U.S. Business Opportunities for Haiti Reconstruction
April 19, 2010(This post contains external links. Please review our external linking policy.)
Walter Bastian is Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for the Western Hemisphere, a part of Market Access and Compliance.
On January 12, Haiti suffered a devastating earthquake. With more than 230,000 lives lost, it is among the ten worst natural disasters in recorded history, and the worst ever felt in the Western Hemisphere. In this island nation, the poorest in our Hemisphere before the quake, an estimated 1.3 million are now homeless. In the path of rebuilding lie 20 to 25 million cubic yards of rubble which – according to the Washington Post - is enough to fill the Louisiana Superdome five times or cover the National Mall to a height of 700 feet.
A recent study by the Inter-American Development Bank estimates that the cost of reconstruction in Haiti could reach $14 billion. If Haiti is to be “built back better,” there is little question that private sector investment will have to play a key role. The below events strive to engage the U.S. business community, which I believe is still the most dynamic, and innovative in the world, to consider doing business in Haiti. I am confident that if the Haitian Government and international community succeed in providing a framework of security, stability and transparency, the U.S. private sector will play a leading role in building a new Haiti.
Haiti Reconstruction Business Dialogue (April 20)
Secretary of Commerce Locke will host the Haiti Reconstruction Business Dialogue for all U.S. businesses interested in learning more about opportunities associated with Haiti’s reconstruction. Participants will hear from the leaders of several major companies doing business in Haiti. In addition, officials from the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, U.S. Trade and Development Agency, U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Inter-American Development Bank will discuss financing, political risk insurance, infrastructure-related feasibility studies, and the ourcome of the March International Donors’ Conference. Haitian Minister of Tourism Patrick Delatour, who is charged with leading Haiti’s reconstruction efforts, will deliver the keynote address. For more information, contact: Katherine.Bernardo@trade.gov or 482-3547.
U.S. Business Interest Conference (June 9-11)
The U.S. Commercial Service, American Chamber of Commerce of the Dominican Republic, and American Chamber of Commerce of Haiti will be holding a business interest conference on June 9-11, 2010. The purpose of this conference is to disseminate information on Haiti-led rebuilding strategies, and the plans and procurement practices of the multilateral lending institutions and the donor community, including the UN, World Bank, IDB, and USAID. For more information on this conference or to register your interest and receive updates: http://www.buyusa.gov/caribbean/en/
The Department of Commerce will continue to monitor the reconstruction process as opportunities develop for U.S. businesses, including U.S. Government procurement opportunities and opportunities funded by international development banks.
Local Events for Haiti Reconstruction
Subsequent events will be held in Brooklyn, NY on May 10, Miami, FL on May 25, and Philadelphia, PA on June 7.
For New York: http://www.buyusa.gov/nyc/haitireconstruction.html
For Miami: http://miamichamber.com/cwt/External/WCPages/WCEvents/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=2673
For Philadelphia: http://www.buyusa.gov/philadelphia/reconstructhaiti.html
well done…
thank u
Greetings!
I am the owner of a contractor corporation in Puerto Rico and we are interested in participating in the reconstruction process of haiti. Please contact us and let us know if this is possible and if it is what are the requierments for such a business.
Juan Marcos Gotay
CEO and Chairman of the board
I am also interested in obtaining permits, license for business projects to help develop land, housing, economic ventures in Haiti, What can be done and who are the proper parties to contact for such
I love your article. It is very informative.
Thank you for the information. I hope you continue posting business opportunities. It is a great help to many.
I think disaster awareness should be focused too in Education rebuilding in Haiti since, I believe if am not mistaken that Haiti in the ring of fire and anytime it would be shaken by earth quakes, we can’t really control the rage of mother nature all we can do is try to survive it’s rage
Hi thank you for an extremely interesting article. I think it is very, very important that disasters like Haiti should be kept in the “public eye”. It does frustrate me that when these things happen they are in the news domain for a while then disappear. However, the people and the country involved do not disappear and still need an enormous amount of help and support. We all need to be informed about what is going on long after the disaster itself.
This is a very interesting article. People must always be aware of everything. Mostly, our Environment should always in the top concern. We should be Vigilant!
This is a truly magnificent article. Entrepreneurs must not always talk about their businesses and how to start a business, they must also think to serve other persons in need of their help.
Hi met,
thank for share, i like this content.
Regard
wow,so amazing topic i like the content very much, its make people to realize on how to be concern to others,its nice to hear that people helping people, especially those who are victim of a disaster like of what happen in Haiti.
Thank you for the information. I hope you continue posting business opportunities. It is a great help to many.I am the owner of a contractor corporation in Puerto Rico and we are interested in participating in the reconstruction process of haiti. Please contact us and let us know if this is possible and if it is what are the requierments for such a business.
Very informative blog. Awareness is a must, indeed. Kudos to this site it helps a lot to widen such ideas like this.
To be concern on others is the best point of this blog. Why I like this most because it shows people wills to help other exists. Thanks for this very inspiring blog.
I just hope that blogs like these keep disasters in peoples minds. They seem to stay in the news for a few days and then we don’t hear anything else. The people who it affected are still suffering. Keep up the awareness just because the large news corporations have stopped broadcasting it.
This was a bout a year ago, I wonder how did this project went along. Any updates?
nice article, its very important that disasters like Haiti should be kept in the “public eye”. It does frustrate me that when these things happen they are in the news domain for a while then disappear. However, the people and the country involved do not disappear and still need an enormous amount of help and support.
How come I never heard anything about the Haiti reconstruction and all the effort I have made to participate in the Haiti Reconstruction.
I am Haitian born and owed and operating a small construction company in the U.S. who would like to play a part in the reconstruction.
Any suggestions.
It’s nice to see that our government is out there helping those in need. I know a few of my colleagues in the health/dental field joined up and went over to help with the aid effort.
Great to see this opportunity to help Haiti buy US businesses. And international trade is always a good thing!
There are a lot opportunities for Haiti to develop their country after eartquake.
Haiti has so much more to do after the recent hurricane, I am wondering where I may find what contracts and bids are avallable. Would someone have any idea as to where to locate those?
Thank you