Dominican exports to Haiti fell 13.68% between January and September

Santo Domingo.- Exports from the Dominican Republic to Haiti have experienced a significant decline, dropping by 13.68% between January and September 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. This decrease translates to a reduction of 113 million dollars. As per the Haitian Statistical Monitor analysis conducted by the Haitian Studies Unit of the Dominican Pontifical Catholic University of Madre y Maestra (PUCMM), exports from the Dominican Republic to Haiti totaled 713 million dollars during this period, down from 826 million in 2022.

Meanwhile, Haitian imports showed a minimal increase, moving from 0.0224 percent in the January-September period of the previous year to 0.0555% in 2023. Despite the drop in exports, the Dominican Republic still maintained a clear trade surplus. According to the General Directorate of Customs (DGA), the Dominican Republic exported goods worth 713 million dollars and imported goods valued at 12 million dollars, resulting in a surplus of 701 million dollars.

The study attributes this surplus to the large differential of more than 59 dollars exported by the Dominican Republic for every dollar imported from Haiti. However, this surplus has been affected by various factors, including the Haitian national and economic-financial crisis, the collapse of public institutions in Haiti, and the recession of productive and labor activities in the Dominican Republic, leading to a decline in the real gross domestic product.

One of the significant impacts on trade has been the construction of a canal by Haiti on the Dajabón River (known as the Massacre in Haiti), which the Dominican Government considers illegal. This led to several decisions, most notably the total closure of the borders on September 15, although the Dominican Republic later made this closure more commercially flexible. Haiti, however, rejects the resumption of binational markets.

The primary exports from the Dominican Republic to Haiti during this period were cotton (116 million dollars), knitted clothing (95 million), plastic and its manufactures (86 million), wheat, cotton, and similar (60 million), and cement, lime, and others (57 million dollars). These items accounted for 58% of the total exports to Haiti, valuing 414 million dollars, and 4.56% of the Dominican Republic’s global exports.