The history of free trade zones the Republic of Haiti
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- Controversial Free Trade Zone to start
soon
- Haiti Progres, 16–22 July 2003. Near
Haiti's northeastern border town of Ouanaminthe,
development of what was once the most precious farmland
in this barren, hungry corner of the country. Plots have
been bulldozed and paved over to build the first of 17
free trade zones
(FTZ) which are planned to extend
along the entire length of the border between Haiti and
the Dominican Republic.
- Activist group questions support for new
Haitian industrial free zone
- Caribbean Update, Friday 5 September
2003. The British-based Haiti Support Group wants a new
FTZ scrapped because of major environmental concerns that
it says will eventually worsen the plight of the people
there. Why is the World Bank supporting the new free
zone? With no regulation or planning, the growth of
shanty-town developments is inevitable.
- Action Alert—Demand union rights in
the new free trade zone in Haiti
- Issued by the Haiti Support Group, 8 September 2003. The
World Bank's International Finance Corporation (IFC)
is poised to loan a Dominican company US$23 million to
help it establish a new free trade zone across the border
in Haiti. The Dominican garment assembly company, Grupo M,
will use the money to build factories where Haitian
workers will assemble clothes for companies such as
Levi's and Tommy Hilfiger.
- Rich Man, Poor Man—the new assembly
factory near Ouanaminthe
- By Amy Bracken, Labour News Network, 29 October
2003. Ouanaminthe residents say Dominican business giant
takes advantage of job-starved town. The impact of the
newly opened factory in the free trade zone in north-east
Haiti where Haitian workers assemble Levi jeans for a
Dominican company.