Specialty Produce

Source specialty produce from the Dominican Republic.

Habanero, guanabana, breadfruit, and Caribbean niche produce — for ethnic retail, specialty food service, and functional-food processing. Year-round availability across the portfolio, zero US duty under CAFTA-DR.

Request a specialty produce introduction
5+
Core products
0%
US duty (CAFTA-DR)
3–5 days
DR → Miami transit
3 of 5
Year-round anchors

Beyond flagship categories, the Dominican Republic exports a specialty portfolio that serves ethnic retail, specialty food service, and functional-food manufacturing. Habanero for hot-sauce production, guanabana for wellness beverages, breadfruit for gluten-free processing, naranja agria for Caribbean cooking — year-round across most of the bucket, duty-free under CAFTA-DR.

Varieties you can source

Dominican habanero pepper — bright orange-red rounded-lantern shape, export-grade for hot-sauce production

Hot-sauce + gourmet

Habanero

Season · Year-round

100,000–350,000 SHU. Consistent year-round supply from Dominican greenhouse growers. Core input for premium hot-sauce brands, gourmet condiments, and specialty retail. Export-grade phytosanitary standards widely held.

Dominican guanabana (soursop) — dark-green fruit with soft fleshy spines, used in juice and functional beverages

Wellness / functional food

Guanabana (Soursop)

Season · Apr – Sep

Fresh white-pulp fruit, slightly acidic, rich in antioxidants. Primary demand in juice, ice-cream, smoothie, and functional-beverage manufacturing. Category is growing in the wellness and natural-foods segment.

Dominican panapen (breadfruit) — pale yellow-green fruit with distinctive polygonal skin pattern, used in gluten-free processing

Gluten-free processing

Panapen (Breadfruit)

Season · Year-round

Starchy, neutral flavor. Boiled, fried, baked, or processed into flour and chips. Strong fit for gluten-free product lines and ethnic retail serving Caribbean, West African, and Pacific Islander markets.

Season calendar

  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Habanero
Guanabana
Panapen (Breadfruit)
Limoncillo
Naranja Agria (Sour orange)

Habanero, breadfruit, and naranja agria ship year-round. Guanabana and limoncillo follow tighter seasonal windows. Confirm current availability with your supplier before placing orders.

What buying DR specialty produce looks like

Year-round anchors

Habanero, breadfruit, and naranja agria ship 12 months a year. Build recurring retail and food-service programs without seasonal disruption.

CAFTA-DR 0% duty

All fresh produce in this portfolio enters the US duty-free under CAFTA-DR. Permanent rate — not a temporary trade promotion.

Ethnic + specialty retail fit

Caribbean, West African, and Pacific Islander-focused grocery chains are the primary end-buyers. Wellness and gluten-free CPG manufacturers are the secondary channel.

Curated supplier network

DR specialty produce exporters are fragmented. We've already vetted the serious players — you get direct introductions, not a list to cold-email.

Request an introduction

What we need from you to open a specialty produce sourcing request

  1. 01 Your destination country and target port of entry.
  2. 02 Which products — habanero, guanabana, breadfruit, limoncillo, naranja agria, or a combination.
  3. 03 Target monthly volume per product and end-use (retail, processing, food service).
  4. 04 Required certifications (GlobalG.A.P., organic, phytosanitary) and packaging specs.
Start the sourcing request

Free for buyers. We respond within 1 business day.

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