Alvaro Sousa, President of the Dominican Association of Exporters (Adoexpo) explained that despite several obstacles like surprise closures and of short durations of some border bi-national markets and the application of export restraint measures by the road of a certain number of Dominican products, that Haiti decided from time to time, exports to Haiti had increased by almost 7%, reaching more than $800 million in the formal market reversing a situation of decline since the peak of 2014. A rise that keeps Haiti in the Group of 5 best export partners of the Dominican Republic.

He recalled that the peak of exports of 1.4 billion dollars in 2014 was due mainly to the demand for reconstruction, following the earthquake of 2010 and then went down to 800 million.

Sousa explained that in the formal export, Haiti requires a series of documents that must be completed but in the binational market, with transactions below $ 3,000, the treatment is different highlighting "The Chancery with Foreign Affairs of Haiti is in permanent talks because we want a regulatory framework, to know what we are exposed to and that the rules do not change overnight for no reason."

Referring to land restrictions that reduce competitiveness, such as steel, which because of higher transport costs, is no longer as competitive and calls for efficient transit between the two countries, recalling "[...] no country in the world can like the Dominican Republic, to do that in 6 to 8 hours the ordered product can be delivered to the recipient."

The President of Adoexpo recognizes the absolute right of Haiti to levy customs taxes and said that Dominican exports are transparent, even if sometimes Haiti call them smuggling, stating "What we are looking for is a framework in which Haiti will be able to collect its taxes and we will be able to export efficiently."

SL/ HaitiLibre