Trucks enter Haiti early, despite ban on Dominican products

Dajabon, Dominican Republic.-Around 100 tractor trailers, containers and flatbed trucks loaded with 23 productslisted as banned entered Haiti through the northwestern border crossing on Thursday,which weren’t confiscated by Haitian authorities.

However SIN networkreports that as the day wore on Haitian inspectors started demanding officialpapers to allow the crossing of trucks into Ouanaminthe, leading to a backup ofvehicles at the crossing.

Meanwhile the DajabonChamber of Commerce set a meeting between Dominican and Haitian merchants starting2pm to discuss Port-au-Prince´s ban on the entry of those products overland,which takes effect today Thursday.

In that regard GiovanniEscoto, local head of the Dominican truckers union (Fenatrado) said the Haitiangovernment´s final decision will be disclosed in the meeting.

"We have workednormally today, but we are waiting to see what will happen in the cominghours," the union leader said, quoted by diariolibre.com. He said theprovince´s retailers also feel uncertainty over the measure.

It emerged that Haiti´sauthorities have decided to delay enforcement of the measure for 21 days.

Among the Dominican productsbarred from entering Haiti by road figure pasta, cooking oil, produce such asplantains, banana, rice, plastics and building materials such as cement, rebar andPVC tubes.

The traditionalbinational market is slated to start as usual from 8am to 5: 30pm Friday, with hundredsof Dominican and Haitian merchants expected to take part.