Foreign Relations Minister Carlos Morales Troncoso has appealed to the European Union to help solve the problems affecting trade flows between Haiti and the Dominican Republic after Haiti imposed bans on chicken and egg imports and, as of 1 August, on plastics from the Dominican Republic. The Haitian authorities claimed that avian flu was present in the DR in the case of chicken and eggs, later changing this version to an interest in collecting taxes at customs for the imports. They said that plastics in the Dominican Republic did not have an additive to make them biodegradable.
As reported in El Dia, Morales Troncoso said that the submission was made to the European Union because both countries are signatories of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). He said the agreement has administrative mechanisms for the resolution of disputes.
Morales Troncoso said he has met with the head of the European delegation in Santo Domingo, Irene Horejs, who expressed her willingness to help with facilitating talks.
“I believe that the European Union can play a great role in this situation, because both the Dominican Republic and Haiti are partners of the European Union under the European Partnership Agreement.” The Minister added that the EPA was the ideal tool for formalizing trade relations with Haiti.
Meanwhile, representatives of local industries said that many Dominican plastics manufacturers already include the additive in their products. Ligia Bonetti, speaking for the Dominican Republic Association of Industries, said that the Dominican Republic exported US$88.7 million in plastics to 72 countries, including 16 in Europe, Canada, United States, Mexico, two in Africa, 11 in Asia, 24 in the Caribbean, and six in Central America and South America. She said that despite the high environmental standards in many of those countries, none have made the objections now being voiced by the Haitian government. She said Dominican companies are open to their products being analyzed by independent laboratories to certify the use of the additive that the Haitian government is requiring.
In an interview in El Caribe, Haitian ambassador Fritz Cineas complained that on the Dominicans impose obstacles to Haitian beer, rum and peanut butter exports. He called for attention to migration and trade issues. He said informal trade at bi-national markets is now more than formal trade, and mentioned that this trade is exempt of taxation, at an estimated loss of US$300 million to the Haitian government. He said that Haiti exports around US$100 million to the DR that in turn sells around US$2 billion to Haiti.
http://eldia.com.do/nacionales/2013/7/23/120095/RD-expone-a-Union-Europea-el-caso-Haiti
http://eldia.com.do/nacionales/2013/7/23/120096/Industrias-dispuestas-a-inspeccion-de-Haiti