Trade Relations between The Bahamas and Haiti
Agriculture is the largest sector of the economy in Haiti. Fisheries and textiles also construct a huge portion of Haiti’s economy as well. As the images on the right demonstrate the lack of proper equipment for the finishing boats, but there is still hope for the commercial fishing industry to prosper.
Outside of the capital, the rural areas are mostly used for agriculture and Haiti has the potential to become a major food provider through growing its products. However, it is important to mention that most of the food consumed in Haiti has been through foreign financial aid, which caused many farmers to lose their jobs, leading to rise of unemployment rate.
In 2014, the government officials of The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Island, and Republic of Haiti met in Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas, to strengthen their relationship in regards to trade, cooperation, and migration. As a result, The Bahamas and Haiti signed four agreements, which are: Agreement for Bilateral Cooperation, the Agreement on Trade and Technical Cooperation in Agriculture and Fisheries, the Agreement on the Promotion and Protection of Investments, and the Joint Project Cooperation Agreement between the National Port Authority of Haiti and the Port Authority of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas are meant to strengthen the ties between the two countries.
A few years later in 2018, a meeting in National Palace of the Republic of Haiti is held, in which the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, and Heads of State and Government of the Caribbean Community gather to follow up the discussions and negotiations in 2014 in regards to the four agreements, which will be discussed in detail in the next section.