The Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) joined forces with the customs administrations of Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Morocco with a view to promoting south-south cooperation in trade facilitation.

The mission included, among others, with the participation of Mr. Hugo Rivera, Deputy Minister, Economic Affairs and International Cooperation at Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Mr. Reynald Eugene, Deputy Director, Haitian Customs Administration; Mr. Williams Espinosa and Mr. Williams Pacheco, respectively Deputy Directors of Operations and Technology at the Dominican Customs Administration; and Mr. Frantz Multidor, Head of Customs Post of Belladère of Haiti’s Customs Administration.

This initiative served to enhance the capacity of the Customs Authorities of Haiti and the Dominican Republic in their trade facilitation role via exchanges with Moroccan authorities, including visits to the ports of Tangier Med and Casablanca, as well as meetings with the Customs and Indirect Taxes Administration of Morocco, the International Cooperation Agency of Morocco (AMCI), the Investment Promotion Agency of Morocco (AMDI), the National Port Authority of Morocco (ANP) and the Export Promotion Centre of Morocco.

The mission also served to increase awareness of international best practices in border management, including the implementation of the single window for exporters while fostering collaboration between Haitian and Dominican Customs. Moreover, the exchanges with their Moroccan counterparts gave participants a greater understanding on international best practices that can be put in place by Caribbean customs administrations with a view to enhancing their role in trade facilitation and investment promotion.

This initiative also yielded agreements in principle to initiate and/or expand technical training to be granted by the Moroccan Government in favour of the customs administration of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

According to Deputy Minister Rivera: “This activity has helped advance the country’s plan for the modernization of the Dominican-Haitian border, being currently supported by European Union, the United States and Caribbean Export”.

The mission was organized within the framework of the Customs Subcomponent of the 10th European Development Fund (EDF), Haiti-Dominican Republic Bi-national Programme, which seeks the following objectives: greater formalization of trade at the border; enhanced cooperation between the of customs administrations of both countries; reduction of illegal trade and smuggling; and increased communication and cooperation between the customs authorities of both countries.

The activities undertaken are encompassed in the framework of the Protocol Agreement signed by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, March 26, 2012.