On Friday, February 27, 2026, in his annual address to Congress, as part of the 182nd anniversary of Independence, Dominican President Luis Abinader announced that the Dominican Republic would establish a network of dry ports along its border with Haiti. This project, described as "the most important logistics project ever conceived" for the region, represents a private investment estimated at over $300 million, which will operate under a free trade zone regime. He specified that this was a "strategic decision by the State aimed at strengthening our sovereignty through development and competitiveness."

Abinader stated that the country "already has a border wall to protect" its territory and that it would now "build a true economic wall," explaining, "These dry ports will revitalize border provinces, facilitate trade, strengthen formal trade with Haiti, and definitively put an end to smuggling networks."

During his address, Abinader indicated that in other border countries, such as Mexico and the United States, "this model (dry ports) has proven to be an effective tool for centralizing customs control, formalizing trade, and transforming entire regions into development hubs," adding, "There can be no stability where informality reigns. Security is not achieved solely through surveillance; It also involves job creation, trade organization, and the generation of real opportunities [...]"

Learn more about dry ports :

A dry port is an inland logistics platform connected to a seaport by rail, road, or river. It functions as an extension of the coastal port by offering customs clearance, storage, and container transshipment services, thereby relieving congestion in port areas and facilitating transport to consumption or production centers.

HL/ HaitiLibre