Following Haiti's decision to ban the road transport for 23 products from the Dominican Republic forcing the use from 1 October only of transport by sea or air https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-15156-haiti-notice-import-ban-by-road-of-certain-products-from-dr.html ; the Foreign Minister, Andrés Navarro, said that after having recalled for consultation its ambassador in Haiti Rubén Silié https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-15168-haiti-flash-the-dominican-republic-recalls-its-ambassador-for-consultation.html and according to the report of the ambassador, the Dominican Republic will provide if necessary, a diplomatic answer from 1 October.

He explained that the ban not to transport the goods by land to Haiti affect in a larger proportion Haiti, because the prices of these excluded products will rise while recognizing that this will also affect the trade in his country.

Chancellor Navarro explained that the Dominican Republic will manage with the "greatest possible prudence" the current situation by promoting better relations with Haiti, but if "Haiti would take measures affecting trade, then we will react accordingly," remaining convinced that at a time "[...] the Haitian authorities will understand that it is preferable to maintain harmonious relations with our country."

For his part Sadala Khoury President of the Dominican Association of Exporters (ADOEXPO), is convinced that this Haitian decision is only a means of blackmail in response to the implementation of the migration policy in the Dominican Republic and its National Plan for the Regularization of Foreigner (PNRE). Indeed citing the Minister Wilson Laleau that justifies his decision by explaining "These measures are adopted with the aim of a better quality control and to better ensure the safety of the population", he said to be surprised, not without irony, to learn that the transport by sea brought an improvement in product quality and protect the lives of Haitian citizens... Adding that this decision is going to increase from 300 km by road to 800 km the transport by sea, the cost is almost double that of inland transport, which will not be without consequences for the Haitian population.

For his part the Haitian Chancellor Lener Renaud, minimizes the recall of the Dominican Ambassador declaring to anyone who want listen and believe that "The relations between Haiti and the Dominican Republic are good, and good neighborliness, apart from the migration problem..." while recognizing that this decision could be an irritant to the Dominican Republic.

SL/ HaitiLibre