2022 Annual Results Report

over 80 leading business representatives from Haiti where they discussed how businesses could be at the heart of economic recovery. This was Caribbean Export’s first in-person event in Haiti since 2019. Moreover, the Agency was able to assemble a working group comprised of Haitian and Dominican chambers of commerce that represent the provinces along the Binational border to create collaborative ties that promote trade and facilitate business operations in both countries. This effort has been in close collaboration with FEDOCAMARAS and CCIH which have served at the helm of enabling these dialogue opportunities. A series of interventions were carried out during the period bringing together 132 key stakeholders from both the Dominican and Haitian private sector. These activities allowed participants to devise strategies to tackle issues affecting trade, explore market-entry opportunities for Haitian businesses into the DR market; thus making inroads to create more equitable trade. In an ongoing effort to improve the capacity of Haitian and Dominican firms, several capacity building interventions were also held focusing on areas of international arbitration, production, sales and business acumen, with 184 participants from the two countries taking part in the training. On the investment promotion side, a joint investment promotion effort was developed between the Haitian (CFI) and Dominican (ProDominican) IPA. The Haiti-DR Border-Zone Industrial Parks investment opportunities proposal was developed and showcased at Expo Dubai in March 2022; the World Investment Conference in Geneva, Switzerland in September 2022 and the Caribbean Investment Forum in Trinidad & Tobago in November 2022. The creation of a border-zone industrial park on the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic supports the sustainable increase of economic activity and impact for both countries including job creation. BUILDING VALUE CHAINS FOR INCREASED EXPORTS The Haiti-Dominican Republic Value Chain Project is a component of the Binational Programme which focuses on improving the quality and the competitiveness of goods produced in both countries. The project focuses on three key sectors: cocoa/ chocolate, essential oils, cosmetics and handicraft, jewellery and fashion accessories and supports participating companies to build capacity; provide financial and technical assistance; and offers export promotion and trade missions. For each of the sectors, value chain strategies have been developed and are being implemented to enhance the quality of goods produced in the two countries as well as their competitiveness to maximise exports. In 2022, the Agency made significant strides in strengthening the cocoa/chocolate value chain, through a series of targeted interventions aimed to promote dialogue, cooperation and provide technical support to firms in the two nations. Through these interventions, two (2) firms from the value chain; Makaya and Definite Chocolate have collaborated to produce the first bi-national chocolate. On the heels of this success, the Agency remains committed to furthering the efforts for greater trade facilitation between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, using the strategy implemented to create this new partnership as a roadmap for other firms in the bi-national programme.

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Increased Dialogue

Best Practice Missions

Partnership & Collaboration

Product Development

Export Promotion

Transforming to a Greener, Smarter, Resilient Caribbean | Annual Results Report - 2022 38