In 2024, Haiti only attracted 20 million dollars in foreign direct investment (FDI).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2024, Haiti only attracted 20 million dollars in foreign direct investment (FDI). On the same island, the Dominican Republic drew in over 5 billion in 2025. Rarely has the economic gap between the two countries sharing Hispaniola been so striking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The latest ECLAC report on foreign investment in Latin America and the Caribbean highlights an increasingly clear divide: while several Caribbean economies are boosting their appeal, Haiti continues to fall behind. More than just a temporary setback, these numbers reveal a structural lag.Foreign investment flows to Haiti are still at a historically low level today. The 20 million dollars recorded in 2024 not only represent a drop compared to 2023, but above all a collapse compared to the average seen over the previous decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This trend doesn\u2019t just reflect a temporary drop in confidence. It shows a deeper deterioration in the business climate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For international investors, three criteria matter most: stability, predictability, and profitability. But in all three areas, Haiti is currently sending negative signals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Persistent insecurity, political instability, institutional paralysis, and fragile infrastructure create an environment where long-term investment is hard to consider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For many investors, the question isn\u2019t just whether there are opportunities in Haiti anymore, but whether the basic conditions to operate are even still in placeTwo opposing paths on the same island<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The comparison with the Dominican Republic is particularly telling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over the past ten years, Santo Domingo has strengthened a clear competitiveness strategy based on several pillars: development of free trade zones, growth in tourism, energy investments, and closer integration into North American value chains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unsurprisingly, the Dominican Republic is now standing out as one of the most attractive economies in the Caribbean for foreign investment..<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This contrast illustrates less a geographical inevitability than a difference in economic governance. On one side, a country that is gradually improving its business environment. On the other, a country facing a buildup of political, security, and institutional shocks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This divergence is also seen in the productive sectors. While the Dominican Republic diversifies its growth drivers, Haiti remains focused on a limited number of activities, with considerable dependence on textiles.A high-risk commercial dependency<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another worrying signal highlighted in this report is the concentration of Haitian exports. More than 80% of the country’s goods exports go to the United States. This dependency makes the national economy highly vulnerable to fluctuations in American demand, regulatory changes, and external shocks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Textiles remain one of the few sectors connected to foreign investments, particularly through free trade zones. Initiatives like CODEVI, operated by Grupo M in Ouanaminthe, show, however, that competitive industrial activity is still possible in Haiti under certain conditions. This case deserves attention.Despite an extremely difficult national context, CODEVI, for better or worse, continues to operate thanks to a relatively secure logistical structure, proximity to the Dominican border, and direct integration into the American market. This suggests that Haiti is not suffering from a complete lack of potential, but rather from a deficit of favorable conditions on a large scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A rapidly changing region<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While Haiti is falling behind, the rest of the Caribbean is transforming quickly. Guyana is attracting massive capital thanks to the oil boom. Suriname is experiencing a similar dynamic. Other Caribbean economies are strengthening their positions in tourism, financial services, infrastructure, or energy.Another phenomenon is also reshaping investment flows, and that\u2019s ‘nearshoring.’ With geopolitical tensions and global logistics disruptions, many companies are looking to bring their production closer to the North American market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In theory, Haiti could benefit from this shift thanks to its geographical proximity to the U.S. and its manufacturing experience. But this opportunity is still largely untapped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
‘Nearshoring’ requires functional infrastructure, basic security, stable energy supply, and a credible regulatory framework\u2014conditions that are still largely lacking today.The real challenge: restoring trust<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For many economists, the issue of FDI in Haiti goes far beyond just attracting foreign capital. It points to a more fundamental issue: the country’s ability to restore trust. Without tangible improvements in security, institutional stabilization, and structural reforms in the business climate, capital will continue to prefer other regional destinations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The challenge is therefore twofold. Haiti must both protect existing investments and gradually rebuild its economic attractiveness. This requires a long-term strategic vision focused on clear priorities: security, energy, infrastructure, governance, and competitiveness.Because while the Caribbean is speeding up, Haiti risks more than just a statistical lag. The country faces a major strategic question: can it become a credible destination for international investors again, or is it settling into lasting regional economic marginalization?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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