In addition, soil erosion and soil exhaustion, coupled with mountainous terrain, have not allowed output to keep pace with population growth. The deterioration of the arable land will prove to be the most important task for the government in the future. Aid from overseas mostly fills the gaps created by the low efficiency of agriculture. Most agricultural output is of a subsistence nature, providing for immediate family and produce for barter. The main export crops are coffee, cocoa, sugar, and rice.
Manufacturing is limited to providing small goods for internal consumption.
Lack of skilled labour and the lack of institutions or regulatory bodies to induce capital accumulation has thwarted development in this field. Many North American companies were attracted to Haiti through low labour costs, but have since pulled out because of political uncertainties in the 1990's. The small industrial base has lead to large trade balance deficits. Trade embargoes in the 1990's against a military government increased the deficit even more, and plunged the currency downwards. Government deficits have been financed by domestic borrowing, curtailing liquidity in the private sector.