Embassy of the United States Port Au Prince, Haiti

Exporting to Haiti

President Obama announced the National Export Initiative (NEI) two years ago, with the goal of doubling exports by 2014. U.S. embassies are committed to supporting U.S. companies wishing to export to Haiti. In this section, you’ll find a quick description of Haiti as an export market and some suggestions for getting started.

Getting Started

The U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince is a Partner Post with the U.S. Commercial Service, allowing us to provide quality services to U.S. companies interested in doing business in Haiti. In conjunction with the U.S. Commercial Service, the embassy provides a variety of services to U.S. companies, including:

• Gold Key 
• Trade Missions 
• Trade Leads 
• Single Company Promotions 
• International Company Profile Reports 
• Contact Lists 

U.S. companies can find more information at export.gov and Doing Business in Haiti:  2012 Country Commercial Guide for U.S. Companies (PDF 745 KB). 

U.S. companies should also visit the export.gov page on Haiti to get an overview of economic conditions and opportunities.  Access the U.S. Commercial Service Market Research Library containing more than 100,000 industry and country-specific market reports, authored by our specialists working in overseas posts.  The Library includes:  

• Country Commercial Guides (read latest “Doing Business In” guides) 
• Industry Overviews
• Market Updates
• Multilateral Development Bank Reports
• Best Markets
• Industry/Regional Reports

Contact your local U.S. Export Assistance Center for advice and support on exporting to Haiti. Contact a Trade Specialist Near You.

Contact your local Small Business Development Center (SBDCs). Starting a business can be a challenge, but there is help for you in your area. Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) are partnerships primarily between the government and colleges/universities administered by the Small Business Administration and aims at giving educational services for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. 

Contact in-country business support organizations such as the American Chamber of Commerce in Haiti (AmCham Haiti). 

Investing in Haiti

This section provides information for current and potential investors in Haiti.

Potential investors: Getting Started

If you are considering investment in Haiti, here are some steps you may wish to consider as you get started: 

• Register with the U.S. Embassy – If you are planning a visit to explore investment opportunities, let us know by sending an email to the contact addresses on this page. 
• Visit host country resources, such as the Center for the Facilitation of Investment (CFI). 
• Contact local U.S. business support organizations, such as the American Chamber of Commerce in Haiti: www.amchamhaiti.com
• Subscribe to our Embassy Facebook page or Twitter feed.

Current investors: Staying Connected

If you are a current U.S. investor in Haiti, the U.S Embassy wants to stay in touch. Here are a few steps you can take to keep the channels of communication open: 

• Register with the U.S. Embassy – If you are active in Haiti, let us know by sending an email to the contact addresses on this page. 
• Add us to your mailing lists – we are always happy to stay informed 
• Set up a meeting with our economic or commercial team to discuss any issues that arise 
• Subscribe to our Embassy Facebook page or Twitter feed.

Working in Haiti

In this section you will find information on business visas, travel advisories, and anti-corruption tools.

Business Visas

Visitors are required to have a valid passport.  Visitors from the U.S. may not require a visa depnding on the length of stay and/or onward passage being assured.  An airport tax of USD 30.00 plus USD 5.00 is required from foreigners departing Haiti, and is included in the price of airline tickets.

A publiciation ("Guide for Business Representatives") is available for sale by the Sueprindendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, telephone 202-512-1800 or fax 202-512-2250.

More information may be found at the Bureau of Consular Affairs website.

U.S. companies that require travel of foreign businesspersons to the United States should direct potential Haitian travelers to:

• The Bureau of Consular Affairs visa information
• U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince website

Travel Advisories

Make sure to check the current State Department travel advisory for Haiti.

FCPA

The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) is an important anti-corruption tool designed to discourage corrupt business practices in favor of free and fair markets.  The FCPA prohibits promising, offering, giving or authorizing giving anything of value to a foreign government official where the purpose is to obtain or retain business.  These prohibitions apply to U.S. persons, both individuals and companies, and companies that are listed on U.S. exchanges. The statute also requires companies publicly traded in the U.S. to keep accurate books and records and implement appropriate internal controls.

A party to a transaction seeking to know whether a proposed course of conduct would violate the FCPA can take advantage of the opinion procedure established by the statute.  Within 30 days of receiving a description of a proposed course of conduct in writing, the Attorney General will provide the party with a written opinion on whether the proposed conduct would violate the FCPA.  Not only do opinions provide the requesting party with a rebuttable presumption that the conduct does not violate the FCPA, but DOJ publishes past opinions which can provide guidance for other companies facing similar situations.