Merchants report that Haitian gangs charge up to US$5,000 per week to allow the passage of goods

The president of the Dominican Federation of Merchants (FDC), Iván García, denounced that the armed gangs operating in Haiti are demanding payments from merchants to allow the passage of Dominican goods into that territory, a situation that, as he stated, increases the costs of the products received by the Haitian population.

García explained that previously the largest flow of goods to Haiti was carried out through the Jimaní border area, but the insecurity and control exercised by armed groups forced merchants to seek other alternatives to maintain commercial operations.

“Goods that did not pay their toll did not pass,” the trade leader expressed, describing the difficulties that Dominican exporters faced when they tried to move their products to the Haitian market.

He indicated that, given that situation, Dominican businessmen had to coordinate with their Haitian partners and merchants to guarantee the transport of goods, which caused a shift of part of the commercial exchange towards the Elías Piña border, where he assured that the effect of the gangs is lesser.

However, he warned that Haitian merchants must also make payments to those armed groups to move products within Haiti, because the available routes to Port-au-Prince present security difficulties and force detours through the mountains.

“Haitian merchants also have to pay their toll, because they go around the mountain to get to Port-au-Prince. There is no direct way to Port-au-Prince and that is where there is a serious problem,” García maintained.

The former president of FENACERD stated that those charges can reach 5,000 dollars per week to allow goods to circulate directly and without issues.

“There are times when it has remained at five thousand dollars a week, five thousand dollars a week so that the merchandise flows in a direct and problem-free manner,” he stated.

García considered that this situation affects both Dominican exporters and Haitian merchants, but noted that the greatest impact ends up falling on the consumers of the neighboring country, due to the increase in costs associated with the transport and distribution of products.

The business leader expressed his hope that the insecurity situation in Haiti can be resolved, warning that the persistence of these charges and the difficulties in transporting goods continue to make trade between both countries more expensive.