Business in Haiti

EENI- School of International Business

Subject: Doing Business in Haiti - Port-au-Prince. Syllabus:

1. Introduction to the Republic of Haiti (the Caribbean)
2. The Haitian Economy
3. Haiti's advantages
4. Doing Business in Port-au-Prince
5. The Foreign Trade of Haiti
6. The Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) Act
7. The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Haiti
8. Business Opportunities in Haiti
   1. Apparel
   2. Agribusiness
   3. Tourism
   4. BPO and IT
9. Case Study:
   1. Apparel and textiles sector in Haiti
   2. Sûrtab (Android-based tablet)
10. Access to the Haitian Market
11. Business Plan for Haiti

The objectives of the subject “Foreign Trade and Doing Business in the Republic of Haiti” are the following:

1. To analyse the Haitian economy and foreign trade
2. To evaluate the business opportunities in the Republic of Haiti
3. To explore Haiti's trade relations with the country of the student
4. To know Haiti's Free Trade Agreements (FTAs)
5. To examine the profile of Haitian Companies
6. To develop a business plan for the Haitian Market

Sample of the subject - Doing Business in Haiti

Description of the Subject: Foreign Trade and business in Haiti

The Republic of Haiti

Haiti was the first black Republic and the second to become independent.

1. The population of Haiti: 10 million (65% under the age of 30, black 95%)
2. Capital: Port-au-Prince
3. 2010 earthquake
4. The official languages of Haiti: French and Creole (official)
5. Area: 27,750 square kilometres
6. Haiti is the second-largest island the Caribbean
7. The Haitian frontier: The Dominican Republic
8. Near countries: Cuba (77 kilometres), Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and the United States
9. Religions: Catholicism (official) 55%, Protestants 28%, and Voodoo (official) 2.1%
10. Haiti belongs to the Caribbean Economic Area of the Christian Civilisation
11. Independence from France: 1825
12. Abolition of the slavery in Haiti: (1804)
13. African Diaspora in Haiti: 10.2 millions of people (95% of the Haitian population)
14. Toussaint Louverture

The Haitian Economy.

1. Post-earthquake Action Plan for National Recovery and Development of Haiti
2. 80% of the population living under the poverty line
3. Economic recovery since 2011
4. The Haitian GDP growth: 3.6%
5. Top Haitian economic sectors: tourism (1 million tourist/year), apparel industry (36,000 workers, 10% of GDP), agribusiness, electronics manufacturing (Android-based tablets), free zones, Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), and information technology (IT) Industry
6. The Government support to free trade zones, and industrial parks
7. Global brands in Haiti: Heineken, Unilever, Coca-Cola, Marriot
8. One of the most corrupt countries

The Haitian Foreign Trade.

1. Top Haitian export sector: Apparel
2. The largest ports: Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haïtien
3. Transit time Port-au-Prince to Port Everglades (Florida, US): three days
4. The main Haitian agribusiness exports: bananas, cocoa, coffee, mangos, and sisal

Haiti has Preferential Access and Free Trade Agreements (FTA) with

1. Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) Act - the United States
2. Beneficiary of Everything but Arms (EBA) - European Union-
3. The CARICOM
4. The Colombia-Haiti (CARICOM) Agreement (FTA)
5. The Agreement Costa Rica-Caribbean Community (Haiti)
6. The CARIFORUM-European Union Economic Partnership Agreement (EU)
7. The Caribbean-Canada Trade Agreement (CARIBCAN)
8. The CARICOM-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
9. The Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI)
10. The United States-Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA)
11. The Caribbean Single Market Economy (CSME)
12. The Association of the Caribbean States (Haiti)
13. The Latin American and the Caribbean Economic System (SELA)
14. The Community of Latin American and the Caribbean States (CELAC)

FTA Colombia-Haiti (CARICOM):

Haiti is a member of:

1. Organisation of American States (OAS)
2. Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLAC)
3. Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
4. Latin American and the Caribbean Economic System (SELA)
5. The Caribbean Development Bank
6. Commonwealth
7. World Trade Organisation (WTO)
8. International Monetary Fund (IMF)
9. World Bank (WB)
10. World Customs Organisation
11. United Nations

The Agreement European Union-CARICOM (Haiti)