free at dgii.gov.do.
For the full sourcing process across Dominican fresh produce categories, including verification, sampling, and pricing protocols, see our How to Source Tropical Fruits from the Dominican Republic guide.
What is the difference between Caribbean avocado and Hass?
Caribbean varieties (Pollock, Semil 34, Carla) are a different cultivar group than Mexican-origin Hass. They are typically larger, have smooth green skin that does not blacken at maturity, and have a milder, less oily flavor profile. Better fit for slicing, salads, and Caribbean culinary applications. Less ideal for guacamole programs that need Hass-style oil content.
When can I source avocados from the Dominican Republic?
The combined export window runs July through February. Pollock ships July through October, Semil 34 ships August through December, Carla ships October through February. There is a natural off-season from March through June when Dominican avocado is not commercially available.
Do Dominican avocados qualify for 0% US duty?
Yes. Fresh avocados from the Dominican Republic enter the US duty-free under CAFTA-DR, regardless of variety. This applies through and beyond the Section 122 tariff window that currently affects non-FTA origins.
What certifications do Dominican avocado exporters carry?
FDA registration is the baseline for US export and is widely held. GlobalGAP is available among packhouses with EU export experience. For European retail buyers, IFS Food at packhouse level, GRASP social compliance, and multiresidue analysis per shipment are additional certifications to verify.
Can Caribbean avocados be marketed alongside Hass at retail?
Yes. They are a complementary SKU, not a replacement. Retailers typically display Caribbean varieties separately or labeled distinctly to signal the different size, color, and culinary use. Produce team training matters: green skin at maturity is the defining visual difference and should not be merchandised as unripe.
DominicanSources connects international buyers with vetted Dominican Republic exporters. We handle supplier verification, certification confirmation, and introductions across Caribbean avocado, mango, and other fresh produce categories.
Send us a sourcing inquiry and we will match you with the right supplier for your variety, volume, and certification requirements.
About the author: Arturo Peguero is the founder of DominicanSources, former official at the Dirección de Comercio Exterior and International Trade Professor at PUCMM with 20+ years in Dominican trade.