Haiti is implementing stricter product labeling regulations, affecting trade. While the measure will have the most impact on the Dominican Republic, it supposedly also applies to imports from the United States.
Tuesday, 1 October 2024 was allowed for a grace period for all products. Yet starting Wednesday, 2 October, all goods entering Haiti must possess a sanitary registration certificate, say the Haitian government officials.
Lesly Theogene, director of Commerce and Industry for the Northeast of Haiti, confirmed to Diario Libre that these new regulations apply to all nations exporting products to Haiti, including the United States.
Dominican merchants operating in the border town of Dajabón expressed their frustration with the sudden imposition of these regulations, labeling them as a form of Haitian blackmail. One merchant argued that Haiti is already facing numerous challenges and that these new rules only exacerbate the situation for the most vulnerable populations.
The new regulations mandate that product labels must include the following information in French or Creole:
• Product name
• List of ingredients
• Net weight
• Manufacturing and expiration dates
• Instructions for use and storage
• Country of origin
• Lot number
• Manufacturer, packer, or distributor information
Dominican businesses operating along the border have been scrambling to comply with the new regulations. Mario Pujols, Vice President of the Association of Industries of the Dominican Republic (AIRD), has described the implementation of these rules as “surprising” and “informal.”
Noel Fernandez, president of the Dajabón Binational Market Association, expressed concern about the short timeframe given to businesses to comply with the new regulations. He stated that efforts are underway to assist merchants in obtaining the necessary sanitary registration certificates.
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Diario Libre
2 October 2024