Haiti: Trade Partnerships

Haiti's external trade is dominated by its relationship with the United States, which the U.S. Department of Commerce describes as Haiti's priority trading partner. As of 2026, the United States remains the principal destination for Haitian exports and one of its leading suppliers of imports, with trade flows concentrated heavily in the garment sector. Haiti is also a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), though its trade with the United States far outweighs its trade with regional partners.

Apparel assembled in Haitian factories for re-export accounts for the large majority of the country's exports to the United States, roughly three-quarters of total export value, followed by fruit and other agricultural products and essential oils such as vetiver, used in perfumery. This trade has been underpinned by U.S. preference programs including the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) Act, the Haiti Economic Lift Program (HELP) Act, and the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act, which grant duty-free access to the U.S. market for qualifying Haitian-made goods.

On the import side, American goods make up roughly a third of everything Haiti brings in from abroad, spanning food products, fuel, machinery, and manufactured goods. The Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, is also an important source of imports and a transit point for overland trade. Together, these trade relationships make Haiti's garment-export economy closely tied to continued U.S. market access and preferential tariff treatment.