The Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export), within the framework of the 10th European Development Fund (EDF)-funded Haiti-Dominican Republic Binational Programme, sponsored the participation of Haitian and Dominican exporters at the Habana International Trade Fair (FIHAV 2014) which took place in Havana, Cuba from the 2nd to the 8th of November.

Caribbean Export’s pavilion consisted of companies from the Dominican Republic and Haiti, as well as one company from Jamaica, whose participation was coordinated closely with JAMPRO, who also participated in the initiative. The Dominican companies were primarily from the beauty and cosmetics sector, whereas the Haitian private sector participants represented the textile manufacturing and handicraft industries.

B2B meetings were coordinated by the Cuban Chamber of Commerce, and companies were able to meet with institutional buyers to offer their products and establish commercial ties.

Caribbean Export also sponsored the participation of institutional partners under the Binational Programme including the government trade promotion office, Centro de Exportación e Inversión de la República Dominicana (CEI-RD), the Association of Industries of the Dominican Republic (AIRD), the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of Haiti (MCI), and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Haiti (CCIH).

Representatives from these institutions were able to support their stakeholders by promoting individual sectors and their national export product offerings and establishing relationships with their counterparts in Cuba.