Federal Judge P. Kevin Castel of New York has confirmed an arbitration award of $28 million against the Republic of Haiti in a dispute over fuel payments with the company Preble-Rish, as reported in a Law360 dispatch dated June 30, 2023. The judge's decision, according to the dispatch, rejects the idea that the Haitian government is immune from the authority of the court under U.S. law.

Last year, Preble-Rish had requested the Court to confirm its award. However, Haiti had sought to dismiss the contractor's request or outright cancel the arbitration panel's decision. The Republic of Haiti, according to the dispatch, argued that it was not a signatory to the arbitration agreement and could not be subjected to the jurisdiction of the court under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act.