Haiti-Dominican border market resumes with few buyers

Dajabón, Dominican Republic.-After a two-week walkout the bi-national market held twice a week in the borderarea resumed on Monday, but with few vendors and buyers, especially Haitians.

The market´sreopening comes in the heels of a meeting Sunday headed by Dominican officials,with business leaders and the truckers union, who agreed to end the strike.

Foreign ministerAndrés Navarro headed the meeting, accompanied by Industry and Commerce ministerJosé del Castillo, to find ways to mitigate the losses to local commerce, from Haiti´sban on the entry overland of 23 Dominican products.

Quoted by listin.com.do,merchant Juan Rodriguez blamed the low market turnout on the fact that news ofthe agreement reached at the meeting to end the strike came too late to reach thenortheast of Haiti.

But Ramón Peralta, anothermerchant said the Haitians have lost interest in the market because their country´sauthorities still confiscate the products they buy.