Haiti - FLASH : Haiti imports 230 times more than it exports with the Dominican Republic
According to an analysis report of the Haiti Studies Unit of the P. Alemán Study Center of the "Pontifical Catholic University Mother and Teacher" of Santiago (Dominican Republic) prepared by the Dominican economist Luis Vargas, the foreign trade of goods with Haiti recorded a surplus of 1.8 billion dollars during the first 9 months of the years 2019, 2020 and 2021 (27 months) against only 8 million dollars of imports from Haiti during the same period (0.2% of Dominican imports in the world) or "a unique coefficient in the world, of 230 dollars exported for each dollar imported" in favor of the Dominican Republic.
The report explains that the 5 goods occupying the first five positions of importance in absolute values exported in Haiti are cotton : 303 million US dollars (16.45%); plastic and its manufactured products: 232 million US dollars (12.59%; knitted garments with 215 million US dollars (11.66%); Cement, plaster and salt: 119 million US dollars (6.45 %) and rolling and other products: US$105 million (5.68%), for a total of US$974 million (52.85%) of all goods exported.
According to Haitian economist Joseph Harold Pierre, an expert in Haitian-Dominican relations, Haiti is not so important for the Dominican economy, pointing out that "The basis of Dominican exports is not trade on the island but is based on free zones which represents 2/3 of their exports directed to large countries and not Haiti, stressing that it is mainly small and medium-sized Dominican companies that export to Haiti. In addition, for those who advocate the closure of trade with our Dominican neighbors, he recalls that it is Haiti that will be the loser, because replacing Dominican imports with other countries will cost much more and will have a negative impact and the cost of the life
In 2021, the Dominican Republic exported 11.8 billion US dollars worth of products and services worldwide (source Dominican Association of Exporters - Adoexpo) of which only 100 million were destined for Haiti (due to the Covid and the closure of the border).
