RESTRICTED  
  
WT/TPR/S/327  
27 October 2015  
(15-5668)  Page: 1/76  
Trade Policy Review Body   
 
 TRADE POLICY REVIEW 
REPORT BY THE SECRETARIAT 
HAITI 
This report, prepared for the second Trade Policy Review of Haiti, has been drawn up by the 
WTO Secretariat on its own responsibility. The Se cretariat has, as required by the Agreement 
establishing the Trade Policy Review Mech anism (Annex 3 of the Marrakesh Agreement 
Establishing the World Trade Organization), sought clarification from Haiti on its trade policies 
and practices.  Any technical questions arising from this report may be addressed to Mr Arne Klau (022 739 5706) 
and Mr Nelnan Koumtingué (022 739 6252). 
 Document WT/TPR/G/327 contains the policy statement submitted by Haiti. 
 
 
Note: This report is subject to restricted circulation and press embargo until the end of the 
first session of the meeting of the Trade Policy Re v i e w  B o d y  o n  H a i t i .  T h i s  r e p o r t  w a s  d r a f t e d  
in French. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
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  CONTENTS 
SUMMARY ....................................................................................................................... . 6 
1   ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT .......................................................................................... 9  
1.1   Main features  of the ec onomy ..................................................................................... 9  
1.2   Recent econom ic developments ................................................................................... 9  
1.3   Trade performance ................................................................................................... 12 
1.4   Foreign dire ct invest ment .......................................................................................... 14 
1.5   Pr ospects ............................................................................................................... . 15 
2   TRADE AND INVE STMENT RE GIME ............................................................................ 16  
2.1   Overview ................................................................................................................. 16 
2.2   Trade poli cy objectives .............................................................................................. 18 
2.3   Trade agreements  and arrang ements .......................................................................... 19 
2.3.1   World Trade Organization ........................................................................................ 19 
2.3.2   Regional and pr eferential agreements ....................................................................... 20 
2.3.3   Other prefer ential relations ..................................................................................... 20 
2.3.3.1   Relations with the United States ............................................................................ 20 
2.3.3.2   Relations with the European Union ......................................................................... 21 
2.3.3.3   Other ............................................................................................................... . 21 
2.4   Investme nt regime ................................................................................................... 21 
2.4.1   Legal and institutional fr amework for commerc ial activities .......................................... 22 
2.4.2   Corporate tax liabilities ........................................................................................... 23 
2.4.3   Settlement of investment-related disputes ................................................................. 26 
2.4.4   International agreements ........................................................................................ 26 
2.5   Aid for trade and technical a ssistance .......................................................................... 26 
3   TRADE POLICIES AND PRACTICES BY MEASURE ........................................................ 27  
3.1  Intr oducti on..............................................................................................................  27 
3.2  Measures directly  affecting imports .............................................................................. 27 
3.2.1  Customs procedur es and requirements ...................................................................... 27 
3.2.1.1  Registration  and docume ntation ............................................................................. 27 
3.2.1.2  Preshipment inspection ......................................................................................... 29 
3.2.1.3  Verification  of conf ormity ...................................................................................... 30 
3.2.2  Custom s valuation .................................................................................................. 30 
3.2.3  Rules of origin ........................................................................................................  30 
3.2.4  Customs duty ......................................................................................................... 31 
3.2.4.1  Applied customs ta riff ........................................................................................... 31 
3.2.4.2  Bound rates ........................................................................................................ 35 
3.2.4.3  Tariff  conce ssions................................................................................................. 35 
3.2.5  Other duti es and taxes ............................................................................................ 36 
3.2.6  Intern al taxes ........................................................................................................ 37 
3.2.6.1  Turn over tax ....................................................................................................... 37 WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
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  3.2.6.2  Exci se duty ......................................................................................................... 37 
3.2.6.3  Other levies ........................................................................................................ 38 
3.2.7  Import prohibitions, restrictions an d licensing ............................................................. 38 
3.2.8  Anti-dumping, countervai ling and safegu ard measures ................................................. 39 
3.2.9  Standards and othe r technical re gulations .................................................................. 39 
3.2.10  Sanitary and phyt osanitary requ irements ................................................................. 40 
3.3  Measures directly  affecting exports .............................................................................. 41 
3.3.1  Export procedur es and requirements ......................................................................... 41 
3.3.2  Export taxes, charges and levies ............................................................................... 41 
3.3.3  Export prohibitions, restrictions and licensing .............................................................. 41 
3.3.4  Export suppo rt and pr omotion .................................................................................. 41 
3.3.5  Export financing, insurance and guarantees ................................................................ 42 
3.4  Measures affecting production and trade ....................................................................... 43 
3.4.1  Ince ntives .............................................................................................................  43 
3.4.2  Competition policy and price controls ......................................................................... 45 
3.4.3  State trading, State-owne d enterprises and privatization .............................................. 45 
3.4.4  Government  procurement ........................................................................................ 46 
3.4.5  Intellectual property rights ....................................................................................... 48 
4   TRADE POLICIES BY SECTOR ..................................................................................... 51  
4.1   Introduction ............................................................................................................. 51 
4.2   Agriculture and related activities ................................................................................. 52 
4.2.1   Overview ..............................................................................................................  52 
4.2.2   Main subsectors ..................................................................................................... 54 
4.2.2.1   Ca sh crops ......................................................................................................... 54 
4.2.2.2   F ood cr ops ......................................................................................................... 55 
4.2.2.3   Livest ock ...........................................................................................................  55 
4.2.2.4   Fisheries ........................................................................................................... . 56 
4.2.2.5   Forestry ............................................................................................................. 57 
4.3   Mining and quarrying ................................................................................................ 57 
4.4   Energy  and wa ter ..................................................................................................... 59 
4.4.1   Energy ................................................................................................................ . 59 
4.4.2   Water ................................................................................................................. . 60 
4.5   Manuf acturi ng .......................................................................................................... 60 
4.6   Services ................................................................................................................ .. 61 
4.6.1   Overview ..............................................................................................................  61 
4.6.2   Main subsectors ..................................................................................................... 61 
4.6.2.1   Financial services ................................................................................................ 61 
4.6.2.1.1   In troducti on .................................................................................................... 61 
4.6.2.1.2   Banking services .............................................................................................. 62 
4.6.2.1.3   Insurance services ............................................................................................ 62 WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
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  4.6.2.1.4   Other fi nancial se rvices ..................................................................................... 63 
4.6.3   Transp ort services ................................................................................................. 63 
4.6.3.1   Land transport .................................................................................................... 63 
4.6.3.2   Mariti me tran sport .............................................................................................. 64 
4.6.3.3   Air transport ....................................................................................................... 65 
4.6.4   Communica tions serv ices ........................................................................................ 65 
4.6.4.1   Telecommuni cations se rvices ................................................................................ 65 
4.6.4.2   Postal services .................................................................................................... 65 
4.6.5   Tourism ................................................................................................................ 66 
REFERENCES .................................................................................................................. 6 8 
5   APPENDIX  TABLES .................................................................................................... 70  
TABLE A1. 4 MERCHANDISE IMPORTS BY MAIN TRADING PARTNER, 2009-2014A ......... 73  
CHARTS 
 
Chart 1.1 Structure of merchandise trade by HS Sect ion, 2009 an d 2014 ................................. 13 
Chart 1.2 Structure of merchandise trade by destination and origin, 2009 and 2014  .................. 14 
Chart 3.1 Breakdown of  MFN rates,  2015 ............................................................................ 33 
Chart 3.2 Average customs duty by ISIC classification, 2015 .................................................. 33 
TABLES 
 Table 1.1 Main economic  indicators , 2005-2 014 ................................................................... 10
 
Table 1.2 Summary of the ba lance of paym ents, 2007- 2014 .................................................. 11 
Table 1.3 Direct investment flow s in Haiti by se ctor, 2006- 2013 ............................................. 15 
Table 2.1 Main trade and invest ment legislation, June 2015 ................................................... 18 
Table 2.2 Notifications to  the WTO, Au gust 2015 .................................................................. 19 
Table 2.3 Principal steps in the creation of a public limited company ........................................ 22 
Table 2.4 Summary of the tax system applicable  to natural and legal persons, J une 2015 .......... 23 
Table 3.1 Trend in fiscal revenue, 2004-2014 ....................................................................... 31 
Table 3.2 Structure of applie d MFN tariffs,  2002 and 2015 ..................................................... 32 
Table 3.3 Summary of th e tariff, Ap ril 2015  ......................................................................... 34 
Table 3.4 Products subject to excise du ty, and applicable rates, J une 2015  .............................. 37 
Table 3.5 Temporary import bans, 2006-2014 ...................................................................... 40 
Table 3.6 Principal incentives, June 2015 ............................................................................. 43 
Table 3.7 Current status of privatization of certain Haitian enterprises, June 2015 ..................... 46 
Table 3.8 Thresholds for the award of go vernment procurement contracts by type 
of instit ution ................................................................................................................ ... 47 
Table 3.9 Number of applications received, 2011-2014 .......................................................... 48 
Table 3.10 Subject and terms of protection of intellectual property rights ................................. 49 
Table 4.1 Gross domestic  product, 2005-2014 ..................................................................... 51 
Table 4.2 Trends in main crop producti on, 2006-2 014 ........................................................... 52 
Table 4.3 Maritime ca rgo traffic,  2007-2012  ........................................................................ 64 WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
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  Table 4.4 Stay over and cruise ship tourist arrivals in  Haiti, 2007-2013 ................................... 66 
APPENDIX TABLES 
 Table A1. 1 Structure of merchandise exports by HS section, 2009-2014
a ................................ 70 
Table A1. 2 Structure of merchandise imports by HS section, 2009-2014a ................................ 71 
Table A1. 3 Merchandise exports by trading partner, 2009-2014a ............................................ 72 
Table A1. 4 Merchandise imports by main trading partner, 2009-2014a .................................... 73 
Table A4. 1 MFN tariff statistics by ISIC Rev.2 category , 2015 ................................................ 74 WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
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  SUMMARY 
1. Haiti's economy has been recovering slowly since the devastating earthquake in 
January 2010, which hit the country just as its prospects were improving after several years of prudent macroeconomic management. Nevertheless, socio-political problems and exposure to 
natural disasters have contributed to the fact that Haiti remains among the poorest countries in 
the world. Roughly 55% of the population live below the extreme poverty line of US$1.25/day. It 
is estimated that 1.9 million of the 2.9 million in the labour force are working in the informal 
sector. 
2. The fiscal deficit, largely financed by external grants, poses a considerable problem for 
medium-term expenditure sustainability. Indeed, at their current level tax revenues are insufficient to sustain public expenditure, which has reached 30 % of GDP. In order to confront this situation, 
the Haitian Government has implemented a set of measures to increase revenues and reduce the 
level of expenditure. The gourde exchange rate is market-determined and the economy is heavily 
dollarized. 
3. Haiti has maintained a large trade deficit for many years. Remittances sent by Haitian 
workers living abroad are the main source of foreign exchange in the domestic economy. The 
annual amount of private transfers sent from the diaspora is estimated at nearly a quarter of 
Haiti's GDP. Between 2009 and 2011, Haiti was granted debt reduction as part of the HIPC 
Initiative. 
4. Haiti's main exports are textiles and clothing. Food products, textile articles and machinery 
are the leading imports. The United States and the Dominican Republic are Haiti's top trading 
partners. Foreign direct investment has picked up since 2010 and reached an all-time high 
in 2013. 
5. Haiti's Constitution enshrines the principle of separation of powers between the executive, 
legislative and judicial branches. It was amended in 2012 to incorporate provisions concerning the 
establishment of the Constitutional Council; the creation of a Higher Judicial Council; the recognition of multiple nationality; and the introduction of the principle of a quota for women. 
6. The Haitian Government's trade policy comes within the general framework of its economic 
and social policy, which aims to reduce poverty and generate employment. The Ministry of Trade and Industry is responsible for formulating, implementing and evaluating trade and industrial policies. Generally speaking, Haiti's trade and investment laws are relatively old. The laws passed 
since the previous review of the country's trade policy in 2003 relate to government procurement 
and to banks and financial institutions, among other things. 
7. Haiti grants all its trading partners most-favoured-nation treatment. It has not signed any of 
the WTO plurilateral agreements. It belongs to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), whose 
revised treaty has been ratified but has not yet entered into force. Under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), Haiti receives non-recipr ocal preferential treatment from a number of 
developed countries. 
8. Tariffs are still among Haiti's principal trade policy tools, as well as being an important 
source of income, since customs revenue accounts for around one third of fiscal revenue each year. The applied tariff is based on the 2007 version of the Harmonized System (HS). The base 
nomenclature is that of the six-digit HS, even thou gh the tariff is broken down to eight-digit level. 
Tariffs are ad valorem  for all lines except one, which is subject to a specific rate. The ad valorem  
rates range from 0% (44.3% of tariff lines) to 40% (applicable to a dozen tariff lines). The simple 
average applied rate in 2015 is 4.9%. Some 44.3% of lines are duty free (compared to 67.1% in 
2002). Tariff revision mainly involved imposing a 5%  duty on certain products that had previously 
been duty free. The tariff rate appears fairly low, although protection at the border is high if the 
numerous other charges are taken into account. 
9. Haiti uses ASYCUDA World for its customs procedures. Computerization of the customs 
system has helped streamline procedures, but processing times are still among the longest in the subregion. Haiti has not yet ratified the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation. An advance 
information programme for freight was introduced in 2013. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
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  10. Preshipment inspection is mandatory for imports with an f.o.b. value of US$5,000 or more. 
Ad valorem  fees of 5% of the c.i.f. value of imports are levied on behalf of the State; not only do 
these not necessarily reflect the cost of the servic e provided, but they also significantly increase 
the actual duty on the entry of imported goods.  A programme to verify the conformity of goods 
prior to shipment has been operating since January 2013. Haiti continues to apply the Brussels 
Definition for customs valuation. 
11. Haiti bound import duties on all agricultural products (WTO definition) and on some 
non-agricultural products during the Uruguay Round. Other duties and charges were bound at 
rates ranging from 16% to 21%. In practice, items su ch as used vehicles are subject to additional 
levies which, taken together, may lead to increases above the bound rates. Internal taxes include turnover tax (levied at a flat rate of 10% on turn over or the c.i.f. value of imports); excise duty 
(levied at a higher rate on certain imported alcoholic beverages than on their domestically 
produced equivalents); advance payment of corporation tax; and the contribution to the local communities management fund. 
12. There have been no major changes to the ex port regime since the previous Trade Policy 
Review. Haiti would benefit greatly from facilitatin g export procedures, especially by streamlining 
documentary requirements. Most of the prohibitions and restrictions stem from the international 
treaties to which Haiti is party. The Government does not grant any export subsidies. The 
incentives regime entails a sizeable loss of revenue for the State (for fiscal 2010-2011, exemptions were estimated at 4.1% of GDP). Incentives are mostly granted under the Investment Code, the Law on Industrial Parks and the Law on Free Zones. 
13. Haiti has no legislation on competition, standardization or contingency trade measures. As 
regards standards and technical regulations, the Haitian Standardization Bureau and the Metrology 
Laboratory were created in December 2012. A product conformity verification programme has 
been operating since 2012. Haiti is neither a signatory nor an observer of the Plurilateral 
Agreement on Government Procurement. Following the earthquake in 2010, government procurement legislation was revised and provided for a substantial increase in the thresholds for 
awarding contracts. 
14. In the intellectual property sphere, a major step forward was made with the adoption of the 
legislation on copyright and related rights, which accords terms of protection in line with the 
minimum terms prescribed in the TRIPS Agreement. The system of protection remains weak, 
however, and trademarks are frequently infringed. 
15. The agricultural sector continues to play a ke y role in food security and employment. More 
than one million families own mainly small subsistence holdings. The leading crops are coffee, 
cocoa and rice. Haiti imports about 50% of its needs in calories. Agriculture is chiefly rain-fed. The 
degradation of natural resources, especially catchment basins, is a serious challenge for Haiti's agricultural sector. Land rights are legally insecure and few loans are available for agricultural 
production. 
16. The mining sector makes only a marginal contribution to GDP, despite its considerable 
potential. Legal uncertainty has prevented any medium- or large-scale operations so far. Only a small part of the country is supplied with electricity and its cost remains high. 
17. The manufacturing sector's contribution to GDP has remained relatively stable over recent 
years, at around 8%. It accounts for the bulk of the country's exports, mainly textiles. Manufactured products have privileged access to the United States market, the main outlet for 
Haitian exports. The Government is of the view that export-oriented manufacturing and 
re-exportation are an effective means of generati ng employment. Industrial parks and free zones 
are the key tools for promoting the country's industrial development. 
18. Services contribute around 56% of GDP. The St ate continues to play an important part in 
the sector's production activities, particularly in the telecommunications and transport subsectors. 
Under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), Haiti bound a number of measures relating to educational, finance, construction an d related engineering, hotels and restaurants, and 
veterinary services. Measures relating to the prov ision of other types of services remain unbound. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
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  19. Financial services still make only a modest contribution to GDP, although banking 
institutions have rapidly increased their holdings in recent years. Land transport is the principal means of transporting goods and passengers. The charges for port services remain high. 
Two seaports handle about 90% of Haiti's international trade. Mobile telephone services have 
grown vigorously. Tourism plays a key role in the Government's export growth and diversification 
strategy. In 2013, for the first time, Haiti received more than 1 million visitors. 
 
 WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
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  1  ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT 
1.1  Main features of the economy 1.1.  The Republic of Haiti has a total area of 27,750 km
2 and a population currently estimated at 
over 10.9 million. Haiti remains a fragile state and most Haitians live in a precarious and 
vulnerable situation. Over the last two decades, economic conditions in the country have 
deteriorated, mainly as a result of political instability and a succession of particularly devastating natural disasters. With a per capita GDP estimated at US$846 in 2014, Haiti is the poorest country 
in the Americas and Caribbean region. Food insecurity and hunger are chronic problems. In 2013, 
the socioeconomic indicators comprising the Human Development Index (HDI) published by the United Nations Development Programme (UND P) ranked Haiti 168th out of a total of 
187 countries.
1 
1.2.  On 12 January 2010, Haiti suffered the most devastating earthquake in its history, which left 
an estimated 230,000 people dead and 300,000 injured. The earthquake also destroyed the equivalent of 120% of GDP and wiped out a decade of poverty reduction endeavours.
2 It brought 
the entire economy to a halt and aggravated poverty and vulnerability among the Haitian 
population at large. The private sector was particularly hard-hit, suffering damage and losses on the order of US$5.7 billion. Consequently, econom ic output shrank by 5.5% during fiscal 2010. 
This disaster hit the country just as its prospects were improving after several years of prudent 
macroeconomic management. 
1.3.  Roughly 55% of the Haitian population live below the extreme poverty line (defined as an 
income of less than US$1.25 per day), and 74% of the population live on under US$2 a day.
3 
Poverty in Haiti is more acute in rural areas; but while the urban poverty rate is lower, its level is 
still extremely high, with 45% of the inhabitants of  Port-au-Prince living in extreme poverty. The 
literacy rate is on the order of 50%, and demographic growth is around 2%. 
1.4.  Haiti depends heavily on official development assistance (ODA). Following the 
2010 earthquake, donors have increased their commitments to respond to the emergency and support the country's long-term development. In 2013, net ODA amounted to US$1.17 billion, 
representing 13.7% of gross national income.
4 
1.5.  Unemployment and underemployment are tw o major problems. Nonetheless, there are no 
reliable data available on employment or the econ omically active population (EAP). According to 
the latest estimates, Haiti's unemployment rate is on the order of 52%.5 Of the 2.9 million people 
in the EAP, the informal sector is reckoned to absorb 1.9 million, or 64.5%. The vast majority of 
small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and microenterprises operate informally. 
1.6.  The authorities have been operating a fl oating exchange rate system since 1996, so the 
gourde exchange rate is market-determined. Haiti accepted the obligations under Article VIII of 
the Articles of Agreement of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on 22 December 1953. The Haitian economy is heavily dollarized, with do llar deposits growing from 23% of total deposits 
in 1996 to 57% in 2015. 
1.2  Recent economic developments 1.7.  Although the Haitian economy has been recovering since the January 2010 earthquake, 
economic growth for fiscal 2013-2014 is estimated at 2.7%
6, down from the 4.3% rate achieved 
in 2012-2013 (Table 1.1). This sharp slowdown in  2014 is explained by delays in passing the 
                                               
1 UNDP, Human Development Index . Viewed at: http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/table-1-human-
development-index-and-its-components . 
2 World Bank (2013a). 
3 World Bank (2013a). 
4 World Bank, World Development Indicators . Viewed at: http://wdi.worldbank.org/table/6.11 . 
5 This is a relaxed unemployment rate that represents the sum of people actively involved in searching 
for a job (open unemployment) plus persons available for work but not actively seeking it, as a proportion of 
the economically active population plus persons available for work but not actively seeking it. Haitian Institute 
of Statistics and Information Technology (IHSI) (2010). 
6 The fiscal year begins on 1 October an d ends on the following 30 September. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
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  national budget, and by adverse weather conditions  which have hampered agricultural production. 
Although growth remains modest, macroeconomic stability has been preserved and inflation has been kept under control. 
Table 1.1 Main economic indicators, 2005-2014 
 2005- 
2006 2006- 
2007 2007-  
2008 2008-  
2009 2009-  
2010 2010-  
2011a 2011- 
2012b 2012- 
2013c 2013-  
2014c 
Nominal GDP (G million) 197,183  220,110  250,590  267,880  266,952  302,854  328,061  364,526  388,809  
Nominal GDP 
(US$ million) 4,757  5,885  6,549  6,585  6,623  7,517  7,890  8,453  8,713  
GDP per capita (US$) 513.7  626.9  688.3  683.2  678.2  759.6  786.4  830.8  844.5  
Real GDP (G million at 
1986-1987 prices) 13,071  13,508  13,622  14,042  13,270  14,003  14,407  15,026  15,432  
Real GDP (% change) 2.3 3.3 0.8 3.1 -5.5 5.5 2.9 4.3 2.7 
Consumer prices (index, 
August 2004=100)d 133.5  146.8  161.7  165.0  175.2  189.7  204.1  211.1  224.7  
GDP according to aggregate supply and demand (% of current GDP)  
Aggregate demand 145.0  138.9  144.2  142.6  164.7  159.0  153.2  152.9  153.1  
 Consumption 101.2  95.2 102.6  99.4 124.0  113.7  106.7  104.6  103.3  
 Investment 29.4 30.5 28.8 27.5 25.4 27.9 29.5 30.1 31.2 
 Exports 14.5 13.2 12.7 15.7 15.3 17.4 16.9 18.3 18.7 
Imports 45.0 38.9 44.2 42.6 64.7 59.0 53.2 52.9 53.1 
Public finance (G million)  
Total income 20,109  23,196  26,848  29,881  31,425  38,699  42,313  44,751  [..] 
 Current income 20,109  23,196  26,848  29,881  31,425  38,699  42,313  44,751  [..] 
Total expenditure 21,283  26,983  30,855  30,615  38,710  37,523  52,092  60,582  [..] 
 Current expenditure 18,563  20,942  24,809  28,041  27,302  30,531  39,804  47,133  [..] 
 Wages and salaries 6,471  8,087  11,716  12,426  13,363  14,809  18,847  21,186  [..] 
 Operating expenditure 4,505  6,262  7,349  6,567  7,040  7,525  [..] [..] [..] 
 Interest payment 1,678  1,264  1,392  1,827  1,174  1,120  [..] [..] [..] 
 Transfers and subsidies 5,552  5,329  4,352  7,221  5,725  7,076  [..] [..] [..] 
 Other expenses  357 0 0 0 0 0 [..] [..] [..] 
 Capital expenditure 2,720  6,041  6,046  2,574  11,408  6,993  [..] [..] [..] 
Current balance 1,546  2,254  2,039  1,840  4,123  8,168  [..] [..] [..] 
Overall deficit or surplus -1,174  -3,787  -4,007  -734 -7,285  1,175  [..] [..] [..] 
Net financing 1,174  -1,310  2,988  1,041  5,593  457 [..] [..] [..] 
 Net external financing 1,341  448 3,669  834 5,888  4,559  [..] [..] [..] 
 Net domestic financing -167 -1,758  -681 207 -295 -4,102  [..] [..] [..] 
 Monetary authorities -334 -1,129  -382 2,411  -36 -2,797  [..] [..] [..] 
 Commercial banks 119 -68 0 -2 204  -259 -300 [..] [..] [..] 
 Other liabilities 48 -561 -299 0 0 0 [..] [..] [..] 
Monetary sector  
M1e (annual growth rate) 3.0 8.7 18.2 15.2 29.3 9.4 13.2 3.8 [..] 
M2e (annual growth rate) 10.4 4.3 12.3 9.1 20.5 7.8 8.2 6.2 [..] 
Interest ratef (%) 5.00 5.50 3.25 1.75 1.35 0.35 0.27 1.12 0.17 
Exchange rate (G/US$) 41.4 37.4 38.3 40.7 40.3 40.3 41.6 43.1 44.6 
.. Not available.  
a Semi-definitive figures. 
b Provisional figures. c Estimates. d Year-end. e Civil year-end. f Nominal rate on time deposits in gourdes, December each year. 
Source: Bank of the Republic of Haiti (BRH) and International Monetary Fund (IMF). 
1.8.  At their current level of around 13% of GDP, tax revenues are insufficient to sustain public 
expenditure, which has represented 30% of GDP in recent years. The underperformance of 
revenue is largely the result of the high degree of informality in the Haitian economy, which 
encourages tax evasion. This fiscal gap – almost wholly financed by external grants – poses a considerable problem for medium-term expenditure sustainability. In order to confront this 
situation, the Ministry of the Economy and Financ e has implemented a set of measures to increase 
revenues and reduce the level of expenditure in the first quarter of 2015.
7 
1.9.  The key goal of monetary policy is to pres erve price stability and safeguard the domestic and 
external value of the national currency. The Bank  of the Republic of Haiti (BRH) uses various 
instruments to implement its monetary policy. The main monetary management channel involves 
selling the bonds it issues to banks operating on th e local market. It also intervenes directly on the 
foreign exchange market to buy or sell foreign currency, depending on the short-term objective 
                                               
7 The global budget envelope shrank by 11% from G 122.3 billion to G 109.7 billion. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
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  being pursued. When circumstances so demand, the BRH may also alter the required reserves 
ratio. The inflation rate in July 2015 was 9.3%. 
1.10.  Haiti has maintained a large trade deficit for many years (Table 1.2). Remittances sent by 
Haitian workers living abroad are the main source of foreign exchange for the domestic economy. 
Over the last few years the annual amount of private transfers sent from the diaspora is estimated 
at nearly a quarter of Haitian GDP, far exceeding foreign direct investment (FDI) and even export 
earnings.8 Remittances come mainly from the United States, the Dominican Republic and Canada. 
Between 2009 and 2011, Haiti benefited from the ca ncellation of a portion of its external debt 
under the Heavily Indebted Poor  Countries (HIPC) Initiative. 
1.11.  Merchandise exports grew from US$522 million in 2007 to US$917 million in 2014. Goods 
imports increased from US$1,704 million in 2007 to  US$3,392 million in 2014. The opening up of 
the Haitian economy has thus proceeded vigorously in the last few years, with merchandise trade 
expanding from 52% of GDP in 2006-2007 to 71.8% in 2013-2014. 
Table 1.2 Summary of the ba lance of payments, 2007-2014 
(US$ million, unless otherwise indicated) 
 2007 2008  2009 2010a 2011a 2012a 2013a 2014a 
A. Current account (85.78) (204.83)  (122.17)  (101.83)  (323.17)  (434.36) (543.89) (547.88)  
 Goods and services (1,605.26)  (1,936.59)  (1,770.19)  (3,270.93)  (3,121.30)  (2,870.72)  (2,883.92)  (2,851.60)  
  Credit 779.20  917.20  1,034.00  1,016.38  1,311.69  1,324.62  1,535.55  1,618.54  
  Debit (2,384.44)  (2,853.80)  (2,804.19)  (4,287.31)  (4,432.98)  (4,195.34)  (4,419.47)  (4,470.14)  
  Goods (1,182.13)  (1,617.55)  (1,418.11)  (2,446.67)  (2,545.92)  (2,303.71)  (2,445.66)  (2,474.24)  
  Credit 522.08  490.20  551.00  563.38  768.09  775.62  883.55  917.35  
  Debit (1,704.20)  (2,107.76)  (2,032.11)  (3,010.05)  (3,314.00)  (3,079.33)  (3,329.21)  (3,391.58)  
  Services (423.13)  (319.04)  (289.08)  (824.26)  (575.38)  (567.01)  (438.26)  (377.36)  
  Credit 257.11  427.00  483.00  453.00  543.60  549.00  652.00  701.19  
  Debit (680.24)  (746.04)  (772.08)  (1,277.26)  (1,118.98)  (1,116.01)  (1,090.26)  (1,078.56)  
  Income 2.19  5.55 12.80  22.28  41.00  68.45  56.73  12.28  
  Credit 21.78  28.03  31.13  32.70  44.24  72.41  71.77  27.08  
  Debit (19.59)  (22.48)  (18.33)  (10.42)  (3.24)  (3.96)  (15.04)  (14.80)  
 Current transfers 1,517.28  1,726.21  1,635.22  3,146.83  2,757.13  2,367.91  2,283.30  2,291.44  
  Credit 1,613.69  1,843.29  1,770.05  3,313.80  2,997.37  2,599.84  2,530.99  2,540.03  
  Of which:  officia l 
grants 391.60  473.54  394.50  1,840.00  1,446.00  987.51  750.00  563.00  
  Workers ' remittances   1,369.7 5 1,375.5 5 1,473.80  1,551.3 7 1,612.33  1,780.99  1,977.03  
  Debit (96.41)  (117.08)  (134.82)  (166.98)  (240.24)  (231.92)  (247.69)  (248.60)  
B. Capital account 0.00  0.00 893.39  1,470.98  726.38  75.69  20.00  25.90  
  Credit 0.00 0.00 893.39  1,470.98  726.38  75.69  20.00  25.90  
  Debit 0.00  0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
C. Financial account 138.30  308.23  (453.02)  (754.46)  (143.13)  600.05  631.24  580.67  
 Direct investment 74.50  29.80  55.47  178.00  119.00  156.00  186.00  99.00  
 Other investment 63.80  278.43  (508.49)  (932.46)  (262.13)  444.05  445.24  481.67  
  Government secto r 51.51  284.11  (706.86)  (529.73)  (221.44)  368.72  387.49  333.34  
  Disbursements  333.87  224.81  291.41  341.43  374.71  398.37  361.09  
  Amortization  49.76  931.67  821.14  562.87  5.99 10.88  27.75  
  Of which: debt  
cancellation   893.39  812.98  556.38     
   B a n k i n g  s e c t o r 14.43  (141.67)  56.54  (307.21)  (82.98)  111.24  159.61  48,47  
   Non-bank secto r (2.00)  86.00  19.00  (52.00)  1.00 0.00 1.00 0,00 
   Other assets and 
liabilities (0.14)  49.99  122.82  (43.52)  41.29  (35.91)  (102.86)  99,86  
D. Net errors and omissions  145.52  (13.02)  (167.73)  128.14  (73.93)  11.10  (472.64)  (148.74)  
Overall balance (A+B+C+D)  198.05  90.38  150.47  742.83  186.15  252.49  (365.29)  (90.05)  
                                               
8 In the first eight months of fiscal 2015, private transfers grew by 9.75% to US$1,071 million 
(BRH, Note sur la politique monétaire , June 2015). WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
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   2007 2008  2009 2010a 2011a 2012a 2013a 2014a 
E. Financing  (198.05)  (90.38)  (150.47)  (742.83)  (186.15)  (252.49)  365.29  90.05  
 Reservesb (208.27)  (163.28)  (239.89)  (844.89)  (209.30)  (284.58)  (58.29)  467.14  
 Use of IMF credits and loans  23.21  49.20  64.84  96.86  12.45  22.42  9.64 1.67 
 Other liabilitiesc 0.47 0.71 3.09 (0.08)  3.20 4.06 396.09  (395.25)  
 Changes in payment arrearsd (38.04)  0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 (1.68)  
 Rescheduling obtained 3.58  4.33 3.63 2.21 3.01 3.66 6.76 6.86 
 Capitalization of interest       5.81 5.24 
 Debt relief 21.01  18.66  17.87  3.07 4.49 1.96 5.28 6.07 
Memorandum  
 External assistance 466.32  806.85  (247.52)  1 407.13  1 237.01  1 378.65  1 147.13  898.01  
  Official grantse 391.60  473.54  394.50  1 840.00  1 446.00  987.51  750.00  563.00  
  Net loans 74.72  333.31  (642.02)  (432.87)  (208.99)  391.14  397.13  335.01  
a Provisional figures. 
b Change in gross reserve assets. The sign (-) indicates an increase. 
c Short-term commitments to international financial organizations. 
d No sign = accumulation; (-) = repayment. 
e Public transfers (the term used in older editions  of the BOP manual), now recorded under current 
transfers. 
Source: Bank of the Republic of Haiti (BRH),  Bank for Internationa l Settlements (BIS). 
1.3  Trade performance 
1.12.  The main products imported by Haiti9 are textiles and textile articles (representing 16% of 
total imports in 2014); food products, including vegetable products (12.6% of imports), food 
preparations (10.5%) and live animals and animal products (6.0%) (about 50% of the country's 
food is imported); manufactured products and machinery (7.6%); transport equipment (3.5%); and fuel and raw materials (7.0%) (Chart 1.1 and Table A1.2). Imports come mainly from the Dominican Republic (36.7%, up from 26.3% in 2009) and from the United States (32.9%). The 
share of imports from China rose from 6.3% in 2009 to 10.1% in 2014 (Chart 1.2 and Table A1.4). 
1.13.  Haiti's exports are heavily concentrated in terms of both products and destinations 
(Chart 1.2 and Table A1.3). The United States  provide the country's main export market, 
absorbing 85.6% of Haitian exports, followed by Canada (3.4%) and Mexico (2.0%). Exports are 
dominated by textiles and clothing, which account ed for 89.2% of the total in 2014 (Chart 1.1 and 
Table A1.1). Other export categories include products from the chemical and allied industries 
(1.9%), vegetable products (1.8%) and prepared foodstuffs (1.4%). 
1.14.  The authorities report significant informal trade in both directions with the 
Dominican Republic, particularly in agricultural products. 
                                               
9 The Haitian Government has not reported foreign trade data to the UN Comtrade database since 1998. 
The trade figures included in this report are therefore generally based on the mirror statistics for the country's 
main trading partners. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
- 13 - 
 
  Chart 1.1 Structure of merchandise trade by HS Section, 2009 and 2014a 
2009 2014
(a)    Exports
Total: US$ 661million
(b)    Imports
Total: US$ 2,352 million Total: US$ 3,877 millionTotal: US$ 1,083 millionOther
4.2%Prepared 
foodstuffs; 
beverages
2.1%
Minerals
2.9%Textiles
88.8%
Plastics
4.7%Base metals
4.2%Machinery 
and 
appliances
7.5%Other
25.8%
Chemicals
5.1%Minerals
7.0%
Plastics
6.3%Base metals
5.0%Machinery 
and 
appliances
7.6%Other
24.1%
Textiles
18.7%Textiles
16.0%Vegetable
products 
2.6%
Live 
animals
6.0%Live 
animals
5.0%
Chemicals
5.7%Vegetable 
products
1.8%Prepared 
foodstuffs; 
beverages
1.4%
Textiles
89.2%Other
4.4%
Vegetable 
products
15.2%Vegetable 
products
12.6%
Prepared 
foodstuffs; 
beverages
10.3%Prepared 
foodstuffs; 
beverages
10.5%Live 
animals
0.7%Live 
animals
1.3%
Chemicals
1.9%Chemicals
1.6%
 
a  As a percentage of exports and imports to and from Haiti’s main trading partners. 
Source: WTO Secretariat, based on mirror statistics from the Comtrade database. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
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  Chart 1.2 Structure of merchandise trade by destination and origin, 2009 and 2014 
2009 2014
(a)    Ex ports
Total: US$661 million
(b)    Imports
Total: US$2,352 million Total: US$3,877 millionCanada
2.9%
Total: US$1,083 millionCanada
3.4%United 
Kingdom
1.0%
United States
85.6%China
1.4%
Mexico
2.0%
United States
85.6%Mexico
2.0%
Peru
2.0%Rest of the 
world
5.5%
United States
33.7%
India
1.5%France
1.7%
China
6.3%Rest of the 
world
27.6%United States
32.9%
India
1.9%Mexico
1.7%
China
10.1%Rest of 
the world
13.1%France
1.1%
Mexico
1.0%
Dominican 
Republic
36.7%China
0.4%
Dominican 
Republic
26.3%France
1.6%
Peru
1.9%France
1.0%Rest of the 
world
7.1%United 
Kingdom
1.0%
 
Source: WTO Secretariat, based on mirror statistics from the Comtrade database. 
1.4  Foreign direct investment 
1.15.  Although the Haitian economy has traditionally received only small amounts of foreign direct 
investment (FDI), flows have strengthened since 2010 and FDI posted an all-time high in 2013 (Table 1.3). WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
- 15 - 
 
  1.16.  Since the previous review of Haiti's trade policy in 2003, there has been major investment 
mainly in tourism (with two large hotel chains opening up) and telecommunications. The Vietnamese telecommunications group, Viettel, and Haiti's general telecommunications company, 
TELECO, have created a joint venture (NATCOM) with initial capital of US$100 million, of which 
60% is held by Viettel. Low wages, the opening of the Caracol Industrial Park in October 2012 
(Section 4.5) and preferential access to the Unit ed States market under the HOPE/HELP legislation 
(Section 2.3.3.1) have attracted investment in the textile sector in particular. 
Table 1.3  Direct investment flows in Haiti by sector, 2006-2013 
(US$ thousand) 
 2006 2007  2008  2009  2010  2011 2012a 2013a 
Banks 599 4,659  1,660  1,852  1,543  2,029 9,871 15  
Distribution of petroleum 
products 1,046 3,907  1,697  3,429  1,173  894 4,790 9,242  
Beverages industry 791 4,871  7,808  8,405  12,066  11,193 11,788 26,746  
Subcontracting 
(textiles) 7,150 6,633  1,977  10,120  12,891  1,495 2,462 12,245  
Telecommunications 146,389 51,089  7,222  29,609  137,810  92,369 102,796 106,578  
Tourism   6,652  0 7,500  0 20,750 23,500  
Construction      5,000 2,500 6,000  
Other 4,606 3,616  2,429  1,997  4,755  5,843 1,040 1,990  
Total 160,584 74,777  29,448  55,414  177,740  118,826 156,022 186,319  
a Provisional figures. 
Source: BRH, Directorate-General of Taxation (DGI), and State-owned Enterprise Modernization Board 
(CMEP).  
1.17.  According to the United Nations Confer ence on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the 
stock of FDI in Haiti stood at US$1,209 million in 2014, representing 13.9% of GDP.10 
By comparison, the volume of FDI held by Haitians abroad is very small, at around US$2 million 
in 2014. 
1.5  Prospects 1.18.  One of the key challenges for the Haitian Government will be to cope with substantially less 
donor assistance. Having already decreased over the last three years, the declining trend is set to 
continue in the future. The fact that this is likely to restrict capital investment in Haiti makes it even more urgent for the Government to use do mestic and external resources more effectively.
11 
In the long run, rapid demographic growth and the potential for other natural disasters will 
continue to threaten the sustained growth of the Haitian economy. 
1.19.  In the medium term, the improvement of global economic activity, particularly in the 
United States, can be expected to fuel an increa se in private transfers and stronger demand for 
Haitian products.12 GDP is forecast to grow by about 2% - 3% in fiscal 2015 and then attain rates 
of 3% - 4% in the medium term. Projection s see inflation staying around 5%, and gross 
international reserves at levels sufficient to cover four to five months of imports. The key risks 
concern a potential upturn in international oil prices, a stop in external financing from Venezuela, 
and extreme weather conditions. 
 
 
                                               
10 UNCTAD (2015a). 
11 World Bank (2015). 
12 BRH, Note sur la politique monétaire , June 2015; IMF (2015). WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
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  2  TRADE AND INVESTMENT REGIME 
2.1  Overview 2.1.  The territory of the Republic of Haiti is subdivided into departments, 
districts (arrondissements), communes, quarters (quartiers) and communal sections 
(sections communales). The economic and political capital Port-au-Prince is located in 
the Western Department. 
2.2.  The current Constitution was approved in Ma rch 1987. It enshrines the principle of separation 
of powers between the executive, legislative and judicial branches. It was amended in 2012
1 to 
incorporate provisions concerning, inter alia , the establishment of the Constitutional Council, 
the creation of a Higher Judicial Council, the recognition of multiple nationality and the introduction of a quota principle designed to ensure at leas t a 30% representation of women, especially in 
government departments. 
2.3.  Executive power is vested in the Presiden t of the Republic and the Government (headed by 
a Prime Minister). The President is elected by direct universal suffrage and by an absolute 
majority, for a non-renewable five-year term of office, and may neither serve two consecutive 
terms nor run for a third term. The current President was elected in the second round of presidential elections held in March 2011. The next presidential elections are scheduled for 
25 October and 27 December 2015 (first and second rounds respectively).
2 The Prime Minister is 
t h e  H e a d  o f  G o v e r n m e n t  a n d  i s  s e l e c t e d  b y  the President of the Republic from among the 
members of the majority party in Parliament, or failing this, in consultation with the Presidents of the two houses of the legislature. The Pr ime Minister's appointment must be ratified 
by the Parliament. 
2.4.  Legislative power is exercised by the legislature, which comprises the Chamber of Deputies 
and the Senate. The National Assembly is constituted when the two chambers meet in a joint 
session. It may not sit or adopt decisions and resolutions without a majority of each of its 
two houses present. Deputies and senators may be re-elected indefinitely. Members of the Chamber of Deputies are elected by direct  universal suffrage for terms of four years. 
The Chamber of Deputies is renewed entirely every four years. In principle, a commune elects 
one deputy. This number may be increased for large agglomerations. The Senate comprises 30 senators – three per administrative department. They are elected by direct universal suffrage for six-year terms. In principle, one third of th e Senate is renewed every two years. The 2012 and 
2015 elections did not take place, however, and since January 2015 the Senate has no longer had 
the quorum required to sit. The Parliament was dissolved in January 2015 for lack of political agreement. The legislative elections, the firs t round of which took place in August 2015, 
should lead to the renewal of the Chamber of Depu ties as well as of two-thirds of the Senate.
3 
Under the Electoral Decree of March 20154, the number of seats in the Chamber of Deputies is 
expected to increase from 99 to 118 for the next legislative period. 
2.5.  Legislation may be initiated by the legisl ative and executive branches. The executive branch 
nevertheless enjoys prerogatives in some areas, including that of taxes and contributions. More specifically, initiatives to modify import duties may only be taken by the executive branch. International conventions, treaties and ag reements are negotiated and signed by 
the President of the Republic. The National Asse mbly is empowered to approve or reject them. 
A draft law comes into effect only after being voted article-by-article by each of the two houses of 
the legislature. Once voting is complete, laws are sent to the President of the Republic for 
enactment. They enter into force once promulgated and published in Le Moniteur , 
Haiti's Official Journal. 
                                               
1 Constitutional law amending the 1987 Constitution (Republished because of typographical errors). 
Le Moniteur , 167th year, No. 96, 19 June 2012. Viewed at: 
http://www.oas.org/juridico/PDFs/mesicic4_hti_amend.pdf . 
2 Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), online information viewed at: 
http://www.cephaiti.ht/Note-P-Comm-P  [09.08.2015]. 
3 The second round of legislative elections is set for 25 October 2015 and is expected to coincide with 
the first round of presidential elections. 
4 Electoral Decree. Le Moniteur , 170th year – Special edition No. 1, Monday 2 March 2015. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
- 17 - 
 
  2.6.  Haiti's judicial branch comprises the Court of Cassation, courts of appeal, courts of 
first instance, special courts and magistrates' courts. There are no commercial courts. Commercial disputes are therefore adjudicated on by  the commercial divisions of each civil court. 
2.7.  The Constitutional Council was set up follow ing the constitutional review of 2012 and charged 
with ensuring the constitutionality of laws, regulations and administrative acts. It is also required 
to rule on any conflicts that may arise betwee n the executive and legislative branches or the 
two houses of the legislature.
5 It also hears jurisdictional disputes between the administrative, 
electoral and judicial courts. Its decisions are final. It comprises nine members appointed for 
nine years. Its members are selected by each of  the branches of government, with each branch 
selecting three. One third of it is renewed every three years, and its members may not be 
removed from office in the course of their term. 
2.8.  The Constitution is the highest in the hierarchy of laws in Haiti and therefore takes 
precedence over international treaties that have been ratified. Next in hierarchical order are: 
international conventions, treaties and agreements, laws, decree-laws and decrees, orders, 
precedent, and custom. Once international conven tions, treaties and agreements are approved 
and ratified in accordance with the Constitution, they become part of the legislation and repeal all laws that are contrary to them. They may be invoked before national courts. 
2.9.  The Government is responsible for implementing national policy. In addition to 
the Prime Minister, the current Government comprises 20 ministers and three secretaries-general.
6 
As a rule, each ministry is responsible for formulating policies and draft laws in its area of competence. 
2.10.  The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MCI) is responsible for formulating, implementing and 
evaluating trade and industrial policies. Other ministerial departments may nevertheless be involved in the process, depending on the impact of these policies on their areas of competence.
7 
The MCI coordinates negotiations for the conclusion of trade, industrial or economic integration 
agreements, conventions or treaties. It evaluates policies and studies all measures that could further the development of trade and industry. It is the WTO focal point. 
2.11.  The MCI also relies on a number of autonomous bodies in carrying out its mission. 
These include the Free Zones Directorate (DZF), the Investment Facilitation Centre (CFI) and the National Industrial Parks Company ( Société nationale des parcs industriels  (SONAPI)). 
2.12.  An office was created in 2010 to coordinate and monitor negotiations relating to certain 
trade agreements, more particularly CARICOM and the FTAA. It is called the Office for 
the Coordination and Follow-up of the CARICOM, WTO and FTAA Agreements (BACOZ), and is also 
responsible for drawing up government policy on trade integration. It reports to the Office of 
the Prime Minister, an arrangement that could cause some overlapping of responsibilities with 
those of the MCI. 
2.13.  Generally speaking, Haiti's trade and investment laws are relatively old (Table 2.1). 
The Commercial Code, which purports to regulate commercial activity, has not been revised 
since 1944. The laws passed since the previous review of Haiti's trade policy in 2003 relate to government procurement and to banks and financial institutions, among other things. 
                                               
5 The Conciliation Commission, which had previously  performed this function, has been abolished. 
6 Office of the Prime Minister  of the Republic of Haiti. Online information viewed at: 
http://primature.gouv.ht/?page_id=28  [27.05.2015] 
7 This chiefly concerns: the Office of the Prime Minister; the Ministry of Planning and External 
Cooperation; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Religi on; and the Ministry of the Economy and Finance (MEF). WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
- 18 - 
 
  Table 2.1 Main trade and invest ment legislation, June 2015 
Scope Instrument/text 
General Constitution of the Republic of Haiti, 1987 
Foreign trade Decree of 30 March 1987 on the Customs Code 
Customs tariff and successive finance laws 
Levies and taxes Decree on income tax and net profits, 29 September 1986 
Decree on payroll taxes, 14 September 1988 Decree on turnover tax and successive amendments up to 1995, 19 September 1982 Decree on excise duty amended in August 1987 and on 3 September 1971 Decrees on business and other licences, 28 September 1987 and 13 January 1978 Convention implementing the Decree of 3 October 1983 (pre-shipment inspection) 
Trade and investment Commercial Code, 27 March 1826 (amended in 1944) 
Law on the Investment Code, 9 September 2002 
Law on investment-related disputes, 26 December 1985 
Law of 9 July 2002 on free zones and its Implementing Order (24 July 2012) 
Law of 18 July 1974 establishing industrial parks 
Government 
procurement Decree regulating government procurem ent of services, supplies and works, 
3 December 2004 
Order of 4 December 2006 reviewing the thresholds for the award of government procurement contracts  
Intellectual property Law on the registration and assignment of trademarks of 17 July 1954 
(amended in 1956) 
Law on patents, utility models and industrial designs of 14 December 1922 
(amended in 1924) 
Mining and energy Decree regulating quarrying throughout the national territory 
(Le Moniteur No. 26, 2 April 1984) 
Decree encouraging mineral exploitation over  the entire extent of the territory of 
the Republic ( Le Moniteur  No. 19, 8 March 1976) 
Financial services Law of 14 May 2012 on banks and other financial institutions 
Law of 21 February 2001 on the laundering of the proceeds from drug trafficking 
and other serious offences 
Law of 26 June 2002 on the constitution, organization, control and monitoring of 
savings and loan cooperatives (CEC) 
Law of 30 August 1982 governing development finance corporations 
Law of 17 August 1979 establishing the Bank of the Republic of Haiti, 
and subsequent decrees 
Telecommunications Decree of 1 October 1977 establishing a state monopoly on 
telecommunications services 
Tourism Law of 12 March 1975 regulating the operation of tourism establishments 
Source: Information provided by the authorities. 
2.2  Trade policy objectives 
2.14.  Beyond multilateral and regional commitments, the Haitian Government's trade policy 
comes within the general framework of its economic and social policy, which aims to reduce poverty and generate employment. The Government is of the view that export-oriented 
manufacturing and re-exportation are an effective means to this end in the short term. In this 
context and in pursuit of these goals, the Government is now moving, inter alia, to promote exports and set up free zones and industrial parks (Sections 3.2.4 and 4.5). 
2.15.  The authorities regard Haiti's preferential access to certain markets (Section 2.3) as a major 
advantage when it comes to integrating the country into the multilateral trading system. To make the most of this advantage, export revitalization and diversification have become a key objective. 
The measures planned include the strengthening of institutions and the promotion and channelling 
of foreign direct investment towards areas with strong export potential, more particularly some agricultural sectors in which the country already enjoys a natural comparative advantage (essential oils, mangoes, cocoa, coffee and honey) , the tourism industry and IT enabled services. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
- 19 - 
 
  2.16.  Aware of the growing importance of value chains in world trade, the Haitian authorities are 
striving to ensure greater coherence between their investment and trade policies. The policy on free zones and industrial parks is a key component in this respect, even though the results in 
terms of foreign direct investment are mixed (Section 3.3.1). 
2.17.  Haiti will not be able to take full advantage of international market access without removing 
the obstacles undermining the efficiency of the production sector. The country's production system is plagued by a number of problems including poor  infrastructure, lack of funding, and certain 
administrative hurdles. There are policies specifically aimed at easing supply-side constraints in 
some sectors, particularly agriculture and tourism. Moreover, the authorities plan to raise import duties in order to attain certain sectoral goals, especially in agriculture and manufacturing. 
2.3  Trade agreements and arrangements 
2.3.1  World Trade Organization 
2.18.  Formerly a GATT Contracting Party, Haiti acceded to the WTO on 30 January 1996. It has 
least developed country (LDC) status and is therefore eligible under the Enhanced Integrated 
Framework (Section 2.5.1). Haiti has not signed an y of the WTO plurilateral agreements. It grants 
at least MFN treatment to all its trading partners. Haiti has never been a party or third party to any dispute at the WTO. As pertains to WTO trade negotiations, Haiti is a member of the following 
groups: the Group of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (ACP)8, the G-909, the Least 
Developed Countries (LDCs), the G-3310 and the "W52"  sponsors.11 In principle, Haiti coordinates 
its positions with those of the other members of these groups. 
2.19.  Haiti makes relatively few notifications to the WTO (Table 2.2). Recent notifications have 
been about import licensing procedures, among other things. The Integrated Data Base (IDB) 
contains customs tariff data up to 2013, but no detailed export and import statistics are available. 
Table 2.2 Notifications to the WTO, August 2015  
Area Notifications Year 
Agriculture Export subsidies (G/AG/N/HTI/5) 
Domestic support (G/AG/N/HTI/4) 2015 
2000 
Anti-dumping Notification under Articles 16.4 and 16.5 of the Agreement 
(G/ADP/N/193/HTI) 2010 
 Semi-annual reports under Article 16.4 of the Agreement (G/ADP/N/59) 2000 
 Notification of laws and regulation s under Article 18.5 of the Agreement 
(D/ADP/N/1/HTI/1) 1998 
Trade in services National Enquiry Point (S/ENQ/68) 2000 
State trading Notification pursuant to Article XVII:4(a) of the GATT 1994 
and paragraph 1 of the Understanding on the Interpretation 
of Article XVII (G/STR/N/6/HTI) 2000 
Customs valuation Communication regarding the Government's intention to delay 
application of the WTO Agreement on Customs Valuation (WT/LET/231) 1998 
Countervailing measures Notifications under Article 25.11 and 25.12 of the Agreement 
(G/SCM/N/202/HTI) 2012 
 Semi-annual reports under Article 25.11 of the Agreement 
(G/SCM/N/56) 2000 
Trade-related investment 
measures Notification under Article 6.2 of the TRIMS Agreement 
(G/TRIMS/N/2/Rev.8) 2000 
 
 Notification under Article 5.1 of the TRIMS Agreement 
(G/TRIMS/N/1/HTI/1) 1998 
                                               
8 Online information from the ACP Group, viewed at: http://www.acpsec.org . 
9 This is a coalition comprising the African Group,  the ACP Group, and the Least Developed Countries. 
10 Also called "Friends of Special Products" in agricult ure, this group is a coalit ion of developing countries 
pressing for flexibility to enable de veloping countries to undertake limited market opening in agriculture. 
11 This group comprises the proponents of document  TN/C/W/52, which contai ns draft modalities for 
TRIPS-related issues unde r the Doha Work Programme (GI Regi ster, TRIPS disclosure requirement 
and GI Extension). WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
- 20 - 
 
  Area Notifications Year 
Technical barriers to 
trade Notification - Disposable polyethylene bags and inputs and objects 
of expanded polystyrene for food use (G/TBT/N/HTI/1) 2014 
Import licensing 
procedures Replies to the questionnaire on import licensing procedures - 
Notification under Article 7.3 of the Agreement (G/LIC/N/3/HTI/7) 2014 
 
Intellectual property Notification of laws and regulation s under Article 63.2 of the Agreement 
(IP/N/1/HTI/1) 1999 
Rules of origin Notifications under Article 5 and Paragraph 4 of Annex II 
of the Agreement on Rules of Origin (G/RO/N/20/Rev.1) 1998 
Quantitative restrictions Notifications of quantitative restrictions - Note by the Secretariat 
(G/MA/NTM/QR/1) 1996 
Subsidies Notification pursuant to Article XVI:1 of the GATT 1994 and Article 25 
of the SCM Agreement (G/SCM/N/220/HTI; G/SCM/N/253/HTI) 2013 
Tariff Schedule XXVI. - Invocation of  paragraph 5 of Article XXVIII 
(G/MA/306)  2014 
Source: WTO, Central Registry  of Notifications database. 
2.20.  In 2010 and after a two-year interruption, Haiti resumed its participation in trade-related 
technical assistance activities organized by the WT O, reaching an all-time high of 70 activities 
in 2014.12 This participation took place mostly through online courses and regional seminars. 
2.3.2  Regional and preferential agreements 2.21.  Haiti is a member of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM), 
a subregional organization set up in 1973 under the Treaty of Chaguaramas, and which currently 
has 15 members.13 Haiti ratified the Treaty in May 2002. In 2001, the Treaty of Chaguaramas was revised so as to establish the Caribbean Community and set up the CARICOM Single Market and 
Economy (CSME). Haiti ratified it in 2003 but has not yet published it in the Official Journal. 
It is therefore not a member of the single market. 
2.22.  According to the authorities, trade wi th CARICOM countries is relatively limited. 
Imports from the Community comprise oil products and sugar for the most part. 
Haiti's principal exports to the Community are agricultural produce, handicraft items and 
preparations for paints and pigments. 
2.3.3  Other preferential relations 
2.23.  Haiti is eligible under the Generalized Syst em of Preferences (GSP) regimes of the following 
partners: Australia, Belarus, Canada, the European Union, Iceland, Japan, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Norway, the Russian Federation, Sw itzerland, Turkey, and the United States.14 
Haiti does not participate in the Global System of Trade Preferences among Developing Countries 
(GSTP). The country also enjoys privileged access to several markets, in particular those of the United States and the European Union. The country nevertheless derives only limited benefit from such access owing to shortcomings in its regulatory and institutional framework as well as its 
limited supply-side capacity (Section 2.4). 
2.3.3.1  Relations with the United States 2.24.  The United States is Haiti's main trading partner for imports and exports alike. Haiti benefits 
from several preferential regimes regarding access to the US market. Since 1984 the United States 
has made a range of preferential arrangements available to the countries in the Central American and Caribbean region under the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI).15 Haiti is the second source of 
                                               
12 Source: Global Trade-Related Technical As sistance Database (GTAD), available at: 
http://gtad.wto.or g/index.aspx?lg=en . 
13 Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize,  Dominica, Haiti, Jamaica, Grenada, Guyana, 
Montserrat, Saint Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. 
14 UNCTAD (2015b). 
15 Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (1983), 
Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Expansion Act (1990), and Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (2000). WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
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  US imports under the CBI (after Trinidad and Tobago). Alongside these initiatives, Haiti also enjoys 
specific preferential arrangements. The HOPE legi slation (Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity Through 
Partnership Encouragement (HOPE I and HOPE II)) builds on the CBI and introduces more flexible rules of origin allowing Haiti to benefit from additional trade preferences. Following the 2010 
earthquake, the range of preferences was expanded with the adoption of the Haitian Economic Lift 
Program (HELP) Act. 
2.3.3.2  Relations with the European Union 
2.25.  The European Union is the second largest ma rket for Haitian exports after the United States 
(Section 1.3). In addition to the GSP, Haiti be nefits under the EU's "Everything but Arms" (EBA) 
initiative and exports all products to the EU on  a duty-free/quota-free basis, except for arms. 
The trade preferences also apply to products ob tained through regional cumulation, even if 
Haiti's status as the only LDC in the subregion limits the use of this facility. Local industry 
nonetheless takes very little advantage of these preferences. 
2.26.  Haiti is a signatory to the Cotonou Agreement, which lays down the modalities of political, 
trade and development cooperation between the EU  and the ACP Group. It participated in the 
negotiations on an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the EU as part of the process of creating the Caribbean Forum of ACP States (CARIFORUM).
16 The negotiations began in 2004 and 
culminated in the signing of an EPA in October 2008. The Agreement is expected to take effect 
once the ratification process has been completed by all Member States. Haiti signed the EPA in 2009 but has not yet ratified it. 
2.3.3.3  Other 
2.27.  Haiti is a member of the Organization of American States (OAS) and took part in the 
negotiations for the creation of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). 
2.4  Investment regime 
2.28.  Mobilizing investment is one of the Govern ment's priorities under its strategy for growth 
revival, job creation and poverty reduction. In this context, special attention is being devoted to foreign direct investment owing to the additional spinoffs expected in terms of improved product 
quality and technology transfer.
17 
2.29.  Yet the business climate is one of the least competitive in the subregion. According to 
the World Economic Forum's latest Global Competitiveness Report, the constraints frequently mentioned by entrepreneurs as affecting the co nduct of business include poor infrastructure, 
limited access to funding, corruption and a dearth of qualified personnel.
18 According to estimates 
from the latest Doing Business  report, it takes an average of 97 days to set up a public limited 
company in the capital.19 The investment regulatory framework consists of a great many, 
often overlapping laws and regulations which, according to the DTIS, are likely to be a source of 
confusion for potential investors.20 
2.30.  In its endeavours to revitalize the economy following the 2010 earthquake, the Government 
has taken a number of initiatives to improve the business climate and attract private investment. 
In 2011, the authorities launched the "Haiti is op en for business" campaign, designed to attract 
more foreign investment. Other reforms include the possibility to register public limited companies online, the creation of micro-parks, and the establishment of a Centre for Enterprise 
and Entrepreneurial Development. The Government has also set up a commission to coordinate 
business law reform. 
2.31.  Haiti has a large diaspora and their remittances constitute the country's main source of 
foreign exchange (Section 1.2). The mobilization of resources from the diaspora therefore figures 
prominently in the country's investment policy, which aims to make Haiti an emerging country 
                                               
16 CARIFORUM comprises 16 members including the CARICOM countries and the Dominican Republic. 
17 MEF (2014a), [20.05.2015]. 
18 World Economic Forum (2015). 
19 World Bank (2014). 
20 World Bank (2013b). WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
- 22 - 
 
  by 2030.21 Numerous initiatives have been taken in this regard, including the relaxation of certain 
constitutional provisions on dual nationality and the strengthening of the powers of the ministry 
responsible for matters relating to Haitians living abroad. 
2.4.1  Legal and institutional framework for commercial activities 
2.32.  Haiti's Investment Code guarantees freedom of enterprise, free movement of capital, 
as well as equal rights and privileges for national and foreign investors (subject to provisions regarding residence permits). Foreign investors are guaranteed the right to own real estate to 
serve the needs of the company. They are not subj ect to any constraint or taxation regarding the 
reimbursement of debts contracted abroad for the purposes of investing in Haiti. 
2.33.  The law recognizes several types of company, namely sole proprietorships, 
general partnerships (with unlimited liability), and joint-stock companies (public limited 
companies), the latter being the most common legal form. A number of legal, administrative and 
fiscal formalities must be completed in order to engage in any commercial activity (Table 2.3). 
2.34.  Generally speaking, a company's incorporat ion documents must be prepared and submitted 
to the MCI by a lawyer or notary domiciled in Haiti. For foreign companies, articles approved in the 
country of origin must be legalized by the Haitian Consulate in that country. Moreover, the notice of incorporation of the company must be published in at least one daily newspaper in the place 
where it is headquartered, and must be published in  the Official Journal when it is a public limited 
company. To establish this latter type of company, the law prescribes a minimum of three shareholders, of which at least one must be Haitian. The law does not stipulate a minimum capital holding for the shareholder, however. For general partnerships, 51% of the capital must be 
held by Haitians. 
2.35.  The law establishes minimum share capital thresholds. A quarter of the required minimum 
capital must first be deposited with the National Credit Bank in order to obtain authorization to 
operate. The legally required minimum capital is currently G 100,000 (roughly US$25,000) 
for agricultural and industrial companies, and G 25,000 (about US$6,250) for commercial companies. Financial services companies are su bject to a higher minimum capital requirement 
(Section 4.6.2.1). The deposit is released once the duties and taxes have been paid to 
the Directorate-General of Taxation. 
Table 2.3 Principal steps in the creation of a public limited company 
Procedure Responsible institution Description/fees 
Instruments of 
incorporation  Lawyer/notary The instruments of incorporation must be drawn up, 
notarized and submitted to the MCI by a notary (or lawyer) 
Deposit of the required 
initial capital  National Credit Bank  A quarter of the required minimum share capital 
(varies according to  activity) must be deposited with 
the National Credit Bank 
Registration of the 
articles  Directorate-General of 
Taxation Filing fee: G 250 
Registration of the 
company/publication  MCI The company is listed in the commercial register and 
the dossier sent to the Go vernment Printing Office 
Registration: G 275 for public limited companies 
(G 163 for foreign companies) 
Publication: G 5,000 to G 35,000 depending on 
the number of pages 
Obtaining the tax 
identification number  Directorate-General of 
Taxation G 500 fee 
Obtaining the 
professional identity card  MCI Fee of G 250 or G 500, depending on professional 
category 
Declaration of employees Ministry of Labour  Within eight days of starting up activities 
Compulsory sickness 
insurance OFATMA Within 15 days of starting up activities 
                                               
21 Government of the Republic of Haiti (2013). WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
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  Procedure Responsible institution Description/fees 
Old age and disability 
insurance ONA Monthly contributions by the employer 
(% of the wage bill):  - ONA: 6%  - OFATMA: between 2% and 6% depending on activity and wage level (in some cases) 
Note:  OFATMA: Occupational Injury, Sickness and Maternity Insurance Office.  ONA: National Old-Age Insurance Office. 
Source: Information provided by the Haitian authorities. 
2.36.  An Investment Facilitation Centre (CFI) was set up in 2006 to promote private investment. 
The Centre has reportedly facilitated the creation of over 100 companies, thereby generating over 60,000 jobs. 
2.37.  Moreover, under the project to moderniz e the registration process for public limited 
companies, an electronic single window has been in operation since October 2014 for the registration of such companies. Entrepreneurs shou ld accordingly be able to conduct the following 
procedures online: reserving the name; choosing a notary or lawyer; publishing the notice of 
incorporation; and paying the fees pertaining to  the procedure. According to the authorities, 
the window makes it possible to incorporate a company in less than ten days, the long-term target 
being three days. 
2.38.  As part the "Haiti is open for business" ca mpaign, national consultations on investment were 
held in March 2012. They produced three priority measures, namely the creation of a commission to review the legal framework for business, the establishment of the Centre for Enterprise 
and Entrepreneurial Development (CDEE), and the formulation of an industrial policy. 
2.39.  The CDEE was established in 2012 to assist micro, small and medium-sized enterprises 
(MSMEs) in their formal establishment and develo pment. To decentralize the Centre's activities, 
Business Support Service (SAEs) units have been set up in the departments. The main task of 
these units is to provide more customized support to MSMEs in areas such as technical capacity building among entrepreneurs, promoting complianc e with quality standards, fund-raising, and 
facilitating access to local, regional and international markets.
22 The services provided by the SAEs 
are generally free of cost (with the exception of f ees for the issue of permits and authorizations). 
2.4.2  Corporate tax liabilities 2.40.  Companies are generally subject to a vast array of taxes and charges, which constitute 
a potential burden on the investor (Table 2.4). According to World Bank estimates for 2013
23, 
a company set up in Port-au-Prince spends an average of 184 hours per year preparing its taxes and various contributions, and makes about 47 payments. The average overall assessment rate 
is 40.3% of profits. 
Table 2.4 Summary of the tax system applicab le to natural and lega l persons, June 2015 
Type of levy Some liability criteria and rates 
Direct taxes 
Personal income tax  Income from Haitian sources (for tax residents, overall income) 
Five-bracket, progressive system ranging from 0 to 30%  
Corporation tax 30% of industrial  and commercial profits (BIC) 
Business tax Self-employed persons 
Fixed (G 40 to G 2,000) and variable (0,2% of turnover, net of wages) 
Licence fee Applicable to activities controlled by law 
40% of the business tax (45% of the monthly salary for foreigners, 
and 250% of the business tax for foreign companies) 
Payroll tax 2% of the payroll, paid by the employer 
Rental tax Progressive tax of 6.6%, 15.4% or 16.4% of the rental value, as the case 
may be 
                                               
22 MCI (2013) [10.08.2015]. 
23 World Bank (2014). WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
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  Type of levy Some liability criteria and rates 
Tax clearance certificate Required for some business transactions, validity of 3 to 5 months 
Fee: G 250 to G 1,000 depending on type (A, B or C) 
Tax registration fee  
Tax on shares and certificates Applicable to public limited compan ies (0.3% of shares per year; 0.2% 
on the sale of shares) 
Stamp duty in proportion to 
capital Applicable to public limited companies 
Single tax, 2% tax on share capital 
Operating/non-operating tax  Applicable to public limited companies 
Operating: G 1,500; non-operating: G 25,000 
Filing fee (annual financial statements, opening balance sheet) Applicable to natural and legal persons 
G 1,250 (if there is a profit) 
Indirect taxes 
Turnover tax 10% of the value of sales and services provided (see Section 3.2.6.1) 
Excise duty Variable (see Section 3.2.6.2) 
Import duties Customs du ties: 0-40% of f.o.b. value (see Section 3.2.4) 
Inspection fee: 45% (see Section 3.2.1.2) 
Professional identity card G 1,500 per year 
Tax registration card Any natural or legal pe rson pursuing an activity or profession 
The card is issued for 5 years for a fee of G 500 
Licence to engage in an activity G 500 per year (industrial and commercial permit); foreigners: 1.5 times 
the cost of the licence for indi viduals; 2.5 times for companies 
Health certificate G 50/employee/year 
Social security contributions 
Sickness and maternity insu rance 2-6% of the payroll 
Old-age insurance 2-6% of the payroll 
Other taxes and contributions 
Apprenticeship tax 1% of the payroll 
Registration fee In case of sale of  personal property and real estate 
3-4% of the transaction 
Certificate and portfolio transfer 
tax In case of transfer 
0.2% of amount transferred 
Built-up property tax (CFPB) 6-15% of the gross rental value per year 
Contribution to the Fund for the 
Management and Development 
of Local Communities (CFGDCT)  Applies to salaries, winnings from lotteries, gambling and betting 
and to customs slips (2% of the value) 
Income tax / balance sheet basis 
Foreign company registration fee G 163 
Source:  Information provided by the authorities, and online information viewed at: 
http://www.dgi.gouv.ht/forms/tarif_impots.pdf . 
2.41.  The income tax system (for natural and legal persons) is laid down in 
the Decree of 29 September 2005. Personal income tax (IRPP) is assessed on the overall income 
of natural persons with their tax domicile in Haiti. For persons not domiciled in Haiti for tax purposes, the tax base comprises their income from Haitian sources. Personal income tax is levied 
according to a five-step marginal tax scale ranging between zero and 30%, the zero rate being 
applicable to annual wages and salaries of G 60,000 or less (about US$1,500).
24 The tax is 
generally withheld at source by the employer: 10% on incomes between G 60,001 and G 240,000; 
15% on the portion of income up to G 480,000; 25 % on the portion up to G 1 million; and 30% on 
the portion above that (this in fact concerns very few taxpayers). 
2.42.  Companies are generally taxed at a single ra te of 30% of industrial and commercial profits. 
A simplified regime is available for companies with an annual turnover of less than G 1.25 million 
(approximately US$31,250). These are assessed at a rate of 1% of their turnover for the 
preceding fiscal year, after a tax rebate of G 500,000. A minimum tax of G 5,000 is levied. The simplified regime also covers some types of business profit, such as that on buildings rented to 
                                               
24MEF (2013). WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
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  gaming companies (25% of the annual rental value), and profits accruing to non-resident 
inventors and professionals (20% of profits). 
2.43.  Waivers apply mainly to agricultural cooperatives, agricultural credit banks and to savings 
and housing banks (during the first ten years of operation). They also apply to companies 
benefiting under the Investment Code or under  other laws on special economic zones (see 
Sections 3.3.4 and 3.4.1). They are therefore spread  over several legislative texts, and this gives 
rise to overlapping that could prove confusing to investors.25 
2.44.  The law requires companies to pay a deposit and to set up a reserve fund. At the beginning of each fiscal year, companies are required to make a provisional deposit equivalent to 25% of the prior year's taxable revenue. If at the end of the year the deposit turns out to be higher than the tax payable, the excess is deducted from the next deposit. 
2.45.  Enterprises are also required to set up a reserve fund representing 50% of their capital. 
The fund is constituted from annual deductions of one tenth of net profits until the full amount is reached. Payments towards this fund are exempt from income tax, and this could represent a loss 
of revenue to the State. 
2.46.  Entrepreneurs may be subject to the busi ness tax and the licence fee, depending on the 
profession or sector of activity. The business tax is applied to natural and legal persons  carrying on 
a self-employed business. It consists of a fixed tax ranging between G 40 and G 2,000, to which is 
added, as of the second year of operation, a variable tax representing 0.2% of turnover 
(net of salaries). In addition to employees, the law waives the business tax for the following natural and legal persons: farmers, livestock farmers and fishermen (provided that they sell the 
unprocessed products of their operations), artists, painters and others who sell the products of 
their art, writers, composers, as well as circus an d performing artists. According to the authorities, 
about 80% of receipts from the business tax is allocated to the communes. Some sectors of 
activity have been made subject to the business tax since fiscal 2012-2013. These are restaurant, 
tourism and travel agency services, as well as those of gaming houses. 
2.47.  The licence fee is added to the business tax for professions or activities the pursuit of which 
is restricted and/or controlled (e.g. manufacturers or distributors of alcoholic beverages 
or tobacco). It is generally a fixed amount, with  a ceiling of G 2,500 for most of the taxpayers 
concerned. In the case of commercial vendors of alcohol and tobacco (in hotels, cafes, restaurants and nightclubs), the licence fee is levied at a rate representing 40% of the business tax. It is 
applied to foreign residents (legal or natural persons) working or established in the country, 
irrespective of profession or sector of activi ty. The rate is 45% of the monthly salary for 
foreign employees, and 250% of the business tax for foreign legal persons (and individual property 
owners).
26 This discrimination is inconsistent with the national treatment clause. 
2.48.  The main indirect taxes include customs duty (Section 3.2.4) and the turnover tax (TCA). 
The TCA is applicable to all taxpayers engaging in operations relating to consumption or the use of 
goods and services. It is assessed on turnover at a single rate of 10%. A simplified regime may be 
applied to companies with an annual turnover of  less than G 1,250,000. This category includes 
mainly contract manufacturers, small-scale retailers and service providers. A tax rebate of G 500,000 of turnover is accorded before the tax is calculated. 
2.49.  The export, international transport, fina ncial and real estate sectors are exempt from 
the TCA, as are the fees of clerks and bailiffs . Also exempt are oil products, inputs for the 
manufacture of medicines, newspapers, school books and supplies, as well as agricultural 
materials and equipment. Insurance premiums are exempt from the TCA but are subject to the tax 
on insurance premiums (TPA). The tax is levied at a rate of 5% on life insurance premiums, and 10% for non-life insurance. 
2.50.  While corporation tax is relatively low by comparison with other countries in the subregion, 
dividends are taxed at a rate of 20%, which ultimately amounts to a fairly high effective rate of taxation of profits. 
                                               
25 International Finance Corporation (2011). 
26 MEF (2013) [09.09.2015]. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
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  2.4.3  Settlement of inve stment-related disputes 
2.51.  There is no commercial court in Haiti. Trade or business-related disputes are handled by 
courts of first instance, which could slow down economic activity considering how long it takes to settle disputes submitted to the courts in general. The Conciliation and Arbitration Chamber 
of Haiti (CCAH) was set up by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in October 2007.
27 
Its mission is to encourage arbitration and conciliation as a way of settling commercial disputes brought before it. 
2.52.  Haiti has signed the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes between States 
and Nationals of Other States (ICSID Convention) but has not yet ratified it.
28 It is a member of 
the World Bank's Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA). 
2.4.4  International agreements 
2.53.  Haiti has signed bilateral investment agreements with France (in force since 1985), 
Germany (effective since 1975), the United Kingdom (effective since 1995), and the United States (not yet in force). An agreement on the protection and reciprocal promotion of investments was 
concluded with Mexico in May 2015. 
2.5   Aid for trade and technical assistance 2.54.  Haiti is highly dependent on official de velopment assistance (Section 1.1). According to 
OECD statistics
29, official assistance classifying as Aid for Trade (AfT) amounted to 
over US$1 billion between 2010 and 2011, then  declined to US$868 million in 2013. AfT has 
benefited a broad range of sectors and activities, the main ones being agriculture, transport and storage, and energy. 
2.55.  The authorities aim to seize the opportunities offered by Aid for Trade in order to develop 
the local market and better integrate the econom y into the subregion. The following areas have 
been defined as priorities: transport infrastructure, distribution (water, electricity 
and telecommunications) infrastructure, and trade facilitation.
30 A unit responsible for monitoring 
and evaluating AfT-related measures is now being set up in the MCI.31 Haiti played an active part 
in drawing up the CARICOM Aid for Trade Strategy. 
2.56.  Haiti has been a beneficiary under the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) programme 
since 2008. Implementation of the programme did not begin until March 2013, however, owing to the many problems, including the natural disasters, that the country had to address. Haiti has implemented three Tier 1 projects: 
a. the pre-DTIS (Diagnostic Trade Integration Study) project, implemented between 
2011 and 2012; 
b. the DTIS
32, focused on export processing, in part icular clothing and apparel, tourism, 
transformation and export of selected agricultural products such as mangoes 
and essential oils; and 
c. the Support to National Implementation A rrangements (NIAs) project, designed to 
develop and reinforce Haiti's institutional capacities in the formulation and 
implementation of trade policies and strategies. 
                                               
27 Online information from the Chamber of Co mmerce and Industry (CCI). Viewed at: 
http://www.ccih.org.ht/home/presentation-de-la-ccih/la-chambre-darbitrage . 
28 Decree of 28 August 1985 endorsing the Convention  on the Settlement of Investment Disputes 
between States and Nationals of Other States sign ed by Haiti in Washington on 30 January 1985. 
29 The OECD Creditor Reporting System (CRS). Viewed at: 
http://www.oecd.org/dac/aft/aid-for-tradestatisticalqueries.htm . 
30 OECD/WTO (2015). 
31 Service de suivi et d'évaluation  de l'Aide pour le commerce et de veille de l'intégration  
(Aid-for-Trade Follow-up and Evaluation  and Integration Monitoring Service). 
32 World Bank (2013a). WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
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  3  TRADE POLICIES AND PRACTICES BY MEASURE 
3.1  Introduction 
3.1.  Tariffs are still Haiti's principal trade policy tool, as well as being an important source of 
income (customs revenue accounts for around one third of fiscal revenue). The applied tariff is 
based on the 2007 version of the Harmonized System and virtually all lines are ad valorem . 
Between 2002 and 2013, the average applied rate al most doubled to 4.9%. The revision of the 
t a r i f f  m a i n l y  i n v o l v e d  i m p o s i n g  a  5 %  d u t y  o n  s o m e  p r o d u c t s  t h a t  h a d  p r e v i o u s l y  b e e n  e x e m p t  
from customs duty, with the result that the perc entage of duty-free lines fell from 67.1% in 2002 
to 44.3% in 2013. 
3.2.  There are still numerous levies on imports, for example, inspection fees of 5% levied on 
behalf of the State; a contribution to the local communities management fund, at a rate of 
2% of the c.i.f. value plus customs duty; and seve ral internal taxes (turnover tax and excise duty). 
These fees and taxes have meant a substantial increase in the actual import duty on goods. Haiti continues to apply the Brussels Definition for customs valuation. In addition to import duties, 
which have been bound for 89.4% of tariff lines,  Haiti has bound other duties and charges at 
a ceiling of 16% on the majority of products. In practice, the sum of the various charges on goods such as used vehicles may reveal that  the bound rates have been exceeded. 
3.3.  Haiti has not yet ratified the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation. Computerization of the 
customs system following the introduction of ASY CUDA led to a noticeable improvement in the 
country's logistics performance. In 2013, an advance information programme for freight was introduced and the preshipment inspection programme remains mandatory for imports of a value 
exceeding a specified threshold. 
3.4.  There have been no major changes to the export regime since the previous TPR, 
but documentary requirements could be made much simpler. Most of the prohibitions and 
restrictions stem from the international treaties to which Haiti is party. The Government does not 
grant any export subsidies. Industrial parks remain an important component of the Government's strategy to conquer export markets. 
3.5.  With exemptions estimated at around 4.1% of the GDP in 2011, the incentives regime entails 
a sizeable loss of revenue. Haiti does not currently have any legislation on competition, standardization or contingency trade measures. It is neither a signatory nor an observer of the 
Plurilateral Agreement on Government Procurement. Following the earthquake in 2010, 
government procurement legislation was revised an d provided for a substantial increase in the 
thresholds for awarding contracts. There have been no major changes as regards standards and technical regulations. Haiti's Bureau of Standard s was set up in 2012, when a goods conformity 
verification programme also started to operate. In the intellectual property sphere, a major step 
forward was made with the adoption of legislatio n on copyright and relate d rights, although the 
system of protection remains weak and trademarks are frequently infringed. 
3.2  Measures directly affecting imports 
3.2.1  Customs procedures and requirements 
3.2.1.1  Registration and documentation 
3.6.  The General Customs Administration (AGD) has five so-called decentralized offices in 
Port-au-Prince, 14 customs posts in the provinces, and mobile units. The offices in the port and 
airport at Port-au-Prince are the two major entry points, receiving around 90% of imports and providing 84% of customs revenue. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
- 28 - 
 
  3.7.  Any economic operator wishing to engage in trade in Haiti has to comply with a certain 
number of procedures (Section 2.4.2), obtain a ta x registration card and a professional identity 
card. These cards, together with a tax compliance certificate (tax clearance, type A), must be presented before any customs clearance operation.
1 Unlike the cards, which are valid for one year, 
the tax clearance certificate is valid for three to five months. 
3.8.  Customs procedures are defined in the 1987 Customs Code and the successive amendments 
thereto. Pursuant to the legislation, all imports are subject to a customs declaration specifying the 
customs procedure applicable. There are four types of procedure: declaration of release for 
consumption; export declaration; re-export declaration; and declaration under suspensive procedures (transit, storage, temporary admission, etc.). 
3.9.  Customs declarations may be made manually using a customs declaration form (FDU) 
or electronically through ASYCUDA. The documents required for commercial imports include the 
bill of lading or air waybill, the packing list, and the commercial invoice. A separate declaration of value is required for commercial imports of a value exceeding G 1,000. Other documents may also 
be required depending on the nature of the goods,  the type of import transaction or the value. 
These may include: a fumigation certificate for worn clothing; a phytosanitary or veterinary certificate; or a certificate from the ministry responsible for public health for pharmaceuticals. 
The time required for formalities is one of the longest in the subregion (Latin America and 
the Caribbean). According to the World Bank's Doing Business report, importing a container may 
take 26 days, five of which are required to complete customs and inspection formalities.
2 
3.10.  The project to computerize the customs system led to the introduction of ASYCUDA World in 
most customs offices so they are now interconnected. A number of operations can be conducted 
online using ASYCUDA World, for example, transm itting the manifest and the customs declaration 
and paying costs. This project has meant a sign ificant improvement in the country's logistics 
performance, as can be seen from its classification in the World Bank's Logistics Performance 
Index: in three years, Haiti rose from 123rd place to 98th in 2010.3 Following the earthquake, 
however, it lost its place and was 153rd in 2012. 
3.11.  After the means of transport has arrived, the carrier has 24 hours in which to register the 
manifest. Once this has been done and the customary formalities completed (quarantine, for example), the director of the customs office may authorize unloading of the goods. These are 
then stored in customs warehouses or areas or on any other authorized site. After the manifest 
has been registered, the importer has 21 days in which to submit the customs declaration and 
48 hours after this has been registered the original documents have to be presented at the customs office. The documents are checked and forwarded to the service which processes them. 
At this stage, the declaration may be selected for one of the following three channels depending on 
factors such as the nature of the goods, their or igin, and previous transactions by the operator: 
a. Green channel: the declaration is processed immediately. The declarant has four days 
for payment of the fees at on e of the two approved banks
4; 
b. Yellow channel: more detailed verification of the declaration and the documents. 
Following this, the declaration may be redirected to one of the other two channels or result in a fine being imposed; 
c. Red channel: the goods undergo physical inspection. Following this, the declaration may 
be forwarded to the green channel for processing, or amended and redirected to the yellow channel for further verification of the documents. 
3.12.  After the fees due have been paid
5, the declarant is given a release note and takes this to 
the person in charge of the customs warehouse in order to obtain the exit voucher and withdraw the goods. 
                                               
1 The tax clearance certificate is issued by the Directorate-General of Taxation. 
2 World Bank (2014). 
3 Online information from the World Bank. Viewed at: http://lpi.worldbank.org . 
4 These are the Bank of the Republic of Haiti and the National Credit Bank. 
5 Sums of up to G 15,000 may be paid in cash. Higher amounts must be paid by cheque. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
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  3.13.  Some offices have not yet been equipped with ASYCUDA and customs clearance procedures 
differ. Importers usually make a declaration without a manifest as soon as the means of transport arrives. Based on the documents furnished, the cu stoms service decides whether or not to conduct 
an inspection. They assess the goods and then process the declaration. 
3.14.  Use of an approved customs broker is mandatory for commercial imports. The following 
formalities in particular have to be completed by a customs broker: declaration, verification, customs clearance, transit, storage,  export or reshipment of goods.
6 Only Haitian citizens may act 
as customs brokers and the usual procedures for setting up businesses (Section 2.4.2) apply to 
the profession. A customs broker must be ap proved by the AGD, which keeps a register. 
The legislation distinguishes two categories of customs broker: those authorized to complete 
customs formalities for any type of transaction, and those who may only deal with transactions of 
a value not exceeding G 1 million. For the former, the security to be deposited is 
G 100,000 and G 50,000 for the latter. 
3.15.  Haiti has not yet ratified the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation. An advance information 
programme for freight was introduced in 2013. Under this programme, information must be 
forwarded within the following periods: at least three hours before arriving at the border for road transport; at least 24 hours before arriving at the first port in Haiti for maritime transport; 
on take-off or at least four hours before the aircraft arrives in Haiti for air transport. 
3.16.  Haiti is a member of the World Customs Organization, but is not a contracting party to 
the Revised Kyoto Convention.
7 
3.2.1.2  Preshipment inspection 
3.17.  A preshipment inspection programme for imports was introduced in 1983 with the aim of 
"providing the AGD with technical assistance in order to protect the interests of the State, of importers, producers and consumers".
8 The programme is managed by the Société générale de 
surveillance (SGS) under a service contract. The SGS' inspection services include notification of the 
customs value of goods and their tariff classification and import eligibility (pursuant to domestic legislation). The customs administration is not, however, bound by these notifications. 
3.18.  According to the law, preshipment inspection is mandatory for goods imported in full 
containers and for those with an f.o.b. value of US$5,000 or more. Importers have to register a prior import declaration (DPI) with the SGS at least five days before the goods are shipped. A DPI is also required for imports of a value of US$3,000 to US$5,000. Based on the information 
provided by the importer, the SGS determines th e scope of the inspection, which may consist of 
physical inspection of the nature, quality and quan tity of the goods or simply verification of the 
customs value and the tariff classification. 
3.19.  Physical inspection usually takes place at the site of production, storage or shipping. 
Products imported in bulk such as rice, wheat flour and sugar, however, may be inspected at destination. For goods of a value of US$3,000 to US$5,000, inspection is confined to verifying the 
value and the tariff classification, although they may be subject to inspection at destination at the 
request of the AGD. Following the inspection, the SGS may issue an inspection certificate (if the inspection is satisfactory) or a report of irregularities. The admissibility of the customs declaration depends on submission of the DPI and the original inspection certificate (if the SGS is involved). 
3.20.  The following are some of the products  exempt from preshipment inspection: 
precious stones and metals; works of art; ammunition and weapons (except for hunting or sporting weapons); explosives and pyrotechnical articles; scrap metal; newspapers 
and periodicals; petroleum and its byproducts; commercial samples; and live animals. 
                                               
6 Viewed at: http://www.gerardlatortue.or g/bpm/pdf/decrets/douane.pdf  [10.06.2015]. 
7 International Convention on the Simplificati on and Harmonization of Customs Procedures, 
signed at Kyoto on 18 May 1973 and amended on 26 June 1999. 
8 Decree of 3 October 1983 giving the Société générale de surveillance (SGS) responsibility for 
the qualitative and quantitative inspection of shipping operations throughout the Republic of Haiti as of 1 December 1983. Published in Le Moniteur  No. 75 of Monday, 31 October 1983, pp. 842-844. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
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  3.21.  Inspection fees amounting to 5% ad valorem of the c.i.f. value of imports are levied on 
behalf of the State. Not only do these not necessa rily reflect the cost of the service provided but 
they also significantly increase the actual du ty on the entry of imported goods. For each 
procedure, the Haitian State pays the SGS costs amounting to 0.80% of the f.o.b. value of 
the goods inspected, with a minimum charge of US$200. 
3.2.1.3  Verification of conformity 
3.22.  A programme to verify the conformity of good s prior to shipment has been operating since 
January 2013. Its purpose is to verify that imported goods comply with national or international 
standards or technical regulations, and it applies to virtually all products.9 This programme is also 
administered by the SGS.10 The goods are usually verified in the country of export. The following 
are exempt from the programme: personal effects, donations, materials for educational 
institutions, and goods imported by diplomats, consular missions and United Nations agencies. 
Verification fees are ad valorem  and amount to 0.40% of the f.o.b.  value of the goods indicated on 
the invoice, with minimum and maximum fees of US$400 and US$8,000, respectively.11 
In this case, there is no additional fee for verification of the value. 
3.2.2  Customs valuation 
3.23.  Customs valuation methods are still essentially based on the 1950 Brussels Definition. 
In 2008, a draft customs code incorporating provisions in line with the WTO Customs Valuation 
Agreement was put before Parliament, but has not as yet been ratified. Customs value is the normal value "that is to say, the price that can be fixed for the goods concerned, at the time customs duty becomes payable, in the course of sales that occur under fully competitive conditions 
between buyers and sellers" (Customs Code, Article 59). For used vehicles, the AGD may consult 
the values cited in certain sources such as the Kelley Blue Book , the National Automobile Dealers 
Association (NADA), or the Argus. 
3.24.  Customs duty is payable on the c.i.f. value of the goods. The amount is converted into 
gourdes at the exchange rate prevailing at the Ce ntral Bank at the time the duty and taxes owing 
are paid. 
3.25.  In addition to preshipment inspection by th e inspection company, the value of goods is 
verified by the customs authorities both duri ng and after the customs clearance procedure. 
The purpose is to secure compliance with the legi slation and to ensure that the goods correspond 
to the declaration registered. Inspection may result in the imposition of additional duties 
and taxes, as well as fines which may amount to 30% of the customs value. 
3.26.  If the value is contested, the economic operator may lodge an appeal with the 
Director of the AGD. 
3.2.3  Rules of origin 
3.27.  Haiti does not apply any non-preferential rules of origin.
12 
                                               
9 Products under the following tariff headings ar e exempt from conformity assessment: Chapter 03 
(except headings 0302 to 0307); Chapter 10 (except 1006.10.90 to 1006.40); Chapter 11 (except 1101.00.10.00); Chapter 21 (2106.01.000 to 2106.02.900); Chapter 22 (except 2207); Chapter 25 (except 2501.01.100 to 2501.001900, 2523.210000 to 2523.9000); Chapter 39 (except 3917, 3923, 3924 and 3925); Chapter 40 (except 40.11 to 40.14); Chapter 48 (except 4818.10 to 4818.90; 4820.10; 4820.20 to 4820.40); Chapter 72 (except 7213 and 7214); Chapter 73 (except 7308.900000 and 7311.009000); Chapter 
76 (except 7606); Chapter 84 (except 8414, 8415, 8418, 8419, 8424 and 8428); Chapter 85 (except 8501, 8502, 8504, 8506, 8507, 8508, 8509, 8511, 8513, 8515, 8516, 8517.11 to 8517.62, 8525, 8536, 8537, 8539, 8544, and 8545); and Chapter 90 (except 9018, 9020, 9021, 9022, 9025, 9026, 9028, 9030 and 9032). 
10 SGS, online information viewed at: 
http://www.sgs.com/en/Our-Company/News-and-M edia-Center/News-and-Press-Releases/2012/11/SGS-
APPOINTED-FOR-ADDITIONAL-SERVICES-IN-HAITI.aspx  [19.08.2015]. 
11 SGS, online information viewed at: 
http://chatelaincargo.com/sites/chatelaincargo.com/files/resources/sgs/sgs-pca-haiti-datasheet-v1-hs-list-
12.pdf  [18.08.2015]. 
12 WTO document G/RO/N/20/Rev.1 of 27 July 1998. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
- 31 - 
 
  3.28.  Community origin within the CARICOM is recognized for goods wholly produced in 
the Community from local raw materials. The g oods produced (even partly) from imported raw 
materials must undergo substantial processing in order to be eligible.13 Substantial processing is 
proved either by means of a change in the tariff heading (i.e. at the level of six-digit subheadings 
in the Harmonized System) or by conformity with specific criteria set out in Annex I to the Treaty. 
3.29.  Preferential rules of origin are provided under the CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership 
Agreement and should come into force once the Agreement has been ratified by Haiti. 
3.2.4  Customs duty 
3.30.  Haiti remains highly dependent on port duties as a source of income. Customs revenue 
(including inspection fees) accounts for around one third of fiscal revenue. Its share would be even higher if the internal taxes collected at the border were taken into account. For fiscal 2013-2014, 
the customs duty collected amounted to G 8. 4 billion, corresponding to 17.8% of fiscal 
revenue (Table 3.1). 
Table 3.1 Trend in fiscal revenue, 2004-2014 
(G million) 
 2004-2005 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 
Customs revenue 8,039 18,259 22,047 22,695 22,860 23,550 
- Customs duty 2,061 5,998 6,738 6,993 7,031 7,173 
- Inspection fees 1,813 3,957 5,274 5,476 5,297 5,390 
- Turnover tax 3,068 6,896 9,121 9,157 9,588 10,017 
- Excise duty 1,097 1,408 914 1,069 944 969 
Internal revenue 10,653 19,393 24,613 28,331 29,243 33,380 
Other fiscal resources 1,327 638 761 179 1,049 326 
Source: Ministry of the Economy and Fi nance. Online information viewed at: 
http://www.mef.gouv.ht/index.php?page=TOFE . 
3.2.4.1  Applied customs tariff 
3.31.  The most-favoured-nation (MFN) tariff applied during fiscal 2014-201514 is based on 
the 2007 version of the Harmonized System (HS).15 Even though the tariff is broken down to 
eight-digit level, the base nomenclature remains that of the six-digit HS (tariff subheadings). 
The eight-digit breakdown in fact only concerns 368 subheadings and in most cases has entailed a division of the subheading into two tariff lines, sometimes with very different rates. The applied 
tariff therefore consists of 5,285 tariff lines. It is ad valorem  for all lines, except for one: 
grated cheese or cheese in powder form (tariff line 040620.00). The rate for this tariff line is specific and has not changed since the previous TP R: G 0.82 per net kilogram. There is no longer 
a specific tariff for dried garlic. 
                                               
13 Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, Article 84. 
14 The fiscal year commences on 1 October and ends on 30 September the following year. 
15 Haiti is a member of the World Customs Organi zation and became a contracting party to the 
International Convention on the Harmonized Commodity  Description and Coding System on 17 January 2000. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
- 32 - 
 
  3.32.  The applied rate appears fairly low compared to those of other countries, especially 
the CARICOM's CET. If one takes into account ot her charges such as inspection fees and the 
environmental protection tax (Section 3.2.5), however, protection at the border is high. During the review period, the average applied rate rose, from 2.9% in 2002 to 4.9% in 2015 (Table 3.2). 
Some 44.3% of tariff lines are duty free (compa red to 67.1% in 2002). The revision of the tariff 
mainly involved imposing a 5% duty on certain products that had previously been duty free. The percentage of lines with a 5% tariff theref ore showed a marked increase and accounts for 
one quarter of tariff lines. 
Table 3.2 Structure of app lied MFN tariffs, 2002 and 2015  
 Indicator 2002-2003a 2014-2015b 
1. Total number of tariff lines 5,236 5,285 
2. Non-ad valorem  tariffs (% of all tariff lines) 0.4 0.0 
3. Non- ad valorem  tariffs without AVEs (% of all tariff lines)  0.0 
4. Tariff quotas (% of all tariff lines) 0.0 0.0 
5. Duty-free tariff lines (% of all tariff lines) 67.1 44.2 
6. Simple average of dutiable lines (%)  8.9 
7. Simple arithmetic average of applied MFN rates  2.9 4.9 
8. Agricultural products (WTO definition) 5.5 8.6 
9. Non-agricultural produc ts (WTO definition)  4.4 
10. Agriculture, huntin g, forestry and fishing (ISIC 1) 4.5 5.6 
11. Mining and quarrying (ISIC 2) 2.1 2.7 
12. Manufacturing (ISIC 3) 2.8 5.0 
13. Raw materials 3.3 4.0 
14. Semi-finished goods  2.0 3.2 
15. Finished goods  3.3 6.1 
16. Domestic tariff peaks (% of all tariff lines)c 17.9 13.3 
17. International tariff peaks (% of all tariff lines)d 7.2 5.0 
18. Overall standard deviation of applied rates  4.8 6.1 
19. "Nuisance" applied rates (% of all tariff lines)e 0.0 0.0 
20. Bound tariff lines (% of all tariff lines)  89.4 
a Tariff communicated by the authorities. 
b Tariff taking into account the law amending the 2014-2015 budget, 
as published in Le Moniteur  of 27 March 2015. 
c Domestic tariff peaks are duties exceeding thr ee times the simple average of all applied rates. 
d International tariff peaks are rates exceeding 15%. e Nuisance rates are those greater than zero but less than or equal to 2%. 
Source: WTO Secretariat calculations, based on data provided by the authorities. 
3.33.  The applied ad valorem rates range from 0% (44.3% of tariff lines) to 40%. The ceiling rate 
of 40% applies to a dozen tariff lines on products such as spirits, cigars, cigarillos and cigarettes of tobacco. The coefficient of variation of 1.2 shows relatively moderate dispersion of rates. A rate of 5% or less applies to al most 80% of tariff lines. 
3.34.  The customs tariff has frequently been adjusted both upwards and downwards, which may 
raise a problem of predictability for economic operators. During fiscal 2014-2015, it was amended at least twice: at the beginning of the fiscal year, by means of the finance law; and in the middle 
of the fiscal year, by means of the amending finance law. 
3.35.  In 2014, the authorities reorganized customs duties on new vehicles in order, inter alia , 
to renew the fleet of automobiles and lower emissions of carbon dioxide.
16 Following this revision, 
vehicles of less than 1,100 cc became totally duty  free, while those of more than 1,500 cc became 
taxed at 12% (except for vehicles of tariff line 870390). The rate of customs duty for those between 1,100 cc and 1,500 remains unchanged at 10%. 
                                               
16 Amending budget for 2014-2015, Le Moniteur , 170th year – Special edition No. 2, 27 March 2015. 
Viewed at: http://www.mef.gouv.ht/upload/doc/Budget_Rectificatif_14-15.pdf  [20.08.2015]. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
- 33 - 
 
  Chart 3.1 Breakdown of MFN rates, 2015  
(44.2%)
(0.9%)(0.2%)(5.7%)(25.0%)
(0.0%)(11.5%)
(8.4%)
(4.0%)
0102030405060708090100
05001,0001,5002,0002,500
0 3 3.5 5 7 10 15 20 >25Number of tariff linesaPercentage
Cumulative Percentage
Number of lines (% of total)
 
a There are 5,285 lines. One line has a specific tariff (G 0.82 per net kilogram) and is not included in 
this chart. 
Source: WTO Secretariat calculations, based on data provided by the authorities. 
Chart 3.2 Average customs duty by ISIC classification, 2015 
012345678910
11 12 13 21 22 23 29 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39Percentage
11  Agriculture and hunting
12  Forestry and logging13  Fishing21  Coal mining22  Production of petroleum and natural gas23  Mining of metal ores29 Mining of other minerals
31  Food products, beverages, tobacco32  Textiles, clothes and leather goods
33  Wood industries34  Paper products, printing and publishing35  Chemical and petroleum industries, etc.36  Non-metallic mineral products37  Base metal industries38 Articles of metal, machinery, etc.
39  Other manufacturingAverage rate
(4.9%)
 
Source: WTO Secretariat calculations, based on data provided by the authorities. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
- 34 - 
 
  Table 3.3 Summary of the tariff, April 2015 
 Applied MFN tariff Bound 
tariff 
No. 
of lines Simple 
average  
(%) Range 
 (%) Coefficient 
of variation Average 
(%) 
Total 5,285  4.9 0-40  1.2 18.2  
HS 01-24 795 8.0 0-40 1.1 22.3 
HS 25-97 4,490  4.4 0-40 1.2 17.5  
By WTO definition  
Agriculture 736  8.6 0-40 1.0 21.3  
 - Animal products 101 8.2 0-25 1.1 18.2 
 - Dairy producea 20  5.9 0-20 0.7 10.1  
 - Fruit, vegetables, garden produce 188 11.6 0-40 0.7 26.6 
 - Coffee, tea 25  10.4 5-20 0.6 24.4  
 - Cereals and other preparations 88 9.1 0-25 0.8 30.8 
 - Oilseeds, fats and oils 100  2.7 0-20 1.2 15.5  
 - Sugar and confectionery 18 13.0 3.5-20  0.4 40.0 
 - Beverages and tobacco 64  19.5 0-40 0.6 27.3  
 - Cotton 5 15.0 15-15  0.0 20.0 
 - Other agricultural products 127  2.4 0-20 1.8 9.7  
Non-agricultural products 
(incl. petroleum) 4,549  4.4 0-40 1.2 17.7 
 - Non-agricultural products 
(excl. petroleum) 4,538  4.3 0-25 1.2 17.6  
 - - Fishing and fish products 126 1.9 0-20 2.6 23.2 
 - - Metals and minerals 929  3.9 0-25 1.4 13.2  
 - - Chemicals 861 3.1 0-25 1.6 22.3 
 - - Wood, paper, etc. 263  4.4 0-20 1.3 12.1  
 - - Textiles 593 6.1 0-20 1.1 20.7 
 - - Clothing 219  5.8 0-15 0.6 29.6  
 - - Leather, footwear, etc. 160 5.3 0-15 1.0 21.5 
 - - Non-electrical machinery 522  3.3 0-20 0.9 14.1  
 - - Electrical machinery 249 2.4 0-20 1.5 15.6 
 - - Transport equipment 210  5.1 0-20 0.9 14.1  
 - - Other manufactures n.e.s. 406 7.2 0-20 0.8 17.4 
 - Petroleum 11  6.8 0-40 1.7 21.1  
By ISIC sectorb 
Agriculture, huntin g, forestry and 
fishing 296 5.6 0-40 1.4 18.3  
Mining and quarrying 97 2.7 0-15 1.5 12.8 
Manufacturing 4,891  4.9 0-40 1.2 18.3  
By HS sector  
 01 Live animals, animal products 240  3.8 0-25 1.7 17.4  
 02 Vegetable products 260 8.4 0-40 0.9 25.8 
 03 Animal or vegetable fats and oils 72  2.7 0-20 1.3 16.5  
 04 Prepared foodstuffs 223 13.7 0-40 0.7 23.6 
 05 Mineral products 156  2.3 0-40 1.9 12.5  
 06 Chemicals 792 2.3 0-20 1.7 21.1 
 07 Plastics and rubber  221  6.4 0-25 1.0 23.2  WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
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   Applied MFN tariff Bound 
tariff 
No. 
of lines Simple 
average  
(%) Range 
 (%) Coefficient 
of variation Average 
(%) 
08 Raw hides and skins, leather, 
furskins 69 5.9 0-15 1.1 23.9 
 09 Wood and articles of wood 94  4.5 0-20 1.1 24.6  
 10 Pulp of wood, paper 147 3.0 0-20 1.3 10.1 
 11 Textiles and textile articles 802  5.9 0-20 1.0 21.6  
 12 Footwear, headgear, etc. 49 10.0 0-20 0.5 22.3 
 13 Articles of stone 143  6.5 0-20 0.7 19.4  
14 Precious metals and precious stones 53 13.1 0-25 0.4 28.1 
 15 Base metals 584  3.0 0-20 1.6 10.6  
 16 Machinery and appliances 773 3.0 0-20 1.1 14.8 
 17 Transport equipment 221  5.0 0-20 0.9 14.2  
 18 Precision instruments  225 5.8 0-20 0.8 14.9 
 19 Arms, ammunition 20  17.0 5-20 0.4 20.0  
20 Miscellaneous manufactured articles 130 9.8 0-20 0.8 21.7 
21 Works of art, collectors' pieces 
and antiques 11 1.8 0-5 1.3 15.0  
By stage of processing  
Raw materials 632  4.0 0-40 1.6 17.4  
Semi-finished products 1,713  3.2 0-25 1.6 19.2 
Finished products 2,940  6.1 0-40 1.0 17.8  
a One tariff line has been left out of the calculations  because of the lack of statistics to calculate the 
ad valorem equivalent of the specific rate. 
b ISIC classification (Rev.2), excluding el ectricity, gas and water (one tariff line). 
Source: WTO Secretariat calculations, based on data provided by the authorities. 
3.2.4.2  Bound rates 
3.36.  Haiti has bound import duties on 89.4% of it s tariff lines at an average rate of 18.2% 
(Table 3.3). Tariffs on agricultural products are bound at rates ranging from 0 to 50%, with an 
average bound rate of 21.3%. Zero-rated bound tariff lines concern in particular: powdered milk; 
certain bones and horn-cores; malt, not roasted;  seeds, spores and fruit used for sowing, 
other than garden seeds; wheat and meslin; hops; certain plants and parts of plants of a kind used in perfumery, medicine or in pharmacy; straw an d pellets of unprepared cereals; certain types 
of fodder; certain resins and fats for industrial use; vegetable saps and extracts; linseed oil; 
crude glycerol; animal oils and fats (in specific forms); yeast; denatured ethyl alcohol of any type; 
and some protein materials and their products. The ce iling rate of 50% applies to products such as 
maize, rice, buckwheat, millet, canary seed, sorg hum and other products of the milling industry. 
3.2.4.3  Tariff concessions 
3.37.  The Customs Code allows entry free of duties and taxes for goods such as: 
travellers' luggage; objects imported when changing residence; goods imported under diplomatic 
or consular privileges; articles for correspondence courses; agricultural equipment; samples of 
no commercial value; inherited goods; awards or sporting trophies; coffins, urns and funeral articles. The following are also exempt from payment of duties and taxes: school supplies
17; 
printers' ink; articles for teaching the social sciences; newspapers and periodicals; 
maps and terrestrial globes; propane and containers for compressed gases; and charcoal. 
                                               
17 The list includes: books; exercise books; pencils; fountain pens; pens; pen cases; propelling pencils; 
erasers; felt pens; children's picture albums or books for drawing or colour ing; math toolkits; graduated rulers; 
protractors; compasses; chalk; slate pencils; ballpoin t pens; slates and blackboards for writing and drawing. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
- 36 - 
 
  3.38.  Subject to authorization from the competent ministry, non-profit-making institutions may 
obtain exemption from duties and taxes on their imports of food products, medical materials and equipment, provided that they are not intended for sale. NGOs recognized by the authorities are 
exempt from payment of duties and taxes on imported vehicles. 
3.39.  Exemptions from customs duty may also be given under other laws offering incentives 
(Section 3.4.1). For example, companies approved by the Interministerial Investment Commission under the Law on Industrial Parks (LPI), the In vestment Code or the Law on Free Zones (LFZ) 
may obtain exemption from customs duty and in spection fees. Those importing duty-free goods 
must submit an exemption letter issued by the Mini stry of the Economy and Finance, together with 
a tax compliance certificate (tax clearance, type B). 
3.2.5  Other duties and taxes 
3.40.  During the Uruguay Round, Haiti bound other duties and charges at a ceiling of 16%, 
except for some edible animal products (bound at 20%); and vinegar and some grape must and cider (bound at 21%). 
3.41.  In practice, most imports are subject to pr eshipment inspection fees of 5% of their 
c.i.f. value (Section 3.2.1.2) 
3.42.  An environmental protection tax was introduced in 2015
18 and applies to imports of used 
vehicles, tyres, batteries and articles of worn clothi ng. The rate is 10% of th e c.i.f. value for tyres, 
batteries and worn clothing. For vehicles over seven years old (or lorries over 12 years old), the rate is 25%. More modern vehicles are exempt fr om this tax. Used vehicles are also subject to 
a tourism tax at a rate of 10% of their c.i.f. value.
19 Taken together, these charges may lead to 
increases above the bound rates for other duties and charges on items such as used vehicles. 
3.43.  A first registration tax applies to vehicles imported by individuals for use on the road. 
The tax base is the c.i.f. value of the vehicle and the rate increases according to the value of the 
vehicle (with a minimum rate of G 5,000): 5% for vehicles valued at G 35,000 or less; 
10% for vehicles of a value ranging from G 35,001 to G 55,000; 15% for vehicles of a value ranging from G 55,001 to G 75,000; and 20% for vehicles of a value exceeding G 75,000. 
Lorries and buses carrying more than 25 people are exempt. 
3.44.  Since 2015, goods vehicles registered abroad have had to pay a so-called "internal 
movement duty"
20, levied by the AGD at a rate of G 5,000 for lorries and G 6,000 for trailers. 
3.45.  The following are some of the other import charges: 
a. down payment amounting to 2% of the c.i.f. value of goods, levied in connection with 
corporation tax; 
b. storage charges on goods declared for storage, levied monthly at a rate of 2% of the 
declared or estimated value of the goods; 
c. stamp duty of G 5 per document for various declarations and vouchers; and 
d. a fuel duty of G 1 per litre of diesel fuel. 
                                               
18 Law amending the 2014-2015 budget, Le Moniteur , 170th year – Special edition No. 2, 
27 March 2015. Viewed at: http://www.mef.gouv.ht/upload/doc/Budget_Rectificatif_14-15.pdf  [20.08.2015]. 
19 Online information from the General Cust oms Administration (AGD). Viewed at: 
http://www.douane.gouv.ht/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=227&Itemid=259  [20.08.2015]. 
20 Law amending the 2014-2015 budget, Le Moniteur , 170th year – Special edition No. 2, 
27 March 2015. Viewed at: http://www.mef.gouv.ht/upload/doc/Budget_Rectificatif_14-15.pdf  [20.08.2015]. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
- 37 - 
 
  3.2.6  Internal taxes 
3.46.  In addition to customs duty and inspection f ees, imports are subject to internal taxes such 
as the turnover tax; excise duty; down payment; and contribution to the local communities management fund. 
3.2.6.1  Turnover tax 
3.47.  Turnover tax (TCA) accounted for 27.9% of fiscal revenue during the period 2013-2014 
and is mostly collected on imports (Table 3.3). It generally applies to operations related to 
consumption or use of goods and services in Haiti.
21 There is a flat rate of 10% on the turnover of 
taxable transactions. For imports, the tax base comprises the c.i.f. value of the goods, customs duty, inspection fees and excise duty. 
3.48.  Imports of the following products are exempt from the TCA: petroleum products; inputs for 
manufacturing medicines; newspapers, books and school supplies; agricultural materials, 
equipment and inputs. The financial and real estate sectors, together with the international transport sector, are also exempt from the TCA. 
3.49.  Exports of goods and certain services are ex empt from the TCA. The tax paid on some 
inputs may allow deduction of the TCA owing to the State. The list of eligible goods includes: unprocessed or processed raw materials used in pr oduction; semi-finished products for additional 
processing; and spare parts to be used to assemble a finished product. There is no zero rate for 
export transactions. Imported inputs are thus exempt, whereas local inputs are taxed, which can be prejudicial for exporters and domestic producers. 
3.2.6.2  Excise duty 
3.50.  Excise duty applies to a wide range of local or imported products (Table 3.4). During 
fiscal 2013-2014, it represented around 1.8% of fiscal revenue (Table 3.1). It is mostly derived from petroleum products and imported vehicles. The tax base for imports is usually the c.i.f. value, 
with an exception for imported vehicles, and includes customs duty. Some products are subject to 
a rate that varies depending on their origin (domestic or imported), which could constitute a violation of national treatment. For example,  following the law amending the 2014-2015 budget, 
products such as whisky, rum and beer have been taxed at a rate of 16% of their c.i.f. value if 
they are imported, while their local equivalents are ta xed at a rate of 4% of their ex-factory price. 
Table 3.4 Products subject to excise duty, and applicable rates, June 2015 
Product  Domestic products Imported products 
Tobacco 12% ex-factory price 12% c.i.f. value 
Whisky  4% ex-factory price 16% c.i.f. value 
Rum 4% ex-factory price 16% c.i.f. value 
Beer  4% ex-factory price 16% c.i.f. value 
Wine-based beverages and other alcoholic 
beverages 4% ex-factory price 16% c.i.f. value 
Aerated beverages 4% ex-factory price G 7.2/144 corks 
Malt-based beverages .. G 2/crate 
Milk-based beverages  .. 5% c.i.f. value 
Brown sugar  .. G 0.075/lb 
Refined sugar .. G 0.20/lb 
Imported vehicles of over 2,200 cc  N/A 10% c.i.f. value + customs duty 
Cigarettes and tobacco  .. 12% c.i.f. value 
                                               
21 Law of 13 December 2002 amending the Law of 19 September 1982 on Turnover Tax, 
Le Moniteur  No. 19, 10 March 2003. The law was amended by the Decree of 23 November 2005. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
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  Product  Domestic products Imported products 
Petroleum products  
Gasoline N/A G 3.307/litre + variable excise duty 
Diesel fuel N/A  G 3.106/litre + variable excise duty 
Kerosene N/A G 2.505/litre + variable excise duty 
AV-jet fuel N/A  G 0.02505/litre + variable excise duty 
.. Not available. 
N/A Not applicable. Source: Law amending the 2014-2015 budget and AGD. Online information viewed at: 
http://www.douane.gouv.ht/index.php?option= com_content&view=article&id=62&Itemid=110 . 
3.51.  There is variable excise duty as well on petroleum products, an additional levy to finance the 
smoothing of prices at the pump.22 The adjustment mechanism is based on a reference price 
(including taxes and profit marg ins), updated upon each arrival of petroleum products. When the 
gap between the reference price and the retail price does not exceed 5% of the latter, the variable 
excise duty is adjusted to compensate for the gap as a whole. If it exceeds 5%, the variable excise 
duty remains constant and the adjustment is reflected in full in the price. 
3.2.6.3  Other levies 
3.52.  The Law of 20 August 1996 introduced a contribution to the Fund for the Management and 
Development of Local Communities (CFGDCT) imposed on a certain number of domestic and 
imported goods and services.23 For imports, the contribution is 2% of the c.i.f. value plus customs 
duty. The list of products exempt includes petr oleum products, agricultural inputs, some food 
products (milk, rice, flour, beans, sugar, an imal feed), postal packages, pharmaceuticals, 
books and exercise books. For other products and services, the rate of the CFGDCT is: 20% on the 
selling price of cigarettes; 5% on insurance premiums; G 20 on vehicle licence plates and stickers; 
G 0.90 per minute on outgoing international telephone calls24; G 25 per ticket on international 
airline tickets; and 5% on gains from the lottery, gaming or similar betting. Net income and salaries are also taxable (at a rate of 1%), but this provision appears not to be applied.
25 
3.2.7  Import prohibitions, restrictions and licensing 
3.53.  Haiti does not have any import licensing regime.26 
3.54.  Article 251 of the Constitution prohibits the im port of agricultural foodstuffs and their 
byproducts, except in cases of force majeure , because it is deemed that sufficient quantities are 
produced domestically. It also prohibits the introduction into Haiti of waste or residues of foreign 
origin (Article 258). 
3.55.  In general, the Customs Code (Article 52) bans the import of a certain number of goods, 
including: counterfeit coins, banknotes or docume nts, and equipment used to manufacture or print 
them; obscene or pornographic articles; weapons of war and their ammunition (unless they are to be delivered to the Government); and narcotics and psychotropic substances (unless import is authorized by the Ministry responsible for public health). 
                                               
22 Law of 9 March 1995 establishing variable excise duty on petroleum products. 
23 Law of 20 August 1996 on contributions to the Fund for the Management and Development 
of Local Communities. 
24 Amending finance law for 2014-2015, viewed at: 
http://www.mef.gouv.ht/upload/do c/Budget%202014-2015%2030%20pages.pdf  
25 Law of 23 October 2002, amending the Decree of 31 March 1980 establishing the special 
communications tax. The rate is G 1.35 per minu te for outgoing intern ational telephone calls 
(Amending finance law for 2014-2015). 
26 WTO document G/LIC/N/3/HTI/7 of 23 September 2014. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
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  3.56.  The import of worn clothing, bedding and foot wear is forbidden in principle, but this 
measure is not applied. Some bans have an environmental objective. For example, since 1 August 2013, it has been forbidden to produce, import, sell or use polyethylene bags and inputs and articles in expanded polystyrene for on e-off use for food (for example, trays, cartons, 
bottles, sachets, cups and plates).
27 The measure has been notified to the WTO.28 
3.57.  Some bans are temporary and are intended to deal with specific problems (see also 
Section 3.2.10). Since July 2015, all imports of flour from the Dominican Republic have had to be 
accompanied by an analysis certificate issued by the exporting country.29 This measure follows on 
a notice concerning the discovery of a batch of contaminated imported flour.30 The certificate has 
to indicate, inter alia , the percentages of any food additives in the product. A ban on the import of 
s o m e  p r o d u c t s  f r o m  t h e  D o m i n i c a n  R e p u b l i c  b y  r o a d  i s  e x p e c t e d  t o  c o m e  i n t o  f o r c e  o n  
1 October 201531, when these products may only enter by sea or by air (except for cement) 
and may only be unloaded at the ports of Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haïtien. The measure has been adopted "in order to exercise better quality cont rol and ensure the safety of the population". 
3.58.  An authorization from the competent authorities is required for the import of certain goods. 
For example, ethanol imports require an import authorization issued by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MCI). A favourable opinion from the Ministry of Public Health and Population has to 
be obtained for products imported fo r pharmaceutical or medical purposes. 
3.59.  The import of used vehicles is restricted to one vehicle per person per year. Importing 
a second used vehicle during the same year is punishable by a fine equivalent to twice the 
customs duty. Moreover, any used vehicle imported over and above a second vehicle is 
systematically confiscated by the State. 
3.2.8  Anti-dumping, countervailing and safeguard measures 
3.60.  Haiti has no laws or regulations on anti-dumping or countervailing measures. It has not set 
up any competent authority to initiate and conduct anti-dumping investigations. 
3.61.  The CARICOM's provisions on safeguard measures are contained in Article 150 of 
the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas. Any member may impose quantitative restrictions temporarily 
in order to protect its balance of payments or to help a sector threatened by increased imports 
from other member countries. The member concerned must inform the Council for Trade and Economic Development, whose approval is required for any renewal of the measures after 18 months. 
3.2.9  Standards and other technical regulations 
3.62.  Haiti still has no specific legislation on standards, testing, approval or certification. 
International standards (notably those of the ISO,  the WHO and the FAO) serve as a reference but 
have not been officially adopted. A product conf ormity verification programme has been operating 
since 2012 (Section 3.2.1.3). 
                                               
27 Ministry of Trade and Industry, Information Letter MCI/0369 of 26 June 2012. 
28 WTO document G/TBT/N/HTI/1 of 3 July 2014. 
29 Ministry of Trade and Industry, document MCI/DCQPC/001360/15, 28 July 2015. 
30 Online information from the Ministry of Trade and Industry, viewed at: http://www.mci. 
gouv.ht/index.php?option=com_content&view=article &id=324%3Afarine&catid=1%3Anouveautes&Itemid=227
&lang=en . 
31 The 23 products affected are:  cooking butter; beer; biscuits ; soft drinks; grey cement; 
detergent powder; drinking water; packaging foam; heavy equipment for construction; wheat flour; rebar; edible oil; juice powder; ground maize; manteca; ma ttresses; expanded metal and sheet; edible pasta; 
paint and car body products; laundry soap; snacks ( cheeco) ; PVC pipes; and plasti c household utensils. 
Source: Ministry of the Economy and Finance, online information viewed at: http://www.mef.gouv.ht/index.php?page=D%C3%A9t ails%20de%20l%27actualit%C3%A9&id_article=398.  WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
- 40 - 
 
  3.63.  The Haitian Bureau of Standards (BHN) was set up in December 2012 with the task of 
organizing and managing standardization, certific ation, industrial metrology and quality promotion 
activities. It appears to be the enquiry point for the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade, but no notification to this effect has b een made. The BHN represents Haiti in regional and 
international bodies such as the CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality 
(CROSQ) and the Codex Alimentarius. A metrology laboratory was established in December 2012. Haiti is an Associate Member of the International Electrotechnical Commission. 
3.64.  In 2012, the MCI and the Ministry of Public Heal th and Population issued a notice setting out 
the obligations applicable to food products and pharmaceuticals. The requirements also cover labelling. Labels must be in one of the official languages and contain information on the ingredients, the manufacturer, packager or dist ributor, the dates of manufacture and expiry, 
the weight and the contents. Operators had to  implement these measures by 1 March 2013 
at the latest. 
3.2.10  Sanitary and phytosanitary requirements 
3.65.  The Quarantine Directorate at the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources 
and Rural Development (MARNDR) is the enquiry point for the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures. A number of re strictions and prohibitions have been adopted 
since 2013 (Table 3.5) but have not been notified to the WTO. 
Table 3.5 Temporary import bans, 2006-2014 
Product Country of origin Reason Period 
Salami and poultry 
products Dominican Republic Non-compliance with 
sanitary standards 2013 - present 
Pigs Dominican Republic, United States, 
Canada, Brazil and Mexico  Porcine epidemic 
diarrhoea (PED) June 2013 - present 
Meat products and live 
animals Dominican Republic Avian flu June 2013 - present 
27 fruits and 4 
vegetables Dominican Republic Mediterranean fruit fly March 2015 - present  
Source: Information provided by the Haitian authorities. 
3.66.  The legislation on SPS measures is dispersed and outdated32 and has not been regularly 
updated to reflect the new provisions imposed by  international conventions, although numerous 
draft laws have been drawn up and await ratification by Parliament. They concern in particular: 
plant protection; animal health; quarantine; and sanitary controls of agricultural and fisheries products. 
3.67.  The application of SPS measures (including cont rol at the border) is the responsibility of 
the MARNDR's National Quarantine Unit. Controls are carried out on domestic sales and on imports 
or exports of live animals, meat, foodstuffs of animal origin and animal or plant products. 
3.68.  Haiti is not party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild 
Fauna and Flora (CITES), although it does apply its directives. 
3.69.  Haiti continues to face problems in meeting the standards imposed by importing countries 
on its products and in setting up its own system. 
                                               
32 For example, the Decree prohibiting the entry into Haiti of animals, plants, plant seeds and their 
byproducts without a special authorization from the MARNDR ( Le Moniteur , 14 November 1986). WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
- 41 - 
 
  3.3  Measures directly affecting exports 
3.3.1  Export procedures and requirements 
3.70.  The procedures to be completed for exercising  the profession of exporter are similar to 
those for importers (Section 3.2.1). A customs declaration is required for direct exit export 
transactions, supplies or temporary export. Three copies of the customs declaration must be 
presented, accompanied by documents such as the following: export permit, issued by the MCI; 
export certificate, endorsed by the Central Bank; tax clearance certificate and any other document 
required by the legislation in force. Certificates of origin are usually issued by the MCI. Those for 
exports of coffee and cocoa are issued by the AGD. These numerous documentary requirements 
may constitute an obstacle to the competitiveness of the export sector. According to the World Bank's Doing Business report
33, formalities for exporting a standard container from the 
capital on average necessitate eight documents. The procedures may take four weeks, most of 
which is for preparing the documents (17 days) and completing customs and inspection formalities (four days). These requirements can result in high costs for companies, particularly for 
micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. Streamlining them might help improve the 
competitiveness of some export-oriented businesses. 
3.71.  Export declarations may be submitted through ASYCUDA. The formalities include the 
following stages: admissibility, clearance, verification and payment of duties and taxes 
(where applicable). Goods cannot usually be load ed until the declaration has been processed. 
3.72.  All carriers must produce an exit manifest (in four copies) before leaving customs territory, 
and this is required even if the goods are not loaded. 
3.3.2  Export taxes, charges and levies 
3.73.  Export transactions are exempt from the turnover tax. Absence of a zero rate could, 
however, penalize SMEs that export locally processed products because the TCA paid on inputs is 
not reimbursed in such cases. 
3.74.  Goods under customs control (after having received an export authorization) may be subject 
to payment of storage fees. These generally apply as of the seventh day of storage. 
Coffee and cocoa cargoes are allowed a longer period (one month). 
3.3.3  Export prohibitions, restrictions and licensing 
3.75.  Most of the quantitative restrictions in force are dictated by international treaties to which 
Haiti is party. The authorities may take measures to restrict exports for a number of reasons, 
including health, safety or environmental protection. The following are among the products that 
may not be exported: illicit drugs; fauna and flora; fertilizer; arms and ammunition (unless prior authorization is given); knives and lethal weapons; toxic waste; counterfeit goods; 
and pornographic material. 
3.76.  As a general rule, exports of fauna and flora products require prior authorization from 
the MARNDR. Some kinds of live animals belonging to endangered species (green anoles, mabuya, 
snails) may not be exported in order to preserve the national heritage. 
3.77.  Quality controls, as well as phytosanitary and animal health measures, apply to exports of 
coffee, cocoa, mangoes and animal products. 
3.3.4  Export support and promotion 
3.78.  According to notifications to the WTO, the Haitian Government does not grant export 
subsidies pursuant to Articles 10 and 18.2 of the Agreement on Agriculture.
34 
                                               
33 World Bank (2014). 
34 The latest notification in this respect is for fiscal 2014 (WTO document of 19 August 2015). WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
- 42 - 
 
  3.79.  Industrial parks (Section 4.5) are an import ant component of Haiti's strategy to conquer 
export markets. Originally, the aim was to receive export- or re-export-oriented companies. This strategy was reinforced by the adoption of the LZF.
35 The Government's policy on free zones 
is intended to facilitate investment, create stable jobs and secure the transfer of technology to 
domestic industry. The LZF sets out the criteria for the creation of free zones and the fiscal and 
customs regime applicable to them. The im plementing measures were adopted in 2012.36 
3.80.  The LZF defines two types of free zones: private free zones and mixed free zones set up 
under a public-private partnership. Free zone st atus may be accorded to any natural or legal 
person recognized as having a good moral and professional reputation and as being entirely financially solvent in the country of origin or in the country(ies) of operation over the previous five years. The fees for initiating the procedure ar e G 300,000 and are not reimbursable. Three types 
of activity may be conducted in free zones: industrial activities; business activities; general 
services (i.e. any international trade-related service activity). 
3.81.  Free zone status may be granted to any business exporting at least 70% of its output. 
Businesses set up in free zones (and their promoters) are eligible for the benefits defined in 
the Investment Code (Section 3.3.1). The legislation also makes provision for benefits specific to free zones. For example, investment in free zones or free enterprises is given ten years total 
exemption for the income earned from the investment and the sums invested in a free zone may 
be deducted from tax. The investment must, ho wever, be retained for at least five years. 
3.82.  Goods produced or assembled in free zones may obtain supplies from the domestic market 
for up to 30% of their total output (during any particular quarter) and after paying the customs 
duty and taxes applicable. Businesses providing a certain number of services deemed to be special 
may reserve up to 30% of their turnover (or capacity) for local clients over any particular quarter. This concerns suppliers of services such as: tourism services; clinics or specialized hospitals; 
retirement homes; detoxification centres; and spa residences. The same applies to businesses 
providing financial, scientific or tourism services.
37 
3.83.  The National Free Zones Council (CNZF) is th e institution responsible for implementing 
the LZF. Its task is to examine applications for admission to free zone status, to ensure that 
approved projects are carried out in accordance with the terms, and to regulate free zones. It is composed of representatives of the principal government authorities involved in implementing the LZF, together with two representatives from the private sector. These are selected by 
the Government from a list of ten persons nominated by employers' and cooperative associations 
and trade unions. The CNZF has the authority to examine and approve or reject candidatures. A free zone concession is usually granted by means of an order adopted by the Council of Ministers 
and published in the official journal Le Moniteur  and is valid for a renewable term of 25 years. 
3.84.  The management and regulation of free zones are the responsibility of the Free Zones 
Directorate, under the authority of the MCI. It  is the body responsible for regulation and 
coordination as regards the development, expl oitation, operation, management, maintenance 
and promotion of free zones. 
3.3.5  Export financing, insurance and guarantees 
3.85.  There is no special framework for export financing, insurance or guarantees. 
                                               
35 Law of 2 August 2002 on free zones. 
36 Order determining the regulato ry conditions for creating, es tablishing, managing, operating 
and controlling free zones in Haiti. Published in Le Moniteur , 167th year, No. 121, 24 July 2012. 
37 Order on choosing the members of the National Free Zones Council (CNZF). Published in 
Le Moniteur  No. 36, 16 August 2012. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
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  3.4  Measures affecting production and trade 
3.4.1  Incentives 
3.86.  The incentives regime accounts for a sizeable proportion of the revenue foregone by the 
State. For fiscal 2010-2011, total exemptions were estimated at G 12.1 billion, or 4.1% of GDP, 
of which 2.5 percentage points were for exemptions given by the customs administration. 
There are several types of investment incentive (Table 3.6) and these are mainly contained in the Investment Code (CDI), the LZF and the LPI. 
3.87.  The incentives under the CDI are restricted to investment in the following sectors: 
agriculture, handicrafts, industry, tourism and related services, and free zones. Investment in operations exclusively devoted to export and re-export is also eligible. 
3.88.  The incentives provided under the legislation are administered by an Interministerial 
Investment Commission (CII), which rules on the eligibility of candidates and also on withdrawal of 
benefits if the business fails to comply with its obligations. Benefits are granted by means of an agreement between the business and the State. The CII was set up to examine applications 
and make recommendations to the Government. The Investment Facilitation Centre (CFI) acts as 
the technical secretariat for the CII. It provides investors with support during the procedure, notably by providing information on formalities and following up the application until the CII has 
rendered its decision. Between 2010 and 2014, it  would seem that around 145 projects were 
approved by the CII.
38 
3.89.  Businesses benefiting from incentives are subject to a number of obligations and restrictions 
and are periodically controlled by the CII. For ex ample, an authorization from the CII is required 
for any sale, assignment or transfer, merger, takeover or other form of partnership involving 
such a business. 
Table 3.6 Principal incentives, June 2015 
Form of benefit General provisions Eligibility 
Customs and fiscal 
exemption  Total exemption for capital goods and 
materials needed to establish and operate the business; 
 20-year exemption for raw materials imported 
by industrial firms; 
 Exemption from the security deposit for 
imports under the te mporary admission 
procedure Businesses established in 
free zones (LZF) Businesses approved under the CDI 
 Imports of capital goods and materials needed to 
the establish and operate the business Assembly and finishing firms 
working exclusively for export 
(LPI) 
Exemption from the security deposit Imports under the temporar y admission procedure  
Exemption from the 
payroll and other internal 
taxes Exemption for a period not exceeding 15 years Businesses approved under 
the CDI 
 
Exemption from 
corporation tax Total exemption for a period not exceeding 
15 years, followed by partial tax liability as follows 
(% of income taxed): 15% - 30% - 45% - 60% - 
80% - then 100% at the end of the sixth year Businesses approved under 
the CDI 
Businesses established in 
free zones (LZF) 
 The exemption applies to income attributable to 
the product benefiting. The period of total 
exemption is eight years, followed by five years 
of partial tax liability.  Businesses established in 
industrial parks 
Exemption from 
income tax Ten-year exemption for income earned from 
investment in free zones Businesses established in 
free zones (LZF) 
                                               
38 Online information viewed at: http://lenouvelliste.com/lenouvelliste/article/148508/LATH-braque-ses-
projecteurs-sur-les-avantages-du-Code-des-investissements  [20.08.2015]. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
- 44 - 
 
  Form of benefit General provisions Eligibility 
Accelerated depreciation  Heavy operating equipment, motors, 
machinery, tools and standing equipment: 
25%; tractors: 25%; rolling stock: 50%; 
minor equipment, tools and instruments, air 
conditioning appliances: 50%; 
 Developed property: 10% ; furnishings: 20%; 
 Computer equipment: 50%; software: 100%;  
 Naval and aviation equipment: 50%; 
office equipment: 33%; 
 Hotels: tableware, glassware, kitchen 
utensils, silverware: 100%; linen: 100%; 
 Various charges: start-up costs: 50%; layout, 
design and installation costs: 20%; 
development costs: 33%; study 
and research costs: 100%  Businesses approved under 
the CDI 
 
Exemption from built-up 
property tax (CFPB) Exemption for a period not exceeding 15 years Businesses established in 
industrial parks  
Exemption from 
communal taxes 
(except the standing 
business licence cost)  Exemption for a period not exceeding 15 years  Businesses established in 
free zones (LZF) 
Employment of a foreigner with a contract exceeding three months Exemption from the licence fee for foreigners; 
Work permit for foreigners granted without payment of fees  .. 
Health card Exemption, provided that there is a health service 
duly authorized by the authorities  .. 
.. Not available. 
Source: Information provided by the authorities. Viewed at: 
http://haitidroitinvestissement.blogspot.ch/201 3/12/obligations-fiscales-des-entreprise-en.html . 
3.90.  The Code also provides sector-specific benefits, one of which is the agricultural sector. 
The range of eligible investment includes areas such as deep-sea fishing, industrial fish-farming, 
factory farming, horticulture and forestry. 
3.91.  Investment in the processing of raw materials (including those of foreign origin) 
is considered to be a priority and the raw materials are eligible for customs exemption for a period 
of 20 years, although this period is not supposed to exceed five years if the business is modernized or rehabilitated. Output must include local value added of at least 35% and be 
intended for domestic consumption. Purely commerc ial activities such as packaging and wrapping 
products imported in bulk are excluded from this regime. 
3.92.  The specific provisions concerning the tourism sector include: exemption from the built-up 
property tax for the first ten years for restoring heritage-listed buildings; exemption from tax on 
the income earned from the investment; and possibility of obtaining a lease for a period not 
exceeding 50 years. On the other hand, the customs and fiscal exemption for imports of capital goods and materials is only allowed if these cannot be found locally on the same terms. 
3.93.  Investment in other sectors of activity may also be eligible for incentives in certain cases. 
The promoter must enter into negotiations with the State with a view to signing an agreement. 
The criteria taken into account include: the advantages of the investment project for the local 
community; the use of new production technology or sources of energy intended to protect or 
conserve the environment. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
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  3.4.2  Competition policy and price controls 
3.94.  Haiti has no special legislation on competition. The relevant CARICOM provisions should 
apply once the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas comes into force.39 The legislation on price controls 
is outdated and is not applied. Matters of competition and price control are the responsibility 
of the MCI. 
3.95.  The MCI's price control activities are confined to random checks carried out by mobile units. 
The price of regulated products and services mu st be approved by the competent authorities. 
Such products and services include: petroleum products; electricity; water; fixed telephony 
services; and road transport of passengers. 
3.96.  The price of petroleum products is determined by a mechanism for smoothing prices at the 
pump, based on a reference price. The latter includes the cost of import and transport, and the 
trade margin negotiated. The distribution and import margins are negotiated between 
the Government, importers and distributors. Variations within a 5% margin for the regular price are absorbed by adjusting the variable component of excise duty (Section 3.2.6.2). The price at 
the pump is only adjusted when the reference price differs by more than 5%. The difference is 
then reflected entirely in the price. In prac tice, the price at the pump was frozen between 
March 2011 and October 2014, which resulted in cumulative subsidies estimated at G 19 billion.
40 
Since 6 February 2015, prices have once again been frozen.41 
3.97.  Temporary price control measures may be ap plied to some food products such as 
imported rice. 
3.4.3  State trading, State-owned en terprises and privatization 
3.98.  In 2000, Haiti notified that there were no State-trading enterprises.42 
3.99.  The creation and operation of State-owned enterprises are regulated, inter alia , 
by the Decree of 17 May 2005 on organization of the State's central administration. 
Such enterprises have usually been established in order to produce goods and services of general 
interest and they operate on the basis of their economic and social profitability. The State may 
also join with natural or legal persons in order to  create such enterprises. They are administered 
and managed by a board of directors (nominated by the Government). The board determines the 
enterprise's overall policy and monitors its im plementation, while the executive management is 
responsible for managing the enterprise. State-owned enterprises have administrative and financial autonomy. The Government may intervene if one of the following situations arises in the 
enterprise: a deficit exceeding one third of income at the end of the fiscal year; a deficit exceeding 
15% of income for three years (over a five-year period); losses which exceed one third of assets; 
or a decision by the courts condemning the ente rprise to pay debts exceeding 80% of its income. 
A commission is then set up to stabilize the enterprise's finances and to propose recovery 
measures. The Government may propose to Parliament that the enterprise be liquidated if it is considered that the enterprise will be unable to carry out the mission for which it was set up or if 
its mission is no longer deemed necessary. The State usually guarantees the debt of State-owned 
enterprises. As a result of arrears in payment of taxes, the Haitian State is reportedly in a position of liability to several State-owned enterprises.
43 
                                               
39 The Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (Article 177) pr ohibits abuse of a dominant position, as well as 
understandings between firms, concerted decisions and practices which have as their effect the prevention, restriction or distortion of competition within the Community. 
40 Clarification by the Government of the Republic, 12 February 2015. Viewed at: 
http://www.communication.gouv.ht/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Prix_produits_petroliers.pdf  [31.08.2015]. 
41 Ministry of the Economy and Finance, DIF/DIR: 150. Viewed at: 
http://www.mef.gouv.ht/upload/doc/Comp araison%20Haiti-RD% 2022au28%20Aout%202015.pdf  
[31.08.2015]. 
42 WTO document G/STR/N/6/HTI of 13 April 2000. 
43 It would appear that the State's arrears fro m State-owned enterprise s amounted to around 
0.1% of GDP for fiscal 2013-2014. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
- 46 - 
 
  3.100.  The Law on the modernization of State-ow ned enterprises defines the terms for the 
State's withdrawal from such enterprises.44 It provides for three forms of modernization: 
management contract, concession, and capitalization. Concessions are usually given for periods of at least ten years. In the case of capitalization, the State's share may not be less than 20% or 
more than 49%. In any event, shares are given to  the highest bidder after an invitation to tender. 
For some services such as electricity, telephony and water, the State may require bidders to make a commitment to a specific investment programme, covering in particular smaller towns and 
rural areas. 
3.101.  The State-owned Enterprise Modernization Board (CMEP) is in charge of implementing the 
programme to modernize State-owned enterprises. The first phase led to the privatization of three enterprises: Minoterie d'Haïti (which became Moulins d'Haïti); Ciment d'Haïti (which became 
Cimenterie nationale); and Société des télécommunications (which became NATCOM). 
Table 3.7 Current status of privatization of certain Haitian enterprises, June 2015 
Entreprise Sector of activity/monopoly State holding 
(%) Current status 
Moulins d'Haïti Production of wheat fl our and bran  30 Privatized in 1998 
Cimenterie nationale 
(CINA) Production of cement 31.84 Privatized in 1999 
Électricité d'Haïti (EDH) Generation, distribution and 
marketing of electric power 100 Under management 
contract 
Centrale autonome 
métropolitaine d'eau 
potable (CAMEP) Production, distribution and 
marketing of drinking water .. .. 
Autorité portuaire nationale Regulation and supply of port 
services 100% Restructuring under way 
in order to separate the regulation and supply of services activities 
Autorité aéroportuaire 
nationale Creation and operation of airport 
facilities  100% .. 
NATCOM (formerly TELECO) Telecommunications 40% Privatized in 2010 
.. Not available. 
Source: Information provided by the authorities. 
3.4.4  Government procurement 
3.102.  Haiti is neither a signatory nor an observer of the Plurilateral Agreement on Government 
Procurement. The Law of 12 June 2009 and its various implementing orders define the general rules applicable to government procurement and public service concession agreements.
45 It applies 
to the State; regional authorities; autonomous bodies of an administrative, cultural or scientific 
nature; State-owned enterprises and autonomous bodies of a financial, commercial or industrial 
nature; and joint enterprises with a majority State holding. The Law also applies when the operation is conducted by a legal person under private law acting on behalf (or with the financial 
support or the guarantee) of on e of the aforementioned authorities. Government procurement 
financed through external resources is covered, unless international financing agreements contain 
clauses contrary to the Law. The Law's provisions do not apply to defence- or national 
security-related procurement or to procuremen t following implementation of a law declaring 
a state of emergency. 
                                               
44 Law of 26 September 1996 on modernization of State-owned enterprises. Le Moniteur No. 75-A, 
10 October 1996. 
45 Law determining the general rules applicable to government procurem ent and public service 
concession agreements (Republished because of typograp hical errors in Le Moniteur  No. 78, 28 July 2009). 
The texts of the law and the decrees are available at: http://www.cnmp.gouv.ht/t extesfondamentaux/index  
[09.06.2015]. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
- 47 - 
 
  3.103.  At the institutional level, the National Government Procurement Commission (CNMP) 
is responsible for the regulation and control of procedures for the award of government procurement contracts and public service conce ssion agreements. The CNMP is subject to the 
authority of the Prime Minister. Departmental commissions have been set up within each ministry 
and administrative institution with the task of preparing draft invitations to bid and ensuring liaison 
between the committee opening and evaluating the bi ds and the CNMP. When each contract is to 
be awarded, a committee is set up within the contracting authority for the purpose of opening and 
evaluating the bids. These committees comprise experts from other ministries or institutions, 
together with two observers selected from outside the government sector. 
3.104.  As a general rule, government procurement contracts must be awarded according to one of 
the following three methods: invitation to bid (ope n, restricted or in two stages), by agreement 
or direct award of a contract. Open invitations to bid are the rule. They may be preceded by 
a pre-qualification stage if the subject matter of the contract is complex or requires particular technical skills. Recourse to a two-stage invitation to bid is justified only if the procurement is 
particularly complex or the contract has to be awarded on the basis of performance criteria and 
not on technical specifications. A restricted invitation to bid may be used if the goods, works or services are only available from a limited number of suppliers. The criteria are set in 
advance by the CNMP and the contracting authority has to make a no-objection application to 
the CNMP (or the departmental commission) before awarding the contract. 
3.105.  The legislation allows the use of consultation procedures or price quotations for contracts 
below certain thresholds (Table 3.8). These thresholds have been substantially revised upwards in 
order to meet the needs arising from the earthquake in January 2010. 
3.106.  Government procurement through invitations to bid must be the subject of a notice calling 
for competition published in a national newspaper with broad circulation. The time limit for 
receiving candidatures and bids must be at least 30 days for national bids and 45 days for 
international bids. Bids must be opened at a public session, which has to take place at the latest 30 minutes after the time limit for submitting the bids. 
Table 3.8 Thresholds for the award of go vernment procurement contracts by type 
of institution 
(G million) 
Contracting authority  
Purchase 
order or 
invoice Consultation/  
price quotation  Award of contract 
Works Supplies Services and 
intellectual 
services 
Central administration and 
departmental authorities  Below 
8 million 8 to 40 million 40 million 25 million 20 million 
State-owned enterprises 
(or those with a majority 
State holding) Below 
8 million 8 to 40 million 40 million 25 million 20 million 
Communes of 
Port-au-Prince, Delmas, Pétion-Ville, Carrefour, Tabarre, Cité Soleil, Croix-des-Bouquets Below 
1.5 million 1.5 to 15 million 15 million 8 million 4 million 
Communes capitals 
of districts Below 
1.5 million 1.5 to 10 million 10 million 4 million 4 million 
Other communes and 
communal sections Below 
1.5 million 1.5 to 8 million 8 million 2.5 million 2.5 million 
Source:  Order of 25 May 2012 determining the thresholds for the award of government procurement 
contracts and thresholds for intervention by the CNMP ( Le Moniteur No. 104, 29 June 2012). 
3.107.  For contracts awarded directly, the CNMP's approval is required for procurement for any 
amount exceeding G 800,000. Furthermore, govern ment procurement contracts for G 10.5 million 
or more must be accompanied by a risk insurance contract. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
- 48 - 
 
  3.108.  The legislation also covers other aspects such as the conclusion of addendums and 
subcontracting. An addendum may under no circumstances lead to an increase or decrease exceeding 30% of the original amount of the contract.
46 In addition, the person awarded 
a government procurement contract for works or services may subcontract up to 40% of the 
amount of the contract. Priority must be given to small and medium-sized enterprises under 
Haitian law. In every case, the contracting authority has to give prior approval. 
3.109.  A preference margin of up to 15% of the amount of the contract may be given to natural 
persons, groups of artisans, or SMEs of Haitian or CARICOM origin.47 Suppliers of products of 
community origin or manufacture may also be eligible for the preference margin. In that case, the preference must be indicated in the invitation to bid. Eligibility for the preferential margin 
depends on a certain number of local content requirements. For example, for the supply of 
manufactures, the manufacturing cost must include a minimum of 30% national or regional value 
added; in the construction and works sector, a minimum of 30% of national or regional inputs must be used in the works, and 70% of the personnel must be of local or regional origin; 
for consulting firms and design offices, the margin falls to 10% if they bid in conjunction with 
foreign firms and if their share is at least 30%. 
3.4.5  Intellectual property rights 
3.110.   Haiti's Constitution guarantees the protection of intellectual property. In 1999, 
Haiti notified its laws and regulations on matte rs relating to the Agreement on Trade-Related 
Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)
48 and has been given the transition period granted 
to LDCs for implementing the Agreement.49 In general, the terms of protection accorded under 
Haiti's legislation are not consistent with the TRIPS provisions (except for copyright, for which the 
term of protection exceeds the minimum prescribed). 
3.111.  Industrial property-related matters are the resp onsibility of the Industrial Property Service 
within the MCI, which also serves as the country's liaison with the African Intellectual Property 
Organization (OAPI) and the contact point under Article 69 of the TRIPS Agreement. In 2014, it registered close to 2,000 applications for trademarks and 21 applications for patents (Table 3.9). 
Most of these applications came from non-residents. 
Table 3.9 Number of applications received, 2011-2014 
Sector 2011 2012 2013 2014 
Trademarks 1,896 1,769 1,736 1,949 
Residents 608 567 622 460 
Non-residents 1,288 1,202 1,114 1,189 
Patents 14 17 11 21 
Residents 1 2 0 2 
Non-residents 13 15 11 19 
Source: Industrial Property Service. 
                                               
46 Order specifying the methods for implementing th e Law determining the general rules applicable to 
government procurement and public  service concession agreements. 
Published in Le Moniteur  - Special edition No. 10, 4 November 2009. 
47 In order to be recognized as a CARICOM Commun ity SME, at least 50% of  the business must be 
owned by citizens of the region, who must  be in control of its governing bodies. 
48 WTO document IP/N/1/HTI/1 of 12 November 1999. 
49 TRIPS Council Decision of 27 June 2002 (IP/C/25) granting LDCs an extension until 1 January 2016 
for implementation of specific provisions relating to pharmaceutical products. The decision of 11 June 2013 
(IP/C/64) granted a further extension of the transition period for implementation of the general provisions 
until 1 July 2021. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
- 49 - 
 
  3.112.  Haiti is a member of the World Intellectual Pr operty Organization and is a contracting party 
to the following treaties: the Lisbon Agreement fo r the Protection of Appellations of Origin and 
their International Registration (ratified in 1961); the Berne Convention for the Protection 
of Literary and Artistic Works (ratified in 1995 ); and the Paris Convention for the Protection 
of Industrial Property (ratified in 1958). The following treaties are awaiting ratification: 
the Patent Law Treaty; the Singapore Treaty; the Marrakesh Treaty; and the Beijing Treaty 
on Audiovisual Performances. 
3.113.  Patents and industrial designs are still governed by the law of 14 December 1922. A patent 
is granted for any new method of manufacturing industrial products, any new machine or mechanical or manual apparatus used to manufacture such products, any discovery of a new industrial product, any application of known means with a view to obtaining better results, and any 
new, original or ornamental design for an industrial article. A patent application may be rejected if 
the invention or discovery has been made public in any country one year prior to the application being filed in Haiti or if the invention is contrary to morality or the law. The term of protection for 
a patent is 5, 10 or 20 years as of the date on which it is granted (Table 3.9). 
3.114.  The Decree of 12 October 2005 on copyright
50 governs the protection of copyright and 
related rights. Protection is given for literary, scientific and artistic works irrespective of the mode 
or form of expression. It also encompasses translations, adaptations, arrangements and other 
transformations of works or expressions of folklore  (provided that they are the personal creations 
of their authors), collections of works or expressions of folklore or mere facts or data. As a general rule, works are protected throughout the author's lifetime (or that of the last surviving author) 
and for 60 years after his death (Table 3.10). 
Table 3.10 Subject and terms of protecti on of intellectual property rights 
Subject Term of protection (limit) Legislation 
Copyright and related rights  Decree of 12 October 2005 
 - joint works  60 years after the death of the last 
author  
- anonymous works  60 years after publication/making  
- collective works/audiovisual works 60 years after publication/making  
- posthumous works 60 years after publication  
- photographic works 25 years after making  
- performances 50 years after fixation of the phonogram 
or performance  
- phonograms 50 years  
- broadcasts 25 years  
Patents, industrial designs 5, 10 or 20 years after date of granting Law of 14 December 1922  
Trademarks 10 years after registration Law of 17 July 1954 
Geographical indications  .. .. 
Layout-designs (topographies) 
of integrated circuits  .. .. 
New breeds of plant .. .. 
.. Not available. 
Source: Information provided by the Haitian authorities. 
                                               
50 Le Moniteur  No. 23, 161st edition, 9 March 2006. Viewed online at: 
http://bhdahaiti.com/?wpdmdl=1233  [10.06.2015]. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
 
- 50 - 
 
  3.115.  The protection and exploitation of copyright and related rights are the responsibility of 
the Haitian Copyright Bureau (BHDA), a government body set up in 2005 and in operation since 2007.
51 The BHDA is the sole agency responsible for: collecting and distributing royalties; 
signing and securing compliance with contracts signed with users of repertoires under its 
management; and signing reciprocal agreements with similar agencies in other countries. 
The BHDA is financed through levies on the royalties collected and has financial autonomy, but may receive assistance from the State. The le gislation provides for State support during its 
first nine years of operation: all costs for the first three years, half for the following three years, 
and then only those other than operating and equipment costs for the last three years. 
3.116.  As a contracting party to the Lisbon Agreement, Haiti in principle protects the appellations 
of origin entered in the international register. It is not a signatory to the International Convention 
on the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV Convention). 
3.117.  The most frequent cases of infringement concern the illegal use of trademarks or their 
counterfeiting. The system of protection for intellectual property is still weak. 
 
 
                                               
51 Decree of 12 October 2005 creating the Haitian Copyright Bureau. Le Moniteur  No. 21, 161st edition, 
2 March 2006. Viewed online at: http://bhdahaiti.com/?wpdmdl=1238  [10.06.2015]. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
- 51 - 
  4  TRADE POLICIES BY SECTOR 
4.1  Introduction 4.1.  Since the last Trade Policy Review in 2003, agriculture's share of domestic value-added has 
continuously declined (Table 4.1). The contribution of the mining and energy sector to GDP 
remains marginal. Manufacturing has grown steadily during recent years. The increase in GDP has 
been driven mainly by the services sector and, in particular, by its "commerce, restaurants and hotels" and "transport and communications" branches. 
Table 4.1 Gross domestic product, 2005-2014  
(% and G million) 
Branch 2005 
- 
2006 2006 
- 
2007a 2007  
- 
2008b 2008  
- 
2009c 2009  
- 
2010 2010  
- 
2011a 2011 
- 
2012b 2012 
- 
2013c 2013  
- 
2014c 
Agriculture, forestry, 
livestock and fisheries  3,302 3,378  3,125  3,288  3,298  3,262  3,220 3,360 3,311  
Mining and quarrying 15 15 16 17 17 20 17 18 19 
Manufacturing 1,017 1,030  1,029  1,067  912 1,074  1,150 1,175 1,201  
Electricity and wate r 58 57 52 68 70 91 69 69 70 
Building and public works 1,005 1,031  1,085  1,119  1,169  1,275  1,345 1,470 1,586  
Commerce, restaurants 
and hotels  3,451 3,661  3,868  3,911  3,601  3,765  3,954 4,147 4,322  
Transport and 
communications 842 910  967 991 963 1,092  1,078 1,117 1,158  
Other tradeable services 1,573 1,602  1,653  1,654  1,536  1,577  1,638 1,692 1,779  
Non-market services 1,379 1,443  1,514  1,518  1,540  1,584  1,629 1,671 1,705  
Fictitious branchd -553 -619 -716 -689 -839 -810 -854 -909 -967 
Total gross value-added 12,110 12,508  12,593  12,944  12,267  12,930  13,246 13,810 14,184  
Taxes less subsidies 
on products 961 1,000  1,029  1,071  1,003  1,073  1,161 1,209 1,248  
Gross domestic product 13,071 13,508  13,622  14,015  13,270  14,003  14,407 15,019 15,432  
Growth rate  2.2 3.3 0.8 2.9 -5.5 5.5 2.9 4.2 2.8 
a Semi-definitive. 
b Provisional. c Estimates. d A special conventional unit that takes into account the use made by other branches of the 
"imputed output of banking services". 
Source: Haitian Institute of Statistics and Information Technology (IHSI). 
4.2.  Despite its declining contribution to dome stic product, the agricultural sector remains 
an important source of employment. Coffee, cocoa,  essential oils, pita fibre and twine, mangoes, 
and sugar cane are the main cash crops, while maize (corn), sorghum and tubers are the main 
local food crops. The sector is facing a num ber of serious problems, such as a lack of 
infrastructure, particularly for irrigation purposes, soil degradation, and insecure title deeds. 
The fisheries subsector remains traditional, although numerous efforts are being made to modernize it. Forestry activities are limited because of serious deforestation. 
4.3.  Haiti has considerable mining potential. So far, however, medium- and large-scale operations 
have been obstructed by legal uncertainty in the sector. The Haitian population has very uneven 
access to electricity and the cost is high. Only a small part of the country is supplied with electricity, the rural areas having the least coverage. 
4.4.  Most of Haiti's exports are in the manufacturing sector, which contributes about 
8% of real GDP. Textiles and clothing is Haiti's most important manufacturing subsector. Manufactured products have preferential access to  the United States market, the main outlet 
for exports. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
- 52 - 
  4.5.  Services are the leading sector in the Haitia n economy. Although the contribution of financial 
services to GDP is still modest, the assets held by banking institutions have increased notably in recent years. Despite the poor state of Haiti's ro ad network, road transport is the main means of 
transport for goods and passengers. Two seaports ha ndle about 90% of Haiti's international trade; 
the charges for port services remain high. Mobile  telephone services have continued their rapid 
expansion. Tourism plays a key role in the Government's export growth and diversification strategy. In 2013, for the first time, Haiti received more than one million visitors. 
4.2  Agriculture and related activities 
4.2.1  Overview 4.6.  The Haitian economy has a large agricultural sector. However, the importance of the sector 
(including fisheries, livestock and forestry) in economic terms has been declining steadily in recent 
years. From 38% at the end of the 1980s and 28% in  2002, agriculture's share of real GDP fell to 
about 22% in 2013-2014. The sector contribute s around 50% of total employment, 66% of 
employment in rural areas, and 75% of employme nt in low-income households; agriculture also 
remains one of the country's principal sources of income. More than one million families own 
mainly small subsistence holdings, with an average size of less than 1.5 hectares.
96 
4.7.  Haiti's agriculture is chiefly rain-fed and production is heavily dependent on the amount of 
rain and its distribution. Only 10% of crops are i rrigated. The main crops are coffee, cocoa, rice, 
sugar cane, bananas, sweet potatoes, beans, maize and sorghum (Table 4.2). The leading export products are still coffee, cocoa, sugar cane, sisal and fruit (especially mangoes). 
Table 4.2 Trends in main crop production, 2006-2014 
(tonnes) 
Crop 2006 2007 2008 2009  2010  2011  2012 2013 2014a 
Rice, paddy 110,000 130,000 110,000  128,520  141,075  144,603  97,000 167,643 143,650  
Maize (corn) 205,000 270,000 210,000  303,750  364,500  375,435  201,792 400,933 320,747  
Sorghum 100,000 120,000 100,000  121,500  145,800  150,174  92,203 111,364 122,500  
Sweet 
potatoes 200,000 220,000 269,000  360,450  414,518  437,316  533,526 600,000 510,000  
Cassava 400,000 450,000 378,000  510,300  561,330  573,556  699,138 615,000 615,000  
Yams 220,000 230,000 232,000  313,200  344,520  346,817  423,116 433,333 476,667  
Bananas 280,000 295,000 270,000  364,500  400,950  406,965  n/a 457,145 502,860  
Fig bananas n/a 320,000 260,000  340,000  374,000  379,610  265,727 n/a n/a 
Malanga n/a 96,000 96,000  129,600  142,560  146,836  155,646 142,188 142,188  
Beans 40,000 60,000 65,000  83,700  92,070  102,084  81,667 113,000 100,613  
Coffee 35,000 47,000 35,000  49,950  53,696  n/a n/a 58,720 35,232  
Cocoa beans 6,000 8,500 8,400  11,340  12,474  12,724  n/a 12,724 14,633  
Mangoes 265,000 295,000 330,000  445,500  498,960  508,939  610,727 615,744 677,318  
Sugar cane 1,075,000 1,340,000 1,110,000  1,387,500  1,526,250  1,541,512  1,418,191 1,488,533 1,488,533  
n/a Not available. 
a Provisional data. Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development (MARNDR). 
4.8.  The Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Reso urces and Rural Development (MARNDR) is the main 
authority responsible for defining and implementing  agricultural policy. The general objective of 
agricultural policy is to contribute to the economic and social development of the Haitian people by improving food security; increasing farmers' incomes; increasing foreign-currency earnings; and reducing the vulnerability of th e population to natural disasters. 
4.9.  The situation with regard to the support infrastructure for agricultural and rural development 
is critical. The road network is in generally poor condition. Many areas around the country with a strong production potential are isolated and practically inaccessible in the rainy season. Facilities 
for storing and preserving agricultural products ar e rare and, where they do exist, inadequate. A 
                                               
96 According to the data of the latest agricultural census, carried out in 2008-2009, 
73.9% of the country's farmers cultivate less than 1.29 hectares of land. MARNDR (2012). WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
- 53 - 
  serious obstacle to increasing agricultural productivity is the poor availability of, and very limited 
access to, agricultural inputs such as high-quality seed, fertilizers, pesticides, veterinary products and cattle feed. Lack of electricity is another major constraint on the development of certain 
branches of agriculture. Finally, Haiti has a tropical climate and is therefore subject to hurricanes 
and frequent droughts. 
4.10.  The degradation of natural resources is another serious challenge for Haiti's agricultural 
sector.
97 Around 85% of the country's catchment basins are significantly degraded or transformed, 
causing frequent floods and depletion of the basic factors of agricultural production. Soil erosion is 
estimated at around 12,000 hectares a year. The main factors responsible for this degradation are poor land management, the fragility of the phys ical environment (steep slopes, nature of the 
materials), severe demographic pressures, the low level of agricultural productivity, 
extreme weather conditions, erosive farming practice s, and intensive wood-cutting to meet energy 
needs and for building purposes. 
4.11.  Land rights are legally insecure. It is estimated that less than 5% of Haiti's land has been 
registered and that more than 75% of rural land  contracts were drawn up in accordance with 
traditional procedures without being officially registered.
98 Several fruitless attempts have been 
made at national level to establish an automated land registration system. 
4.12.  In general, the Government does not intervene in the markets to control the prices, 
production, distribution, trading or marketing of agricultural products or inputs. However, farmers do benefit from some support mechanisms. Thus, they are exempt from income tax. Complete exemption from import duties is also ac corded to all agricultural inputs and equipment. 
Likewise, the Government provides assistance for agricultural producers in the form of low-interest 
loans and subsidies on the price of seed and fert ilizer. The annual cost of the subsidy programme 
is around G 300 million. Agricultural inputs and local agricultural products are exempt 
from turnover tax (TCA) (Section 3.3.6.1). Most agricultural products and some inputs are 
also exempt from the contribution to the Fund for the Management and Development of Local Communities (CFGDCT). 
4.13.  Investment in the development of the ag ricultural sector is largely financed through 
international cooperation. Thus, for fiscal 2014-2015, the MARNDR envisages an investment 
budget (including counterpart funds for investment projects with associated financing) of the order 
of G 6 billion, with about 80% being fi nanced through external cooperation. 
4.14.  The credit available for agricultural production is still limited.
99 Despite the significant 
expansion of microfinance institutions, only a small fraction of the total amount of lending by the private banking system is allocated to agricultural activities. The annual amount of the loans 
for agricultural production distributed by the Agricu ltural Credit Office (BCA), the main government 
player in the sector since 1963, is estimate d at G 15 million, which barely corresponds 
to 0.1% of the sector's GDP. The MARNDR's aim is to set up an agricultural loan guarantee system 
backed by a credit insurance system calculated to  encourage the financial institutions to increase 
the percentage of their portfolio devoted to agricultural production and its processing. 
4.15.  In August 2013, the first agricultural free zone was established in Haiti.
100 Sited less than 
30 km from the Dominican border, this 1,000-hectare project, called "Nourribio", should, 
over a five-year period, create 3,000 direct and 10,000 indirect jobs. The free zone should produce 
about 20,000 tonnes of organic bananas, as well as well as other organic farming produce. To benefit from the tax and customs incentives reserved for free zones, producers will have to 
export at least 70% of their output. 
4.16.  Domestic sales, imports and exports of ce rtain commodities, including coffee and cocoa, are 
subject to quality controls. These controls are ca rried out jointly by the MARNDR, the Ministry of 
Trade and Industry (MCI) and the Ministry of Publ ic Health and Population (MSPP). The MARNDR is 
                                               
97 MARNDR (2011a). 
98 World Bank (2013). 
99 According to the data of the latest agricultural  census, carried out in 2008-2009, only 52,725 farmers 
had applied for agricultural credit, i.e. barely 5.2% of the total numb er of farmers counted nationwide. 
MARNDR (2012). 
100 Haïti Libre,  "Creation of the first Haitian agri cultural free zone", 20 August 2013. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
- 54 - 
  also responsible for applying plant and animal health controls to, among other things, coffee, 
cocoa, fruit, vegetables, tubers, seafood, live plants and animals, and animal products (Section 3.2.10). As a general rule, the marketing,  including the exportation, of plant and animal 
products, requires prior authorizatio n from the MARNDR (Section 3.2.4). 
4.17.  Agricultural production was not significantly affected by the 2010 earthquake. On the 
contrary, the success of the 2010 agricultural seasons provided a vital food safety net during the post-earthquake period. The good crops also made it possible to stabilize the need for food 
imports at a time when the capacity to supply  the market had not yet been fully restored. 
The main impact on the rural areas was the result of the major movements of people (about 600,000) immediately following the earthquake, as they tried to return to their home villages. However, these flows of  people were rapidly reversed. 
4.18.  Nevertheless, the agricultural sector  has not escaped entirely unscathed. Thus, 
the cholera epidemic that broke out in Octobe r 2010 and Hurricane Thomas in November 2010 
severely affected Grande-Anse, one of the country's most prosperous farming regions, 
while Hurricane Sandy damaged 70% of crops in October 2010. 
4.19.  In 2013-2014, Haiti's agricultural exports (HS 01-24) amounted to US$47.8 million, 
while agricultural imports were worth US$1,144.2 million.
101 Haiti imports about 50% of its needs 
in calories (in particular, rice, wheat and edible oil). 
4.20.  The simple average tariff on imports of ag ricultural products (Major Division 1 of ISIC, 
Rev. 2) is 5.6%, with a maximum rate of 40%. Th e average tariff rate is 6.1% on animal and 
vegetable products (HS Sections 1 and 2), zero on forest products and 0.7% on fisheries products 
(ISIC, Rev.2) (Table A4.1). Due to tariff prot ection and the levying of  other charges, some 
agricultural products are subject to relatively high overall rates. 
4.2.2  Main subsectors 
4.2.2.1  Cash crops 
4.21.  Haiti's main cash crops are coffee, cocoa,  essential oils, pita fibre and twine, mangoes, 
and sugar cane. As distinct from food products, the marketing of export products depends on 
a small number of exporters. 
4.22.  Over the whole of Haiti, coffee planta tions occupy nearly 100,000 hectares of land. 
Coffee exports generated more than US$8 million in 2012 (Table 4.2). According to the authorities, a large proportion of exports are informal, to the Dominican Republic. 
4.23.  The Haitian National Coffee Institute (INCAH) is a non-profit autonomous public body 
accountable to the MARNDR, established by pres idential decree of 7 February 2003. Its overall 
responsibility is to promote the development of  the coffee subsector, while seeking to improve 
the living conditions of the people who work in it. The INCAH's annual budget amounts to 
about G 25 million. 
4.24.  In May 2015, the INCAH and the MARNDR drew up a National Coffee Subsector Revival 
Plan
102, which seeks to: (i) strengthen and improve the coffee ecosystems; (ii) encourage the 
establishment of medium-sized and large coffee pl antations; (iii) help to reduce poverty among 
rural families engaged in coffee-growing and (i v) develop an engine of economic growth. 
                                               
101The Haitian Government has not reported any foreig n trade data to the UN Comtrade database since 
1998. Accordingly, the foreign trade figures in this sectio n are generally based on the mirror statistics obtained 
from that database. 
102 MARNDR (2015); INCAH. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
- 55 - 
  4.25.  Annual cocoa production is around 5,000 tonne s. Productivity in the subsector is relatively 
low. Whereas in Latin America production may reach 3,000 kg per hectare, in Haiti, it does not exceed 250.
103 Ageing plantations and rudimentary production techniques are the main problems. 
4.26.  Annual mango production has traditionall y ranged from 200,000 to 400,000 tonnes, but has 
increased sharply since 2009. The total production area amounts to nearly 4,400 hectares, 
with more than 3,000 hectares thought to have been recently planted. Mango production is a major source of income for some 150,000 Haitians, most of whom live in rural areas. 
Mangoes are mostly grown by individual farmers (around 50,000 to 75,000 families) 
with mango-growing forming part of their small-scale farming activities. Only a small proportion of mangoes are produced on plantations. 
4.27.  The inadequate packaging of fruit and vege tables, the dilapidated road network and the use 
of vehicles unsuitable for transporting agricu ltural goods are responsible for considerable 
post-harvest losses.
104 
4.28.  Government intervention in these subsectors takes the form of technical assistance 
(for example, projects in support of production and marketing or disease control) and financial aid 
(for planting out seedlings and financing marketing activities, among other things). 
4.29.  The average tariff rate is 2.6% on coffee, tea, maté and spices (5% on unroasted coffee 
and 15% on roasted); 12.5% on cocoa and cocoa preparations; 13% on sugars and sugar 
confectionery; and 40% on mangoes. 
4.2.2.2  Food crops 4.30.  Maize, sorghum, tubers (cassava, yams, sweet potatoes), bananas, beans and pigeon peas 
are the main local food crops. These products are grown chiefly for domestic consumption with 
a few informal exports to the Dominican Republic. Traditionally, activities in these subsectors are carried on by independent producers, while the mark eting of the food products is in the hands of a 
multitude of small operators. 
4.31.  The Haitian Government intervenes in production by subsidizing fertilizers, seed and some 
equipment and by providing technical assistance (including training for planters). 
4.32.  Processing conditions remain one of the key problems of Haiti's rice subsector, in particular, 
the lack of modern rice-processing machinery. The equipment is generally dilapidated and therefore inefficient. 
4.33.  The average tariff rate is 10.6% on edible vegetables, roots and tubers (HS 07); 
16.1% on edible fruit, peel of citrus fruit or melons (HS 08); 7.6% on cereals (HS 10); 
and 7.9% on products of the milling industry, ma lt, starches, inulin and wheat gluten (HS 11). 
4.2.2.3  Livestock 
4.34.  Livestock farming forms an integral part of the range of activities of most family farms, 
in particular by generating necessary income duri ng hunger seasons. The role of livestock farming 
as a savings system is also primordial. Haiti has a herd of more than 1.5 million head of bovine 
cattle, 2.5 million goats, nearly 1 million pigs, an d 4 million poultry. Finally, the asses, mules and 
horses raised still provide the main means of transport for agricultural products in rural areas. Livestock raising on small family farms acco unts for over 90% of domestic production. 
4.35.  The development of livestock farming in Haiti faces numerous constraints, such as the 
low level of availability of fodder, inputs and watering infrastructure and limited access to 
prophylactic and therapeutic veterinary care an d to knowledge of how to improve productivity. 
                                               
103 Le Nouvelliste,  "Haiti's cocoa, an unexploited potential", 22 April 2015. 
104 For example, it is estimated that between 30 and 50% of mangoes are damaged during transport 
from the Cayes region to Port-au-Pr ince, from where they are shipped ab road. World Bank (2013). According 
to Le Nouvelliste [4 August 2015], "because of the excessive loss es caused by poor harvesting and transport 
practices in the mango subsector, less than 25% of  all mangoes harvested re ach the export markets". WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
- 56 - 
  4.36.  The sector is also facing serious animal health problems. Annual losses attributable to 
internal and external parasite diseases have been estimated at several tens of millions of US dollars. The organizational shortcomings of th e MARNDR's veterinary services and their lack of 
human, material and financial resources have made it impossible to check the spread of animal 
diseases of major economic importance (such as classical swine fever and Newcastle disease) 
or zoonotic diseases (such as rabies and anthrax) which, for decades, have been doing considerable damage to Haitian livestock farming and which, in the case of zoonotic diseases, 
pose a risk to human health. 
4.37.  However, a number of training and tec hnical advisory programmes have brought about 
some improvement in livestock farming practices. In particular, the strengthening of animal health programmes has made it possible to reduce the losses due to animal diseases in livestock raising 
and to reduce the risks of animal diseases be ing transmitted to humans or being introduced. 
Technical training programmes have also led to the extension of a network of mini-dairies. The number of these long-life dairy product manufacturing units rose from 20 to 35 between 2011 and 
2015.
105 Set up in 2011, a bovine cattle identification programme, using ear-tags and 
a vaccination certificate, has led to a significant reduction in cattle theft and laid the foundations for a traceability programme.
106 
4.38.  Imports of certain animal products are subject to sanitary control and quarantine measures 
(Section 3.1.10). In June 2014, the MARNDR temporarily prohibited the importation of live pigs from several countries affected by porcine epidemic diarrhoea. 
4.39.  The average tariff rate is: 0% on live animals; 10.9% on meat and edible meat offal (with 
rates ranging from 5% to 25%); and 6.5% on dairy produce, birds' eggs, natural honey and edible 
products of animal origin, not elsewhere specified or included (rates ranging from zero to 20%). 
4.2.2.4  Fisheries 
4.40.  Haiti has a 1,535 km-long coastline and a continental shelf with an area of 5,000 km
2. 
It has almost 20,000 hectares of natural and artificial ponds and lakes and nearly 800 hectares of temporary ponds and lakes that fill up during  the rainy season. The sector's annual production 
reportedly consists of around 15,000 tonnes of fish, 600 tonnes of rock lobster, 200 tonnes of 
lambi (conch) and 50 tonnes of shrimp, with a total value of more than G 3 billion. 
4.41.  Haiti has over 54,000 fishing families, spread over more than 420 localities, 
with 26,000 fishing units (14,800 canoes, 10,000 sailing boats and 1,200 motorboats). In addition, 
it is estimated that nearly 20,000 people are involved in marketing seafood products, which are 
primarily destined for the domestic market. 
4.42.  Fishing is still an essentially traditional activity that uses little modern technology. 
The equipment used by fishermen is often ru dimentary and not very productive. Given the 
obsolescence of the vessels, fishing times are limi ted, as is the number of days in the year on 
which it is possible to go out fishing. The lack of preservation facilities results in the loss of about 
40% of the catch. Moreover, the resources availa ble along the coast and on the continental shelf 
are in sharp decline due to the increased pressure  exerted by a growing number of fishing units 
and the deterioration of certain ecosystems that favour the reproduction of fish and crustaceans. 
4.43.  The Haitian Government is seeking to develop fisheries, inter alia , by distributing fishing 
gear and equipment for stocking natural lake s and ponds, and ensuring the organization, 
development and rational exploitation of fisherie s. The MARNDR also has a budget for financing 
research in fisheries-related subsectors. 
4.44.  In 2009, the Haitian Government, in collaboration with other institutions, drew up a National 
Fisheries Development Plan
107, with the following key objectives: (i) to promote the development 
of rural fishing communities through improved artisanal fishing, (ii) to achieve a significant 
increase in fish production, and (iii) to ensure sustainable fishing. According to the Government, 
                                               
105 MARNDR (2015a). 
106 MARNDR (2015b). 
107 MARNDR (2010). The document was amended after the 2010 earthquake in order to integrate the 
fisheries subsector into the national reconstruction and development effort. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
- 57 - 
  these measures will make it possible to raise annual production from 15,000 tonnes to between 
20,000 and 30,000 tonnes. 
4.45.  The installation of fish aggregating devices (FADs) is one of the principal measures 
envisaged to facilitate the exploitation of deep-water pelagic species. These devices enable 
fishermen to go and seek fish much further out at  sea, thereby reducing the pressure on coastal 
waters, which is currently endangering numerous species. The fishermen are already benefiting 
from about 50 installed FADs.108 
4.46.  Haiti has considerable potential for the development of aquaculture and lake fishing. 
To develop aquaculture, the MARNDR has adopted a plan that aims, inter alia , to support the 
production of young fish for stocking lakes and breeding in fish ponds and to continue implementing the programme for building hill catchment ponds.
109 The objective for the period 
2012-2017 is to raise young fish production from the current 3.5 million to 40 million per year. 
4.47.  Trade in certain species, including exportation, is subject to restrictions aimed at protecting 
the aquatic fauna heritage (Section 3.4.3). It is not necessary to obtain a licence or a permit to 
engage in fishing; catches are not regulated, despite the overexploitation of the coastal waters. 
4.48.  The average tariff rate is 0.3% for fi sh and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic 
invertebrates (HS 03). Rates range from 0% to 5%. Where prepared fish, caviar and prepared 
crustaceans are concerned, the average is 12.8% (HS 16.04). 
4.2.2.5  Forestry 4.49.  Forestry activities are extremely limited. Haiti suffers from serious deforestation caused by 
the use of wood for heating and the strong dema nd for farmland. There is therefore very little 
exploitation of forest products, which are mainly used for firewood, because other forms of energy 
(particularly electricity) are so expensive, or for building. The harmful effects of the degradation of the forest environment include soil erosion, the silting up of hydraulic works, and a qualitative and 
quantitative decline in water resources. 
4.50.  It is estimated that the country has about 99,000 hectares of forest (out of a total land area 
of just over 27,500 km
2).110 Forestry resources include those in coastal areas, which comprise 
around 15,000 hectares of mangrove forest; the Forêt des Pins, in the departments of Ouest and 
Sud-Est, which consists of some 16,000 hectares (out of a total area of 32,000 hectares) of natural forest (mostly hardwood); the Macaya Park in the Massif de la Hotte, covering more than 6,000 hectares of forest (hardwood interspersed with softwood); and the La Visite Park, which 
extends over 5,000 hectares (mainly softwood). 
4.51.  A new provision concerning forest protection was introduced into the Constitution in 2012. 
It stipulates that exceptional measures must be taken to help restore the ecological balance, 
as long as the forest cover remains below 10% of the national territory. 
4.52.  The average tariff rate is 1% on forestry and logging products (zero for forestry alone) 
and 8.4% on live plants, cut flowers and ornamental foliage (HS 06). 
4.3  Mining and quarrying 
4.53.  Haiti has a rich history of mining, particularly for gold, copper and bauxite. It also has 
substantial reserves of marble, calcium carbonate and pozzolan (a volcanic rock and one of the constituents of cement). Crushed limestone aggregates are still being obtained from hill quarries 
and river beds all over the country and used for building and public works. 
4.54.  However, mining and quarrying still contributes only marginally to the Haitian economy. 
Artisanal mining is the dominant form of exploita tion and only small quarri es for building materials 
such as clay and sand are being exploited. Th ere are no medium- or large-scale operations. 
                                               
108 Haïti Libre , "Fishing in Haiti, review and prospects", 27 March 2015. 
109 MARNDR (2015c). 
110 FAOSTAT, 2012. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
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  The extractive industries' share of real GDP in fiscal 2013-2014 was less than 0.2%.111 
These industries are believed to employ 4,000 people, mainly in sand quarries. 
4.55.  The Mines and Energy Bureau (BME) is a body  under the authority of the Ministry of Public 
Works, Transport and Communications. It is responsible for exploring and promoting the 
exploitation of Haiti's mineral and energy resources. Its mission also includes supervising 
operations from the technical, environmental, economic and safety standpoints. Mining operations are run mostly by the private sector. 
4.56.  The current mining decree dates back to 1976.
112 Under the terms of Article 1 of the decree, 
natural mineral sites, liquid or gaseous hydr ocarbon deposits, mineral and thermo-mineral 
sources, geothermal energy and other concentratio ns of natural energy, and natural resources in 
general belong to the Haitian Nation. Natural resources are separate from land ownership and 
constitute a public domain managed by the Stat e. According to the authorities, the decree is 
currently under review. 
4.57.  The Decree of 2 March 1984 specifically gove rns quarry products. It requires the operator: 
(i) to apply to the BME for an operating permit (valid for a renewable period of five years); 
(ii) to supply all technical, financial, land ownership and environmental information on the quarrying project; (iii) to take steps to ensure personnel safety, hygiene and health; 
and (iv) to protect the environment and rehabilitate quarrying sites as work progresses. 
The permit holder must pay an annual fee of G 100 per hectare. 
4.58.  Every operation in the mining and energy se ctor is subject to the issue of a permit for the 
type of activity involved. Three types of permit apply to metal resources, namely, a prospection 
permit, an exploration permit and an operating permit. For non-metal resources an operating 
permit is required. Prospection permits may be granted to Haitian or foreign companies. However, exploration and operating permits may only be granted to companies established and 
domiciled in Haiti.
113 
4.59.  An exploration permit can be obtained only after the applicant has signed a mining 
agreement with the Government.114 Agreements are valid for 25 years and can be renewed for 
ten-year periods. The terms of the agreement ar e not regulated by the Investment Code, but are 
open to negotiation. Certain clauses are usually incorporated to ensure that companies benefit from a temporary admission procedure with the suspension of all import and export duties. A system of rebates on internal taxes may also be included. However, these concessions are not 
uniform and depend, among other things, on the ty pe of activity or products covered by the 
agreement and on the investor's negotiating power. 
4.60.  Between 2006 and 2011, the Government i ssued 63 exploration permits; 18.6% of Haiti's 
total area is currently under permit to mining companies. Thanks to these efforts, several historical 
discoveries have been confirmed and new deposits with high concentrations of copper, gold and silver have been discovered, notably in the Massif du Nord. 
4.61.  Since the previous review of Haiti's trad e policy three operating permits have been issued. 
Although most of the country is theoretically open  to exploitation and despite a promising mining 
potential, major obstacles, notably legal uncertainty, have so far prevented any medium- or large-scale operations. 
4.62.  The average tariff protection for the extractive industries amounts to 2.7% 
(Major Division 2 of the ISIC, Rev.2). In 2014, the value of mining exports amounted 
to US$164,000. 
                                               
111 Bank of the Republic of Haiti (2015) . 
112 Decree encouraging mineral prospection over the entire extent of the territory of the Republic and 
adapting the existing legal structures to the realities of the mining industry, of 3 March 1976. 
113 The head office must include at  least one Haitian representative. 
114 The legislation requires the signature of a mining agreement even before the commercial viability of 
a deposit has been proven. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
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  4.4  Energy and water 
4.4.1  Energy 4.63.  The main energy sources used in Haiti are firewood, which accounts for more than 
72% of energy consumed, petroleum products (abo ut 25% of energy consumed), and electricity 
(some 3% of energy consumed), of which about 85% is produced by thermal generators and the 
rest by hydro-power. 
4.64.  All petroleum products are imported from Venezuela under the ALBA Agreement and 
distributed by private companies (DINASA, TOTA L and SOL). Under the PetroCaribe Agreement, 
the Haitian State benefits from preferential paymen t facilities for the purchase of these petroleum 
products, in accordance with international oil prices. They are exempt from turnover tax. 
4.65.  National electricity coverage is around 30%. The Haitian population's access to electricity 
varies widely. Electricity is available to 45% of the inhabitants of Port-au-Prince, but to only 
3% of the rest of the population, including th e inhabitants of the large provincial towns. 
4.66.  Electricity is distributed mainly by a State-owned enterprise, Électricité d'Haïti (EDH). 
Haiti's installed generating capacity is estimated at some 300 megawatts (MW). 
Electricity production and distribution face numerous problems due to deterioration of the generating and transmission facilities, lack of maintenance, and the silting-up of the country's 
main hydroelectric power plant, the Péligre Dam on the River Artibonite. Technical and 
non-technical losses (commercial and due to fraud) are an obstacle to progress in the sector. The current is unstable and power cuts are frequent. EDH receives about US$200 million a year in central government subsidies. 
4.67.  The cost of electricity is one of the highest in the region. Under the tariff schedule currently 
in force, the price of electricity depends on the type of customer and the amount consumed.
115 
The average tariff for electricity delivered to the customer is around G 16 per kilowatt-hour.116 
4.68.  The Government considers electricity to be a high-priority sector. The objective is both to 
improve the quality of the supply and to cover a wider area of the country. The measures taken by the Haitian State to encourage investment in energy are essentially tax-related and consist of 
reductions on taxable amounts and tax exemption in  specific cases. Thus, duty-free treatment is 
granted for imports of capital goods and raw mate rials needed for exploitation and production 
during the set-up phase, with the exception of  imports of petroleum products. Concessions for 
investment in energy are not governed by the Investment Code, but are negotiated directly 
between the State and the companies concerned. 
4.69.  In 2011, a private company, E-Power, began generating electricity in Port-au-Prince. 
The new power station has a capacity of 30 MW and burns heavy oil, which results in production 
costs much lower than those of the existing pl ants. In 2012, the Government announced a project 
to rehabilitate the Péligre power plant, which should enable the plant to recover its original 54-MW capacity. 
4.70.   The Haitian State wants to modify the power generating matrix by developing renewable 
energies, in particular, hydro, wind and solar energy. Haiti's total hydro-electric potential is estimated at 153 MW, including 23 MW from 27 micro-sites which can be developed to provide isolated areas with energy services. 
4.71.  The average tariff rate is zero on electricity and 2.9% on mineral fuels, mineral oils and 
products of their distillation, bituminous substa nces and mineral waxes. Customs duty on gasoline 
is 40%, which is the highest rate in the tariff with 11 other lines. 
                                               
115 Électricité d'Haïti. Information viewed at: http://www.edh.ht/tarif.php . 
116 G 11.7 for households; 15.6 for businesses; 15.4 for low-voltage industry; and 17.3 for 
medium-voltage industry. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
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  4.4.2  Water 
4.72.  Haiti is facing considerable challenges in the drinking water and sanitation sector. Drinking 
water is rare and sewer systems practically non-existent. Very few have access to the public service, its quality is dubious and the sector's public institutions remain very weak despite 
foreign aid and the Government's declared intention to strengthen them. 
4.73.  The Ministry of Public Works, Transpor t and Communications (MTPTC) is responsible for 
drinking water and sanitation through its National Drinking Water and Sanitation Directorate 
(DINEPA). In the long term, the Government aims to decentralize drinking water services to 
commune level. The Economic and Social Assistance Fund (FAES) intervenes primarily in the country's small towns. The NGOs, often with the fi nancial support of the aid donors, also play an 
important role in the sector, especially in rural and deprived areas. 
4.5  Manufacturing 
4.74.  The manufacturing sector's contribution to GDP has remained relatively stable over 
recent years, at around 8%. At mid-2015, the sector was employing around 36,000 people solely 
for exports. It was particularly hard hit following the earthquake in 2010, with production falling by 
more than 17%. The main branches of manufacturi ng in Haiti are the food, beverage and tobacco 
industries; the textile, clothing and leather industries; the industries producing non-metallic 
mineral products and metal products; and the chemical industries. These subsectors account for 
almost 95% of manufacturing value-added. 
4.75.  Industrial activities are mainly concentrated in the Ouest department. According to 
information provided by the Chamber of Commerce  and Industry, more than 83% of industrial 
companies and more than 78% of workers are located in Port-au-Prince. The textiles, clothing and 
leather subsector is the most important in terms of  exports. The industry continues to concentrate 
on the production of large volumes of low-margin clothing for the mass market. This subsector is 
also characterized by a high level of subcontracting. Fabrics, cut to size or in rolls for cutting from 
patterns, are imported and then assembled and exported. Nevertheless, investment in this subsector is limited. 
4.76.  The non-metallic mineral product, meta l product and chemical product subsectors are 
important as well. However, their output tends to be directed at the local market. Handicrafts and 
the creation of works of art (ironwork, painting on furniture or fabrics) are also major manufacturing activities. They are mostly in the informal sector, however, and are carried out in 
addition to a regular job, which makes them difficult to quantify. 
4.77.  The United States is the main outlet for Haitian products. The "HOPE" and "HELP" initiatives 
(Section 2.3.2.1) have helped to boost textile and clothing exports. This legislation enables Haiti 
to assemble textiles, whatever the origin of  the imported fabrics, and export them to 
the United States, where they enter free of duties and taxes. 
4.78.  Industrial parks and free zones are the key tools for promoting the country's industrial 
development. The National Industrial Parks Company (SONAPI) was established in 1974. SONAPI 
is responsible for providing the siting and ensuring the organization and management of industrial parks for manufacturing companies.
117 It manages Haiti's largest industrial centre, the 
Port-au-Prince Metropolitan Industrial Park (P IM), where most of the clothing exporters are 
concentrated. Since October 2012, SONAPI has also  been managing the Caracol Industrial Park 
(PIC) in the Nord-Est department. Companies lo cated in these parks generally benefit from 
free-zone concessions, in particular, exempt ion from customs duty and inspection fees 
(Section 3.5.1). In June 2015, the PIM's workforce numbered 13,000 and that of the PIC 6,000. 
The authorities estimate that about 95% of the prod uction from these two parks is exported to the 
United States. They note that preparations are being made to expand the PIM by adding around 
100,000 square metres of buildings. 
4.79.  The Industrial Development Fund (FDI) is responsible for promoting the country's industrial 
development by helping to meet the financin g requirements of small and medium-sized 
                                               
117 SONAPI (2013). WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
- 61 - 
  enterprises. It has G 2.5 billion in assets. The Government has also taken a series of measures to 
enhance the technical skills of the Haitian workforce and facilitate technology transfer. 
4.80.  According to UN Comtrade data, using the mirror statistics for the country's main trading 
partners118, Haiti's manufacturing exports amounted to US$960 million in 2014. The textiles and 
clothing sector is the leading manufacturing sector, accounting for around 90% of exports. 
4.81.  Haiti's manufacturing imports amounted to US$3,139 million in 2014, as compared with 
US$1,697 million in 2009. They ar e dominated by food preparations, beverages and tobacco 
(27.5%); chemical industry products (16.7%); textiles and clothing (16.2%) and machinery 
(14.0%), in accordance with the ISIC two-digi t classification. Manufacturing exports totalled 
US$1,012 million in 2014, as against US$614 millio n in 2009. The main manufacturing exports 
(ISIC two-digit classification) are textiles and clothing (89.6%), chemical industry products (2.2%) 
and base metals (1.4%). 
4.82.  The simple average tariff rate on manufactures is 5.0% (Table A4.1). The most protected 
industries (with an average tariff rate of betw een 7.4 and 8.9%) are the food product and wood 
industries and other manufacturing industries (Chart 3.2). Customs tariffs are generally degressive 
from the first stage of processing to the semi-fin ished product, then progressive from the second 
stage to the finished product. Such a tariff structure in itself (without corrective measures) is not 
usually conducive to domestic production of certain semi-finished products. In addition to customs 
tariffs, imports of manufactured goods are generally subject to 5% inspection fees (Section 3.2.1.2). 
4.6  Services 
4.6.1  Overview 
4.83.  Services contributed around 56% to real GDP in 2013-2014. Entrepreneurship in Haiti is 
directed mostly towards the tertiary sector. Accordin g to the data of the latest census of industrial 
and commercial enterprises, carried out in Sept ember 2012, 81.6% of businessmen are engaged 
in the buying and selling of goods and services. Haiti is a net importer of services. The deficit in the services balance is recurrent and amounted to US$377 million in 2014 (Section 1.2). The State 
continues to play an important part in the sector's production activities, particularly in the 
telecommunications, transport and postal services subsectors. 
4.84.  Under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), Haiti has bound, 
without limitations on market access or national treatment, measures relating to all modes of 
supply of educational services in adult training centres in rural areas and of banking and other 
financial services (with the exception of insurance). Measures relating to all modes of supply (with the exception of the presence of natural persons) of construction, related engineering services and 
hotel and restaurant services have also been bound, without limitations on market access 
or national treatment. In the case of veterinary services, only measures relating to consumption abroad remain unbound; all other modes of supply  have been bound without limitations. Likewise, 
measures relating to the cross-border supply of reinsurance and retrocession services have been 
bound without limitations, and those concerning consumption abroad and commercial presence for the provision of such services have been bound without limitations on national treatment. Measures relating to the provision of other types of services remain unbound. Given the 
importance of transfers of funds for the Haitian economy, services provided under Mode 4 of the 
GATS are one of the Government's priorities. 
4.6.2  Main subsectors 
4.6.2.1  Financial services 
4.6.2.1.1  Introduction 4.85.  The financial services subsector still makes no more than a modest contribution to the 
country's GDP. In Haiti, financial services mainly involve monetary intermediation by the banking 
                                               
118 Canada, China, Dominican Re public, France, Germany, Netherlands, United States. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
- 62 - 
  institutions and insurance. The commercial banks account for the lion's share of activities in this 
subsector. 
4.86.  In November 2013, the Law sanctioning money laundering and the financing of terrorism 
was adopted. It establishes measures for detecting and discouraging money laundering and the 
financing of terrorist activities and for facilitating investigations and prosecutions relating to the 
offences of money laundering and the financing of terrorism. 
4.87.  In the financial services subsector, Ha iti's GATS concessions cover banking and other 
services (with the exception of insurance); concessions made for the supply of reinsurance 
services remain limited. 
4.6.2.1.2  Banking services 4.88.  Haiti currently has two State commercial banks (National Credit Bank and Haitian People's 
Bank), six privately owned Haitian banks, two branches of foreign commercial banks, and one 
privately owned Haitian savings and housing bank. The assets held by the banking institutions have increased substantially in recent years, rising from around G 155 billion in September 2011 
to G 194.8 billion in December 2014. Over the sa me period, banking sector lending rose from 
G 38.7 billion to G 69.8 billion.
119 The market is heavily concentrated, with the top 
three institutions (all privately owned) holding around 80% of assets. 
4.89.  The Law of 17 August 1979 establishing the Ba nk of the Republic of Haiti (BRH) entrusts it 
with the task of supervising banking financial institutions. The BRH discharges this responsibility by conducting inspections and laying down prudential regulations. The financial indicators available point to a sound and solvent banking system. 
4.90.  The Law of 14 May 2012 on banks and other financial institutions and the Decree of 
14 November 1980 regulate the organization and operation of financial institutions in Haiti.
120 
A minimum capital of G 60 million must be subscribed in order to be able to start up and maintain 
a banking activity. An application for authorization to operate a banking enterprise must be 
submitted to the Ministry of the Economy and Financ e (MEF), which reviews the file jointly with the 
BRH and the MCI. Once authorization has been grante d, the bank's activities are subject to Haitian 
legislation, which stipulates, inter alia , that bank mergers and takeovers are subject to BRH 
authorization. Likewise, all banks operating in Haiti must apply for authorization from the BRH to open an office, agency or branch outside their headquarters. Foreign banks are subject to the same regulations as domestic banks. In particular, licensing conditions for foreign banks are the 
same as those for local banks. Haiti applies the Basel I principles. 
4.91.  Haiti's microfinance sector has more than 300,000 borrowers. A study carried out in 2010 
valued the microcredit market at G 4.7 billion in terms of gross portfolio and there are one million 
depositors.
121 The industry comprises about 200 microfinance institutions. A national financial 
inclusion strategy was launched in September 2014. 
4.6.2.1.3  Insurance services 
4.92.  In the insurance sector, the public system  comprises the Occupational Injury, Sickness and 
Maternity Insurance Office (OFATMA), the National Old-Age Insurance Office (ONA) and the Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance Office (OAVCT). The private system includes several public limited companies under Haitian law and local branches of foreign insurance companies. In July 2015, 
there were 13 private companies engaged in insurance activities (as compared with 14 before the 
2010 earthquake), including two in life insurance and two composite insurance companies. There is only one foreign insurance company operating in Haiti, in the life insurance branch. There are no 
reinsurance companies. Several foreign insurance companies maintain representative agencies. 
4.93.   The MEF is the sector's supervisory auth ority, pursuant to the Decree on Insurance of 
20 March 1981. It is also responsible for granting authorization to operate to Haitian and foreign 
                                               
119 Bank of the Republic of Haiti (2015): Quarterl y financial data of the banking institutions. 
120 The Law does not apply to insurance companies,  pension funds, savings and loan cooperatives 
and microfinance institutions. 
121 USAID (2011). WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
- 63 - 
  insurance companies that request permission to do so. In July 2012, the Insurance Control 
and Supervision Unit (UCSA) was established with in the MEF as a regulatory body. The UCSA has 
drawn up two draft laws, the framework law on insurance establishing a regulatory framework, and the law establishing the insurance regulation and control body. 
4.94.  Insurance premiums are set freely by the market and are not subject to state intervention 
or control. Insurance companies are free to develop activities in different fields at the same time and the same company may offer several types of cover (life insurance and motor vehicle/accident 
insurance, for example). 
4.95.  The earthquake of 12 January 2010 had serious financial consequences for the insurance 
sector. Most companies had to borrow on the local market or raise additional capital to fulfil their obligations to the parties insured; several companies experienced difficulties in meeting their 
contractual liabilities. 
4.96.  The insurance penetration rate is less than 1%, which means that Haiti still has one of the 
lowest rates in the world. Turnover in the insurance sector amounted to G 2.06 billion in 2012, 
the latest year for which figures were available. 
4.6.2.1.4  Other financial services 4.97.   Other financial services in Haiti mainly comprise pension fund and money transfer and 
foreign exchange activities. Existing pension funds include the civil service pension funds; 
the pension funds and retirement plans for bank employees; and the pension funds and retirement plans for employees of petroleum companies and pr ivate and industrial enterprises. There is no 
stock market in Haiti. 
4.98.  The money transfer agencies (currently se ven) and foreign exchange bureaus operate under 
the supervision of the BRH. The money transfer agencies arose out of the need for Haitian nationals working abroad to make regular payments in Haiti for investment purposes and 
to provide financial support for relatives who remained in the country.
122 Foreign exchange 
transactions are carried out partly on the info rmal market, despite the existence of foreign 
exchange bureaus. 
4.99.  Among the institutions offering non-banking services, mention should also be made of 
the Industrial Development Fund (FDI-Haiti) and the Haitian Financial Development Company (SOFIHDES), which specialize in guaranteeing loans made by financial intermediaries, in short and more or less long-term financing, and credit for small and medium-sized enterprises. The FDI is 
answerable to the BRH and is financed by a loan  from the World Bank. The SOFIHDES is a private 
company partly financed by the United States and European development agencies. 
4.6.3  Transport services 
4.6.3.1  Land transport 
4.100.  Land transport is the principal means of transporting goods and passengers in Haiti. 
The road network comprises some 4,370 kilometres  of roads, about 40% of which are paved. 
The network is generally in poor condition and many villages have no access to the main roads 
during the rainy season. Haiti's seriously underdeveloped transport infrastructure has also been damaged by frequent hurricanes, floods and the 2010 earthquake. Only the trunk roads are asphalted, while the secondary and tertiary netw orks are surfaced with laterite or compacted 
gravel. 
4.101.  The Ministry of Public Works, Transpor t and Communications (MTPTC) plans investment in 
the land transport sector, defines the technical standards applicable, monitors the state of the 
infrastructure, and hires and supervises construction and public works contractors. 
The Road Maintenance Fund, under the MTPTC, is responsible for highway financing and 
                                               
122 The annual value of private transfers to the Ha itian economy from the diaspora is estimated at 
almost US$2 billion (see Section 1.4). WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
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  maintenance. The Fund is financed from the revenue collected on petrol sales. The railways ceased 
operating in Haiti in 1991. 
4.6.3.2  Maritime transport 4.102.  As a small island economy, Haiti is heavily dependent on the quality, frequency and cost of 
the means of transport that link it with the intern ational markets. The Haitian port system consists 
of two international ports (Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haïtien) and 14 regional ports, a number of which also receive traffic from the Caribbean. The ports handle about 90% of Haiti's international 
trade and generate about 85% of customs revenue. Maritime cargo traffic has grown strongly in 
recent years (Table 4.3). The port of Port-au-Prince accounts for the bulk of international goods traffic. Haiti has no merchant marine. 
Table 4.3 Maritime cargo traffic, 2007-2012 
 2007-2008  2008-2009  2009-2010  2010-2011 2011-2012  
Exports 
Number of containers 42,688  52,360  48,437  60,539 51,956  
Containers TEU 69,067  81,875  75,516  97,332 82,835  
Containers, full, TEU 21,433  16,114  15,162  21,486 22,201  
Weight in tonnes 173,500  105,733  64,801  11,465 106,602  
Non-containerized cargo (tonnes) 15 3,371  .. .. .. 
Total cargo (1) (tonnes) 173,516  109,104  64,801  11,465 106,602  
Imports 
Number of containers 46,463  51,342  58,101  57,664 51,949  
Containers TEU 73,420  80,297  87,940  91,696 81,881  
Containers, full, TEU 72,492  79,891  86,458  90,218 80,218  
Weight in tonnes 800,391  938,891  974,372  946,984 964,340  
Non-containerized cargo (tonnes) 1,969,877  2,155,640  1,894,299  1,986,730 3,342,635  
Total cargo (2) (tonnes) 2,770,268  3,094,531  2,868,671  2,933,714 3,342,635  
Total 
Number of containers 89,151  103,702  106,538  118,183 103,905  
Containers TEU 142,487  162,802  163,456  189,028 164,716  
Containers, full, TEU 93,925  96,005  101,620  111,704 102,419  
Weight in tonnes 973,891  1,044,624  1,039,173  1,058,449 1,070,941  
Non-containerized cargo (tonnes) 1,969,892  2,159,011  1,894,299  1,986,730 2,378,295  
Total cargo (1+2) tonnes 2,943,783  3,203,635  2,933,472  3,045,179 3,449,236  
.. Not available. 
Source: National Ports Authority. 
4.103.  Most of Haiti's ports, including all the major ports, are State-owned enterprises. 
However, some port services such as piloting and handling are provided by private companies. 
The National Ports Authority (APN) is a parastatal body under the authority of the MEF.123 It is 
responsible for the administration, planning and development of port activities and services in Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haïtien. The APN also establishes tariffs, fees, rates and regulations for all 
the ports, including the docks managed by privat e companies. Harbour charges in Port-au-Prince, 
about US$650 per TEU container, are among the highest in the region. 
4.104.  The Haitian Maritime and Navigation Service (SEMANAH), under the authority of the 
MTPTC, is responsible for beacons and buoys, maritime traffic and shipping compliance throughout 
Haitian territory. 
4.105.  In 2013, the Government decided to proceed with the institutional and operational 
modernization of Haiti's ports.
124 The general objective of the port reforms is to ensure the 
provision of efficient and competitive services. A new law on the port sector and a national port development plan are in process of being drawn up. In particular, the Government envisages the 
separation of the regulatory and operational roles and greater integration of the private sector into 
the management of the State-owned ports.
125 
                                               
123 In 2008, the APN began relinquishing its role of service provider in order to concentrate on its 
regulatory role. 
124 APN (2014). 
125 MEF (2014). WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
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  4.6.3.3  Air transport 
4.106.  Haiti has 13 airports, including three wi th paved runways and two international airports 
(Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haïtien). Haiti is linked with the rest of the world by a dozen international airlines. Haitian airlines fly between Port -au-Prince and the country's main cities. 
4.107.  The National Airports Authority (AAN), und er the MTPTC, is responsible for managing and 
developing airport infrastructure. It establishes Haiti's airport and aviation fees. The National Civil Aviation Bureau (OFNAC) is the authority in charge of regulatory matters and of enforcing 
the Civil Aviation Law. 
4.108.  Haiti has signed bilateral air transport agreements with Canada, Cuba, France and 
Jamaica. These agreements deal, inter alia , with price monitoring and the definition and scope of 
agreed traffic rights. 
4.6.4  Communications services 
4.6.4.1  Telecommunications services 4.109.  The Decree-Law of 12 October 1977 governs telecommunications services in Haiti. 
It is supplemented by that of 10 June 1987 redefi ning the responsibilities of telecommunications 
bodies and laying down a tariff structure for th ese services. The two decree-laws establish a state 
monopoly on telecommunications services, which has been delegated to 
the National Telecommunications Council (CONATEL ), a regulatory body under the authority of 
the MTPTC. According to the authorities, the legal framework is under review. 
4.110.  CONATEL is responsible for regulating and supervising telecommunications activities. Its 
sphere of competence includes enforcing the applicable rules, examining draft technical standards 
for electrical and radio equipment, analysin g tariff-scheduling and taxation proposals and 
proposals relating to all other telecommunications costs, and helping to develop national telecommunications policy. CONATEL also sets fixed telephone charges. Interconnection tariffs are 
negotiated among operators and subject to approval by CONATEL. 
4.111.  The Decree-Law of 12 October 1977 granted a monopoly on telecommunications services 
to Télécommunications d'Haïti S.A. (TELECO), a State-owned enterprise. However, under the 
State-owned enterprise modernization process, TELECO was partially privatized in 2010. A 60% 
stake was acquired by the Vietnamese company Viettel, the Haitian State's share was fixed at 40%, and the company operates under the name of NATCOM. The fixed network was largely destroyed in the January 2010 earthquake. At June 2015, the number of fixed lines was less than 
one thousand, as compared with 150,000 in 2006.  
4.112.  Mobile telephone services have developed rapidly in recent years and are provided by 
two companies, DIGICEL and NATCOM. An invitation to tender for a third operator was issued in 
2014, but subsequently suspended to allow NATCOM to recoup its investment costs. In June 2015, 
there were about 7 million mobile lines as compared with 1.2 million in 2006. Mobile telephony also plays an important role in money transfers, gi ven that only a small fraction of the population 
has a bank account. 
4.113.  Outgoing international calls are subject to a special communications tax of 
G 1.35 per minute, as well as to the Contribution to the Fund for the Management and Development of Local Communities (CFGDCT), at a rate of G 0.90 per minute.  
4.6.4.2  Postal services 
4.114.  Postal services have always been separate from telecommunications. Postal services in 
Haiti are mostly handled by the Haitian Post Office (OPH), an autonomous body established by 
the Decree of 10 August 1987 and operating under the MCI. The OPH has a de jure  monopoly of 
mail transport in Haiti and is responsible for regulating mail-related matters. It deals with the dispatch of ordinary mail, parcels and internatio nal express mail. In practice, private companies 
provide the same services as the OPH, except for the regulatory aspects. Each operator sets its WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
- 66 - 
  own tariffs, and those of the OPH are established by  its governing body. The OPH is subsidized by 
the State. The MCI grants licences for the provision of postal services. 
4.6.5  Tourism 4.115.  Tourism offers unquestionable potential for the country's economic development. Haiti's 
main tourist attractions are its natural sites (beaches and uninhabited islands), its historical 
heritage and its cultural specificities (art, handicrafts, gastronomy, religious tourism and festivals). However, the subsector faces numerous problems. Political instability and security concerns are 
largely responsible for the relatively small number of tourists visiting Haiti. Moreover, 
inadequate infrastructure, in particular the limi ted number of hotel rooms, the poor condition of 
the road network, environmental degradation and dilapidated airport facilities are other factors limiting the medium-term growth prospects for tourism. The tourist enclaves for Caribbean cruise 
ship passengers are the most likely focus for immediate development. 
4.116.  In recent years, there has been a considerab le increase in the number of visitor arrivals in 
Haiti. In 2013, for the first time in its history, the destination received more than a million visitors 
(Table 4.4). However, a large proportion of touris t arrivals, estimated by the authorities at around 
65 to 70%, actually consists of Haitians living abroad. 
Table 4.4 Stay over and cruise ship tourist arrivals in Haiti, 2007-2013 
 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 
Cruise-ship tourists 482,077 228,382 439,055 537,778 596,562 609,930 643,634 
Stay-over tourists 386,060 258,070 387,219 254,732 348,755 349,237 419,736 
Total visitors 868,137 486,452 826,274 792,510 945,317 959,167 1,063,370 
Source: Ministry of Tourism. 
4.117.  In 2015, Haiti's hotel capacity was estimated at around 9,000 rooms in a total of 
460 to 470 hotels. For a few years, Haiti has been benefiting from the direct investments of 
several large international hotel chains. The authorities estimate that Haitian hotel capacity should 
exceed 13,000 rooms by 2017. 
4.118.  The Government has identified tourism as one of the priority sectors capable of generating 
economic growth and creating sustainable employment. Accordingly, the main objective of 
the Ministry of Tourism (MT) is to put the destination back on the world tourism map. Its strategy is based on three pillars: training, regulation and promotion. The National Hotel and Tourism 
Training Institute (INFORHT) was inaugurated in 2013 and now has 200 students enrolled. In the 
same year, the MT established a classification system ("Hibiscus") for assessing and classifying the various forms of tourist accommodation in the country. Haiti has also provided itself with a tourism police force consisting of around 100 police offi cers deployed in the priority tourist areas. 
4.119.  The 2002 Investment Code devotes an entire chapter to investment in tourism and related 
services (Section 2.4.1). The Code identifies the various fields of investment eligible for concessions, which range from the developm ent and exploitation of tourist areas, 
tourist accommodation, and transport, restaurant, entertainment and leisure services to vocational 
training services. In accordance with the variou s provisions of the 2002 Code, any investment in 
the tourism and related services sector can benefit from the privileges and concessions granted by 
the Interministerial Investment Commission (CII). 
4.120.  Under the Investment Code, any investment in the tourism subsector would be eligible, 
inter alia , for the following benefits granted directly by the Government: 
i. exemption from all import duties and taxes on construction materials, furnishings, 
kitchen, sanitary and electrical equipment, appliances, items and finishings used in 
hotel construction, renovation or expansion; 
ii. five-year tax exemption as of the date of commissioning in the case of construction; 
and WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
- 67 - 
  iii. two-year tax exemption in the case of renovation leading to the creation of at least 
30 permanent full-time jobs. 
4.121.  The management and exploitation of tourism investment are governed by 
the Law of 12 March 1975 regulating the operation of tourist establishments. Under this Law, any 
natural or legal person wishing to open and run a tourist establishment is required to satisfy the 
following terms and conditions: the project (plans and specifications, market surveys, financial documents) must be submitted to, and authorization requested from, the MT, 
which forwards approved applications, together wi th a reasoned report, to the MEF. Any developer 
wishing to benefit from certain fiscal and customs concessions must follow these procedures (see below). The developer is then authorized to be gin construction work. The technical services of 
the MT and other relevant bodies ensure compliance with the regulations and plans and issue 
a certificate of conformity. The investor then applies to the MT for an operating licence, 
which must be obtained before the establishment opens for business. 
4.122.  Since July 2014, visitors holding a foreign passport have been required to pay a tourist fee 
of US$10 (€8 or C$10). This measure is intended to finance the promotion of the destination, the 
reinforcement of the Tourism Police (Politour) and training in tourism-related occupations in Haiti. 
4.123.  Where tourism is concerned, Haiti has made concessions under the GATS for hotel and 
restaurant services. 
 
 WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
- 68 - 
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intégré: Étude diagnostique sur l'intégration du commerce , Port-au-Prince, September 2013. 
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Port-au-Prince. 
 Bank of the Republic of Haiti (quarterly) (undated), Note sur la politique monétaire , 
Port-au-Prince. 
 
Collier, P. (2008), The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can Be 
Done About It , Oxford University Press. 
 
Government of the Republic of Haiti (2013), 2014-2016 Three-year Investment Program and its 
Framework.  
 
International Monetary Fund (IMF) (2014), Haiti – Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, IMF Country 
Report No. 14/154 , June, Washington D.C. 
Viewed at: https://www.imf.org/external/p ubs/ft/scr/2014/cr14154.pdf . 
 
IMF (2015), Haiti - 2015 Staff Report for the Article IV Consultation and Request for a Three-Year 
Arrangement under the Extended Credit Facility, IMF Country Report No. 15/157 , June, 
Washington D.C. 
Viewed at: http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/scr/2015/cr15157.pdf . 
 
Haitian Institute of Statistics and Information Technology (IHSI) (2010), Enquête sur l'emploi et 
l'économie informelle, Port-au-Prince. Viewed at: http://www.ihsi.ht/pdf/eeei.pdf . 
 
Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development (MARNDR) (2010), Programme  
national pour le développement de la pêche maritime en Haïti 2010-2014 , Port-au-Prince. 
 MARNDR (2011a), Politique  de développement agricole 2010-2025 , Port-au-Prince. 
 
MARNDR (2011b), Plan directeur de vulgarisation agricole (2011-2016) , Port-au-Prince. 
 
MARNDR (2012), Synthèse  nationale des résultats du recensement général de l'agriculture (RGA) 
2008-2009 , Port-au-Prince. 
 MARNDR (2015a), National Coffee Institute of Haiti (INCAH), Plan national de relance de la filière 
café, Port-au-Prince. 
 MARNDR (2015b), Production de lait en Haïti: Bilan 2011-2015 , Port-au-Prince. 
 
MARNDR (2015c) Identification du bétail: Bilan 2011-2015 , Port-au-Prince. 
 
MARNDR (2015d), Aquaculture: Bilan 2012-2015 , Port-au-Prince. 
 Ministry of Trade and Industry (MCI) (2013), Services d'appui aux entreprises, document de 
présentation. Viewed at: http://mef.gouv.ht/upload/doc/No uveau%20Livret%20du%20MCI.pdf . 
 
Ministry of the Economy and Finance (MEF) (2013), Sommaire de la politique fiscale, exercice 
fiscal 2012-2013 . Viewed at: 
http://www.mef.gouv.ht/docs/SommairePol Fiscale%20(22juill et2014%20RT).pdf . 
 
MEF (2014a), Situation économique, financière, sociale en Haïti en 2013 et perspectives à court 
terme , September. Viewed at: 
http://www.mef.gouv.ht/upload/doc/DeeSitua tionEcFinSocHaitirev_20septembre2014.pdf . 
 WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
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  MEF (2014b), National Ports Authority (APN), Note de politique – La réforme portuaire en Haïti , 
Port-au-Prince. Viewed at: http://apn.gouv.ht/wp-content/uploads/2014/ 05/Note-de-Politique-relative-%C3%A0-la-
R%C3%A9forme-Portuaire.pdf . 
 
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)/World Trade Organization (WTO) (2015), Aid for Trade at a Glance 2015: Reducing Trade Costs for Inclusive, Sustainable 
Growth , OECD Publishing, Paris. Viewed at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/aid_glance-2015-en . 
 
International Finance Corporation (IFC) (2011), Integrated Economic Zones in Haiti: 
Legal/Regulatory/Institutional Analysis , Washington, D.C. Viewed at: 
https://www.wbginvestmentclima te.org/advisory-services/inv estment-genera tion/special-
economic-zones/upload/IEZs-in-Haiti-Legal-Regulatory-Institutional-Analysis-English.pdf . 
 
National Industrial Parks Company (SONAPI) (2013), Haiti is Open for Business . 
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Report – Reforming International Investment Governance , June, Geneva. Viewed at: 
http://unctad.org/en/PublicationsLibrary/wir2015_en.pdf . 
 
UNCTAD (2015b), Generalized System of Preferences: List of Beneficiary Countries , Geneva. 
Viewed at: http://unctad.org/en/PublicationsLibrary/itcdtsbmisc62rev6_en.pdf . 
 
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de la microfinance haïtienne, 2009-10 . 
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Discussion of Public Finance in Haiti , Washington D.C. 
 
World Economic Forum (2015), The Global Competitiveness Report 2014–2015: Full Data Edition , 
Geneva. 
 
World Trade Organization (WTO) (2005); World Bank (2015), The Role of Trade in Ending Poverty , 
June, Geneva. 
Viewed at: https://www.wto.org/english/res _e/booksp_e/worldba nkandwto15_e.pdf . WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
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  5  APPENDIX TABLES 
Table A1. 1 Structure of merchandis e exports by HS section, 2009-2014a 
(US$ million and %) 
Description 2009  2010  2011 2012 2013  2014  
Total exportsb 661  695 910 962 1,047  1,083  
Exports to main partners 648 672 883 917 1,007  1,056  
 (% of exports to main partners)  
1 - Live animals; animal products 0.7 0.7 0.9 0.7 1.0 1.3 
03 - Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates  0.7 0.7 0.8 0.6 0.9  1.2 
2 - Vegetable products 2.6 2.0 2.1 2.0 1.9 1.8 
08 - Edible fruit and nuts; peel of citrus fruit or melons  2.1 1.6 1.7 1.4 1.7  1.6 
09 - Coffee, tea, maté and spices 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.1 
3 - Animal or vegetable fats and oils; prepared edible fats  0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0  0.0 
4 - Prepared foodstuffs; beverages, spirits; tobacco  2.1 2.5 1.3 1.5 0.9 1.4 
18 - Cocoa and cocoa preparations 1.4  2.1 0.8 1.0 0.4  0.8 
22 - Beverages, spirits and vinega r 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.3 
24 - Tobacco and manufactured tobacco substitutes  0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0  0.1 
5 - Mineral products 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
6 - Products of the chemical or allied industries 1.6  2.8 1.9 1.5 1.6  1.9 
33 - Essential oils and resinoids; perfumery, 
cosmetic or toilet preparations 1.5 2.8 1.9 1.5 1.5 1.9 
7 - Plastics and articles thereof; rubber and articles thereof  0.0 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.2  0.3 
39 - Plastics and articles thereof 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.3 
8 - Raw hides and skins, leather, furskins; travel goods,  handbags  0.3 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.3  0.2 
42 - Articles of leather; saddlery and harness; travel goods, 
handbags and similar containers; 
articles of animal gut (other than silk-worm gut) 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 
9 - Wood and articles of wood  0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0  0.0 
10 - Pulp of wood or of other fibrous cellulosic material; 
paper and paperboard 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 
11 - Textiles and textile articles  88.8 87.0 86.7 87.6 88.5  89.2 
61 - Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, knitted or crocheted  70.5 70.2 69.4 68.1 67.7 67.7 
62 - Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, 
not knitted or crocheted 17.3 15.4 16.7 19.4 20.6  21.4 
12 - Footwear, umbrellas; artificial flowers 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.5 0.6 
67 - Prepared feathers and down and articles made of feathers 
or of down; artificial flowers; articles of human hair 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2  0.5 
13 - Articles of stone, plaster, cement; ceramic products; 
glass and glassware 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
14 - Natural or cultured pearls, precious or semi-precious stones, 
precious metals 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.1  0.1 
15 - Base metals and articles of base metal 1.3 1.9 5.0 4.5 3.7 1.4 
74 - Copper and articles thereof 0.2  0.2 0.8 1.2 1.4  1.2 
16 - Machinery and mechanical appliances; 
electrical equipment; image and sound recorders 0.6 1.0 0.7 0.6 0.3 0.4 
85 - Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof  0.5 0.9 0.6 0.6 0.2  0.3 
17 - Vehicles, airc raft, vessels and associated transport equipment  0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
18 - Optical, photographic, precision and medical instruments; 
clocks and watches; musical instruments 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0  0.0 
19 - Arms and ammunition 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
20 - Miscellaneous manufactured articles 0.1  0.1 0.1 0.2 0.3  0.2 
95 - Toys, games and sports requisites; 
parts and accessories thereof 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.2 
21 - Works of art, collectors' pieces and antiques 0.1  0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0  0.0 
Other 1.3 0.7 0.6 0.4 0.5 0.8 
a Mirror statistics from the Republic of Haiti's main trading part ners: Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, 
Colombia, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Guatemala, India, Indo nesia, Italy, Japan, 
Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Peru, Sp ain, United Kingdom, United States, Viet Nam. 
The figures are under-estimates, as the Netherlands An tilles/Curaçao do not repo rt trade statistics to 
the Comtrade database, yet appear as an important partner in national statistics. 
b Mirror statistics from all the Republic of Haiti's partners. 
Source: WTO Secretariat, on the basis of Comtrade data. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
- 71 - 
  Table A1. 2 Structure of merchandis e imports by HS section, 2009-2014a 
(US$ million and %) 
Description 2009  2010  2011  2012 2013 2014  
Total importsb 2,352  3,432  3,632  3,273 3,622 3,877  
Imports from main partners 2,022  2,983  3,176  3,059 3,374 3,710  
 (% of imports from main partners)  
1 - Live animals; animal products 5.0 4.6 5.8 6.3 5.7 6.0 
02 - Meat and edible meat offal 2.0  2.0 2.6 2.9 2.4 2.4  
04 - Dairy produce; birds' eggs; natural honey; edible products 
of animal origin, not elsewhere specified or included 2.2 1.9 2.4 2.7 2.1 2.4 
2 - Vegetable products 15.2  11.8 12.6 12.5 12.8 12.6  
10 - Cereals 10.5 6.6 7.2 7.8 8.4 6.7 
11 -  Products of the milling industry; malt; starches; inulin; 
wheat gluten 2.2 2.8 3.5 2.9 2.7 3.5  
07 - Edible vegetables and certain roots and tubers  1.9 1.8 1.3 1.3 1.1 1.3 
3 - Animal or vegetable fats and oils; prepared edible fats  4.5 3.5 4.8 3.4 4.2 1.8  
4 - Prepared foodstuffs; beverages, spirits; tobacco  10.3 10.4 9.7 10.2 9.5 10.5 
21 - Miscellaneous edible preparations 2.7  2.2 2.1 2.5 2.5 3.5  
19 - Preparations of cereals, flour, starch or milk; 
pastrycooks' products 2.4 3.0 2.4 2.5 2.2 2.2 
22 - Beverages, spirits and vinega r 0.8  1.0 1.0 1.1 1.0 1.4  
17 - Sugars and sugar confectionery 3.1 3.0 2.5 2.7 2.3 1.2 
5 - Mineral products 2.9  2.6 3.4 4.2 4.7 7.0  
27 - Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; 
bituminous substances; mineral waxes 0.8 1.1 1.4 1.9 2.6 4.8 
25 - Salt; sulphur; earths and stone; plastering materials, 
lime and cement 2.1 1.5 2.0 2.2 2.1 2.2  
6 - Products of the chemical or allied industries 5.7 5.4 4.9 5.4 4.8 5.1 
7 - Plastics and articles thereof; rubber and articles thereof  4.7 4.2 4.8 5.1 4.6 6.3  
39 - Plastics and articles thereof 3.7 3.3 4.0 4.1 3.8 5.5 
8 - Raw hides and skins, leather, furskins; travel goods, handbags  0.1 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2  
9 - Wood and articles of wood  0.7 2.2 1.7 1.0 1.0 0.9 
10 - Pulp of wood or of other fibrous cellulosic material; 
paper and paperboard 1.9 1.6 1.8 2.0 2.1 2.5  
48 - Paper and paperboard; articles of paper pulp, 
of paper or of paperboard 1.5 1.1 1.4 1.5 1.6 2.2 
11 - Textiles and textile articles  18.7 14.8 15.4 17.4 16.8 16.0  
52 - Cotton 12.6 6.6 7.3 7.2 10.8 9.3 
60 - Knitted or crocheted fabrics 0.2  0.3 0.4 0.5 0.8 1.5  
55 - Man-made staple fibres  0.9 0.8 1.1 1.2 1.1 1.0 
12 - Footwear, umbrellas; artificial flowers 0.4  0.4 0.5 0.7 0.8 0.8  
64 - Footwear, gaiters and the like; parts of such articles  0.4 0.3 0.4 0.6 0.7 0.7 
13 - Articles of stone, plaster, cement; ceramic products; 
glass and glassware 0.9 0.7 1.0 0.9 0.8 0.8  
69 - Ceramic products 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.5 0.4 
14 - Natural or cultured pearls, precious or semi-precious stones, 
precious metals 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0  
15 - Base metals and articles of base metal 4.2 5.6 6.1 5.3 5.5 5.0 
72 - Iron and steel 2.1  2.2 3.3 3.0 2.9 2.5  
16 - Machinery and mechanical appliances; electrical equipment; 
image and sound recorders 7.5 9.8 10.0 7.4 8.2 7.6 
85 - Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; 
sound recorders and reproducers, 
television image and sound recorders and reproducers, 
and parts and accessories of such articles 3.5 5.6 6.2 4.3 4.6 4.0  
84 - Nuclear reactors, boilers, 
machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof 4.0 4.2 3.8 3.1 3.6 3.6 
17 - Vehicles, aircraft, vessels and associated transport equipment  4.2 6.0 4.7 3.7 3.0 3.5  
87 - Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling-stock, 
and parts and accessories thereof 3.9 5.7 4.6 3.5 2.9 3.3 
18 - Optical, photographic, precision and medical instruments; 
clocks and watches; musical instruments 0.4 0.9 0.7 0.4 0.5 0.5  
19 - Arms and ammunition 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.0 
20 - Miscellaneous manufactured articles 1.0  2.0 1.8 2.0 1.3 1.4  
21 - Works of art, collectors' pieces and antiques 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
Other 11.5 13.3 10.2 11.9 13.3 11.8  
a Mirror statistics from the Republic of Haiti's main trading part ners: Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, 
Colombia, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Guatemala, India, Indo nesia, Italy, Japan, 
Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Peru, Sp ain, United Kingdom, United States, Viet Nam. 
The figures are under-estimates, as the Netherlands An tilles/Curaçao do not repo rt trade statistics to 
the Comtrade database, yet appear as an important partner in national statistics. 
b Mirror statistics from all the Republic of Haiti's partners. 
Source: WTO Secretariat, on the basis of Comtrade data. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
- 72 - 
  Table A1. 3 Merchandise exports by trading partner, 2009-2014a 
(US$ million and %) 
Description 2009  2010  2011  2012 2013 2014  
Total exportsb 661 695 910 962 1,047 1,083 
Total exports to main partners 648 672 883 917 1,007 1,056 
 (% of total exports)  
United States 85.6 81.3 83.5 82.4 82.7 85.6 
Canada 2.9 3.6 2.9 3.1 3.0 3.4 
Mexico 2.0 2.0 1.2 1.8 1.9 2.0 
Viet Nam 0.5 0.8 2.8 2.4 1.9 n/a 
China 0.4 0.9 0.8 1.0 1.4 1.4 
France 1.0 1.4 1.1 0.9 0.9 1.1 
United Kingdom 1.0 0.6 0.3 0.7 0.8 1.0 
Belgium 0.9 0.4 0.3 0.6 1.1 0.9 
Germany 0.6 1.7 0.6 0.4 0.6 0.3 
Spain 0.2 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.4 0.4 
Dominican Republic 2.0 2.3 1.3 0.1 0.3 0.4 
Japan 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.2 
Italy 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.3 
Netherlands 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.1 
India 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 
Malaysia 0.0 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.0 
Brazil 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 
Colombia 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 n/a 
Guatemala 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
Peru 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
Indonesia n/a 0.1 0.9 0.4 0.0 n/a 
Luxembourg n/a n/a 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
Rest of world 1.9 3.3 3.0 4.7 3.9 2.5 
n/a Not applicable. 
a Mirror statistics from the Republic of Haiti's main trading part ners: Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, 
Colombia, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Guatemala, India, Indo nesia, Italy, Japan, 
Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Peru, Sp ain, United Kingdom, United States, Viet Nam. 
The figures are under-estimates, as the Netherlands An tilles/Curaçao do not repo rt trade statistics to 
the Comtrade database, yet appear as an important partner in national statistics. 
b Mirror statistics from all the Republic of Haiti's partners. 
Source: WTO Secretariat, on the basis of Comtrade data. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
- 73 - 
  Table A1. 4 Merchandise imports by  main trading partner, 2009-2014a 
(US$ million and %) 
Description 2009  2010  2011  2012 2013 2014  
Total importsb 2,352 3,432 3,632 3,273 3,622 3,877 
Imports of main partners 2,022 2,983 3,176 3,059 3,374 3,710 
 (% of total imports) 
United States 33.7 35.5 29.2 32.4 34.0 32.9 
Dominican Republic 26.3 23.4 27.9 31.7 28.8 36.7 
China 6.3 7.5 8.4 8.7 8.9 10.1 
India 1.5 1.7 1.3 1.9 1.7 1.9 
Peru 2.0 1.6 2.0 2.4 2.1 1.9 
Indonesia n/a 0.5 0.6 1.5 2.0 n/a 
Mexico 1.0 0.9 1.6 1.4 1.7 1.7 
Colombia 2.6 1.7 1.8 2.0 1.5 n/a 
France 1.7 1.7 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.6 
Japan 2.2 1.9 1.9 1.7 1.2 1.2 
Guatemala 0.4 0.8 0.5 0.7 1.0 1.2 
Canada 1.5 1.4 1.0 1.1 1.0 1.1 
Netherlands 0.9 1.0 0.9 1.1 1.3 1.0 
Brazil 1.4 1.6 2.6 1.6 1.4 1.0 
Viet Nam n/a 0.9 0.4 0.4 1.2 n/a 
Malaysia 1.9 1.1 2.8 1.2 1.2 0.6 
Germany 0.5 1.0 0.6 0.4 0.7 0.7 
Spain 0.5 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.7 0.7 
Italy 0.4 0.8 0.9 0.6 0.5 0.6 
United Kingdom 0.4 0.7 0.6 0.6 0.4 0.4 
Belgium 0.8 0.8 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 
Luxembourg 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
Rest of world 14.0 13.1 12.6 6.5 6.8 4.3 
n/a Not applicable. 
a Mirror statistics from the Republic of Haiti's main trading part ners: Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, 
Colombia, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Guatemala, India, Indo nesia, Italy, Japan, 
Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Peru, Sp ain, United Kingdom, United States, Viet Nam. 
The figures are under-estimates, as the Netherlands An tilles/Curaçao do not repo rt trade statistics to 
the Comtrade database, yet appear as an important partner in national statistics. 
b Mirror statistics from all the Republic of Haiti's partners. 
Source: WTO Secretariat, on the basis of Comtrade data. WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
- 74 - 
  Table A4. 1 MFN tariff statistics by ISIC Rev.2 category, 2015  
ISIC 
code Description Number 
of lines Simple 
average 
(%) Range 
(%) Standard 
deviation 
 Total 5,285 4.9 0-40 6.1 
      
1 Agriculture, hunting, forestry and fishing 296 5.6 0-40 7.6 
11 Agriculture and hunting 224 7.2 0-40 8.0 
12 Forestry and logging 22 1.0 0-3.5 1.6 
121 Forestry 14 0.0 0-0 0.0 
122 Logging 8 2.6 0-3.5 1.5 
13 Fishing 50 0.7 0-15 3.0 
1301 Ocean and coastal fishing 43 0.5 0-15 2.4 
1302 Fishing not elsewhere classified 7 2.1 0-15 5.2 
2 Mining and quarrying 97 2.7 0-15 4.1 
21 Coal mining 4 2.5 0-5 2.5 
22 Crude petroleum and natural gas production 4 0.0 0-0 0.0 
23 Metal ore mining 23 0.2 0-5 1.0 
2301 Iron ore mining 2 0.0 0-0 0.0 
2302 Non-ferrous ore mining 21 0.2 0-5 1.1 
29 Other mining 66 3.8 0-15 4.5 
2901 Mining of feldspar 32 3.8 0-10 3.8 
2902 Chemical and fertilizer mineral mining 12 1.3 0-5 2.2 
2903 Salt mining 1 3.5 3.5-3.5 0.0 
2909 Mining and quarrying not elsewhere classified 21 5.2 0-15 5.9 
3 Manufacturing 4,891 4.9 0-40 6.0 
31 Manufacture of food, beverages and tobacco 532 8.9 0-40 8.9 
311 Food manufacturing 427 7.5 0-25 7.6 
3111 Meat products 80 10.5 0-25 8.5 
3112 Manufacture of dairy products 22 6.9 0-20 4.9 
3113 Canning and preserving of fruits and vegetables 98 11.4 0-20 6.5 
3114 Fish industry 78 3.1 0-20 6.1 
3115 Manufacture of vegetable and animal oils and fats 78 2.5 0-20 3.4 
3116 Grain mill products 35 6.2 0-20 7.0 
3117 Manufacture of bakery products 13 13.5 0-25 7.7 
3118 Sugar factories and refineries 9 8.2 0-15 6.2 
3119 Manufacture of cocoa, chocolate and sugar 
confectionery 14 14.3 5-20 7.0 
312 Manufacture of other food products and prepared 
animal feeds 59 9.1 0-20 6.5 
3121 Manufacture of food products not elsewhere 
classified 50 10.0 0-20 6.0 
3122 Manufacture of prepared animal feeds 9 3.9 0-20 6.6 
313 Beverage industries 35 20.7 0-40 12.9 
3131 Distillation of spirits and alcohol production 16 28.1 0-40 13.4 
3132 Wine industries 8 15.6 0-20 6.3 
3133 Malt liquors and malt 3 10.0 0-30 14.1 
3134 Soft drinks and carbonated waters industries 8 15.0 5-20 6.6 
314 Tobacco manufactures 11 25.5 20-40 8.9 
32 Textile, wearing apparel and leather industries 849 6.1 0-20 6.0 
321 Manufacture of textiles 660 5.6 0-20 6.3 
3211 Spinning, weaving and finishing textiles 385 6.1 0-15 6.7 
3212 Manufacture of made-up textile goods except 
wearing apparel 55 9.1 0-15 2.9 
3213 Knitting mills 149 2.2 0-5 2.5 
3214 Manufacture of carpets and rugs 21 18.1 15-20 2.4 
3215 Cordage, rope and twine industries 10 11.0 5-15 4.9 
3219 Manufacture of textiles not elsewhere classified 40 1.3 0-10 2.7 
322 Manufacture of wearing apparel, except footwear 127 8.8 5-15 2.6 WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
- 75 - 
  ISIC 
code Description Number 
of lines Simple 
average 
(%) Range 
(%) Standard 
deviation 
323 Manufacture of products of leather and fur, 
except footwear 48 5.6 0-15 6.6 
3231 Tanneries and leather finishing 28 0.4 0-10 1.9 
3232 Fur dressing and dyeing industries 6 10.0 10-10 0.0 
3233 Manufacture of products of leather, except footwear 14 14.3 10-15 1.7 
324 Manufacture of footwear, except vulcanized rubber 
or plastic footwear 14 9.3 0-15 4.2 
33 Manufacture of wood and wood products, 
including furniture 107 7.8 0-20 7.6 
331 Manufacture of wood and wood products, 
except furniture 78 5.0 0-20 5.2 
3311 Sawmills, planing and other wood mills 49 2.7 0-5 1.7 
3312 Manufacture of wooden and cane containers 
and small cane ware 14 14.3 5-20 5.3 
3319 Manufacture of wood and cork products 15 4.0 0-5 2.0 
332 Manufacture of furniture and fixtures, 
except primarily of metal 29 15.3 0-20 7.9 
34 Manufacture of paper and paper products, 
printing and publishing 149 2.9 0-20 3.8 
341 Manufacture of paper and paper products 123 2.6 0-10 3.3 
3411 Manufacture of pulp, paper and paperboard 78 0.9 0-10 2.0 
3412 Manufacture of containers and boxes of paper 
and paperboard 9 6.1 0-10 3.1 
3419 Manufacture of pulp, pape r and paperboard articles 
not elsewhere classified 36 5.6 0-10 2.8 
342 Printing, publishing and allied industries 26 3.8 0-20 5.4 
35 Manufacture of chemical, petroleum, coal, 
rubber and plastic products 1,068 3.3 0-40 5.1 
351 Manufacture of industrial chemicals 683 2.1 0-25 3.7 
3511 Manufacture of basic industrial chemicals 509 1.4 0-10 1.9 
3512 Manufacture of fertilizers and pesticides 29 0.0 0-0 0.0 
3513 Manufacture of synthetic resins, plastic materials 
and man-made fibres except glass 145 5.1 0-25 6.2 
352 Manufacture of other chemical products 243 4.5 0 - 20 6.1 
3521 Paints, varnishes and laquers 16 9.4 0 - 15 6.3 
3522 Manufacture of drugs and medicines 89 0.7 0 - 3.5 1.4 
3523 Manufacture of soap 30 13.3 0-20 5.4 
3529 Manufacture of chemical products not elsewhere 
classified 108 4.5 0-20 5.6 
353 Petroleum refineries 23 4.8 0-40 8.8 
354 Manufacture of miscellaneous products of petroleum 
and coal 15 3.0 0-5 2.4 
355 Manufacture of rubber products 78 5.2 0-15 4.3 
3551 Tyre and tube industries 23 3.9 0-15 4.2 
3559 Manufacture of rubber products not elsewhere 
classified 55 5.7 0-15 4.2 
356 Manufacture of plastic products not elsewhere 
classified 26 14.0 0-25 7.8 
36 Manufacture of non-metallic mineral products, 
except products of petroleum and coal 165 6.4 0-20 4.5 
361 Manufacture of pottery and china 16 6.6 0-15 5.5 
362 Manufacture of glass and glass products 64 5.3 0-20 4.9 
369 Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products 85 7.2 0-15 3.8 
3691 Manufacture of structural clay products 17 9.4 0-10 2.4 
3692 Manufacture of cement, lime and plaster 11 4.1 0-10 3.5 
3699 Manufacture of non-metallic mineral products not 
elsewhere classified 57 7.2 0-15 3.7 
37 Basic metal industries 377 2.4 0-20 4.8 
371 Iron and steel basic industries 207 3.0 0-20 5.6 
372 Non-ferrous metal basic industries 170 1.7 0-10 3.5 
38 Manufacture of fabricated metal products, 
machinery and equipment 1,455 4.2 0-20 4.5 WT/TPR/S/327 • Haiti 
- 76 - 
  ISIC 
code Description Number 
of lines Simple 
average 
(%) Range 
(%) Standard 
deviation 
381 Manufacture of fabricated metal products, 
except machinery and equipment 234 5.0 0-20 5.1 
3811 Manufacture of cutlery and general hardware 73 3.4 0-20 4.1 
3812 Manufacture of furniture and fixtures primarily 
of metal 8 10.6 5-20 6.3 
3813 Manufacture of structural metal products 20 5.0 0-10 3.2 
3819 Manufacture of fabricated metal products except 
machinery and equipment not elsewhere classified 133 5.6 0-20 5.4 
382 Manufacture of machinery except electrical 505 3.5 0-20 3.9 
3821 Manufacture of engines and turbines 12 2.1 0-5 2.5 
3822 Manufacture of agricultural machinery 
and equipment 33 0.5 0-5 1.4 
3823 Manufacture of metal and wood working machinery 108 2.4 0-10 3.1 
3824 Manufacture of special industrial machinery 
and equipment 142 2.3 0-5 2.5 
3825 Manufacture of office machinery 35 4.1 0-5 1.9 
3829 Machinery and equipment except electrical not 
elsewhere classified 175 5.7 0-20 4.7 
383 Manufacture of electrical machinery and apparatus 270 3.1 0-20 4.8 
3831 Manufacture of electrical motors and apparatus 61 2.2 0-10 2.6 
3832 Manufacture of radio, television and communication 
equipment and apparatus 114 1.1 0-10 2.2 
3833 Manufacture of electrical appliances and housewares 26 5.6 0-10 2.1 
3839 Manufacture of electrical apparatus not elsewhere 
classified 69 6.4 0-20 7.3 
384 Manufacture of transport equipment 237 5.0 0-20 4.5 
3841 Ship building and repairing 22 5.0 0-20 6.4 
3842 Manufacture of railroad equipment 23 0.2 0-5 1.0 
3843 Manufacture of motor vehicles 145 6.0 0-10 3.9 
3844 Manufacture of motorcycles and bicycles 21 2.1 0-10 3.6 
3845 Manufacture of aircraft 21 7.4 0-10 3.7 
3849 Manufacture of transport equipment not elsewhere 
classified 5 2.0 0-10 4.0 
385 Professional and scientific equipment 209 5.4 0-20 4.5 
3851 Professional and scientific, 
and measuring equipment 99 2.7 0-10 2.4 
3852 Manufacture of photographic and optical goods 58 7.1 0-20 4.7 
3853 Manufacture of watches and clocks 52 8.8 5-15 3.9 
39 Other manufacturing industries 189 7.4 0-25 6.4 
3901 Manufacture of jewellery and related articles 20 13.8 0-25 5.2 
3902 Manufacture of musical instruments 18 8.9 0-10 3.1 
3903 Manufacture of sporting goods 26 4.8 0-10 4.0 
3909 Manufacturing industries not elsewhere classified 125 6.7 0-25 6.7 
4 Electricity 1 0.0 0-0 0.0 
Source: WTO Secretariat calculations based on data provided by the authorities. 
__________