Haitian ban on land imports won’t affect border market trade

Dajabón.- The Haitian government’s ban on the entry of goods from the Dominican Republic by land, set to take effect April 7, is not expected to disrupt trade in border markets, according to merchants in Dajabón.

The restriction will apply only to goods in transit from third-party countries, such as the United States, and will not impact locally produced goods that dominate trade in the area. Noel Fernández, president of the Dajabón Market Merchants Association, explained that the ban would not affect daily operations, as most of the products sold are locally sourced. He also noted that the measure might even strengthen local trade.

Santiago Riverón, mayor of Dajabón, highlighted that Haiti must take stronger action to curb the illegal weapons trade, mentioning that some individuals in the Dominican Republic have been involved in selling weapons to Haiti. He suggested that the Haitian import ban could help address the economic and security challenges caused by these illegal activities.