News on Haiti

Compagnie Developpement Industriel (Codevi) is a partner free zone that Grupo M, the largest Dominican free zone conglomerate, operates in Haiti. The factory employs 3,200 Haitians.
Listin Diario reports that it is currently the largest single private employer of Haitians, contributing to social stability in the region.
"Codevi plans to increase jobs to 15,000 in the next five years, while creating a further 5,000 in its installations in the DR," its president Fernando Capellan told the Listin. He said that Codevi was a twin factory operation, working with factories in the DR.
Capellan mentioned that the implementation of the Hope II Act, a US government initiative, and co-production with the DR has created a future for the project, benefiting both countries.
"We are committed to the future of the industry and will continue contributing to the development of the economic model of both countries," said Capellan.
Codevi is a 300,000 square foot operation where the Levi Strauss & Co (Levi's Brand and Dockers), Hanesbrands, Carhartt, Vanity FAir, Nautica and VF Jeanswear (Wrangler & Lee) brands are produced.

28 May 2009 - DR1 Daily News 

The freight conflict between Haitian and Dominican truck drivers is over after both sides came to a tentative agreement yesterday, announced Industry and Commerce Minister Jose Ramon Fadul. As part of the agreement, both sides agreed to "open the border" and meet again in 45 days to reach a final agreement. Haitian truckers have been using violence to stop Fenatrado union truckers from carrying cargo to Haiti. They demand 50% of the cargo or a RD$4,000 penalty to allow Dominican truckers the right to travel within Haiti. Fenatrado truckers have a virtual monopoly on trucking in the DR, also using violent methods to stop companies from transporting their own cargo. Ground trade between the two countries is estimated at approximately US$1 billion, taking into account US$600 million worth of formal trade and US$400 million of informal trade.

27 May - DR1 Daily News 

Vice President Rafael Alburquerque reported last night that following a meeting at the Haitian border town of Malpasse, freight transport leaders from Haiti and the Dominican Republic have reached a provisional agreement that the Ministry of Foreign Relations and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce will review today. Dominican Ambassador in Haiti Ruben Silie served as mediator between the Dominican and Haitian truckers.
In Dajabon where some 30 trucks are still stuck, the bi-national market went on without any major problems and eight trucks and pickups, including a container loaded with food supplies, appliances and other merchandise crossed the frontier without any problems.
Although the Fenatrado members in the area did not resist, they criticized the Customs authorities in Dajabon for allowing the Haitian vehicles to cross the border outside of the hours established for market days. The Bishop of the Mao-Montecristi diocese, Diomedes Espinal and the Haitian consul in Dajabon, Jean Baptiste Biexi-Aime, both called on the parties to engage in constructive dialogue in order to settle their differences.
Haitian truckers have been using violence to discourage Fenatrado union truckers from carrying cargo to Haiti. They demand 50% of the cargo or a RD$4,000 penalty to allow Dominican truckers the right to travel within Haiti. Fenatrado truckers have a virtual monopoly on trucking in the DR, also using violent methods to discourage companies from transporting their own cargo.

26 May 2009 - DR1 Daily News 

Dominican Ambassador in Haiti Jose Serulle says that there is no better time than the present for the DR to sign a trade agreement with Haiti. He added that both governments are feeling the urgency. Serulle favors a broad-based agreement that is fair and helps strengthen relations between both nations. According to Serulle, both the DR and Haiti represent an important market and an agreement would only facilitate inter-country trade. Officials from both countries have consistently spoken of the need for an agreement, yet neither side has made any concrete moves to start the process.

14 October 2008 - DR1 Daily News

The Constanza Valley Garlic Growers Association is complaining that its members are about to lose more than 50,000 quintals of garlic from this year's crop, due to the enormous amount of garlic that is crossing the border from Haiti. This garlic is imported from China for eventual distribution in the Dominican Republic. So far, the authorities have not located the masterminds behind the scheme. Dominican garlic producers say that despite the fact that there is a specialized corps of military personnel on the frontier, trucks and containers full of garlic are crossing the border and heading to the markets of Santiago and Santo Domingo, and nobody sees that this is illegal competition for the local producers. According to the association, local garlic producers owe more than RD$1 billion to local banks and will go bankrupt if they cannot sell their product. Miguel Quezada, the head of the Constanza Garlic Farmers Association, told Listin Diario reporters that powerful people must be involved in the contraband since it is incomprehensible that a truck can pass through six check points without its illegal cargo being discovered.

23 July 2008 - DR1 Daily News

Agriculture Minister Salvador Jimenez has said that all shipments coming from Haiti will be fumigated as part of an initiative to prevent the spread of a carnivorous ant outbreak that has been reported in border areas. Jimenez said the ant, the Paratrechina (Hymenoptera formicidae), is a very aggressive ant that attacks crops and livestock. The Minister said that several international organizations are taking part in the fumigation project. Jimenez said that government officials have known about the outbreak for three months and have helped the Haitian authorities identify the particular ant.

18 July 2008 - DR1 Daily News

Farming specialist Osmar Benitez is calling for more efforts to be made towards the signing of a free trade agreement with Haiti. Benitez says that the DR has three basic consumer markets - the local market, the tourist market and Haitian consumers, both in the DR and in Haiti. He argues that after the local market, the Haitian market is the next most important for the DR and its economy. He stresses that Dominican/Haitian trade relations need to be regulated, and government and business need to move away from the present laissez faire approach. Earlier this year Dominican exporters were complaining about tax gouging at the Haitian border, saying that since there is no fixed tariff structure they were getting charged up to 60% above the expected tariff rates.

10 June 2008 - DR1 Daily News

Haiti imports 20% of non-traditional exports from the DR, second only to the US, which is the destination for 25% of Dominican exports, according to a report by economist Roberto Despradel published in Hoy. Puerto Rico is the third largest Dominican market, with 17%. Economist Roberto Despradel says that 80% of non- traditional exports remain in the Americas, with 18% going to Europe and 2% to the rest of the world.

29 May 2008 - DR1 Daily News

Locally produced rice is being shipped to Haiti as contraband. International rice prices have skyrocketed, almost doubling in three months, and this has led even US retailers like Costco and Wal-Mart to limit the amount of rice sold to consumers. Rice is now selling internationally for US$1,034 per ton, up from US$480 in October 2007. Local rice farmers fear that the government rice subsidies, which have kept down the price of rice on domestic markets, are being passed on to Haiti. Vendors in Haiti can reap greater profits by sourcing rice in the DR. These irregular exports are causing shortages locally.

25 April 2008 - DR1 Daily News

Listin Diario is reporting that although the ban on Dominican chicken and egg exports to Haiti is still in effect, a loophole is allowing Dominican exporters to get their goods across the border. The paper quotes a report by Agriculture Minister Salvador Jimenez which explains that through secret deals, that aren't necessarily illegal, Dominican exporters are still selling their eggs and chickens to wholesalers in Haiti. Jimenez says that the Haitian government has been lax in enforcing its ban on Dominican chicken and derived products, although there is no indication whether the official ban would be repealed, or when this was likely to happen. The ban has been in place since January when several bird flu cases were detected in the DR. Jose Lopez, president of the Dominican Chicken Producers Association (ASOPOLLON) says that he has no knowledge of these backroom deals with Haitian wholesalers, while Jimenez added that he doesn't know the volume or the value of the cross-border transactions.

04 April 2008 - DR1 Daily News