“Recent developments in global trade policy could create new opportunities for Haiti in light manufacturing, provided that it can preserve its cost competitiveness and overcome logistical constraints. Manufacturers seeking to relocate production could choose countries closer to consumer markets in order to reduce transportation costs, shorten delivery times, and improve the resilience of their supply chains,” according to the World Bank report Haiti: Growth Pathways Amid Heightened Risks.

“Haiti’s wage position, long its central advantage, is changing. A May 2026 decree increased the daily minimum wage for export assembly by 46 percent, from 685 to 1,000 gourdes (about $7.70 per day at the prevailing exchange rate), with a production wage of 1,300 gourdes for other export manufacturing activities, while unions continue to demand 3,000 gourdes,” the report reads.