weighted score 2.4 · ten dimensions
Sourcing Attractiveness Index · ten dimensions
Haiti
Labour cost, supply base depth, logistics infrastructure, trade access, and innovation scores for Haiti as a sourcing destination.
Labour cost competitiveness
8
Among the lowest nominal wages in the Western Hemisphere. However, low wages reflect poverty and low productivity, not cost-adjusted competitiveness. 28% inflation erodes real wage advantage.
Supply base depth
2
Garment assembly only. ~55,000 workers in SONAPI parks. No other manufacturing sector at scale. Entirely dependent on US trade preferences. No tier-2 or tier-3 supplier ecosystem.
Logistics & infrastructure
2
Port-au-Prince port severely limited. Gang control of transport routes. Power below 40% access. No rail. Roads degraded. Most cargo trans-ships via DR or Miami.
Workforce skills
2
Education system severely disrupted. Skilled labour extremely scarce. Literacy rate ~60%. Technical training infrastructure non-existent outside garment sector.
Scalability
3
Minimal scalability. Garment sector is the ceiling of current capacity. Power, water, and transport infrastructure cannot support expansion. Security conditions prevent new investment.
Ease of doing business
1
Among the most difficult business environments globally. TI CPI 2025: 16. No functional judiciary. Gang governance in Port-au-Prince. Contract enforcement impossible. 7th consecutive year of GDP contraction.
Trade access & tariffs
3
EU EBA duty-free access. US HOPE/HELP expiring end 2026. No FTA network. Preferential access is meaningful in principle but irrelevant without exportable production.
Sustainability baseline
1
Forest cover below 2%. No environmental regulation enforcement. No ESG audit infrastructure. No renewable energy at scale. Climate vulnerability among the highest globally.
Innovation & IP
1
No R&D infrastructure. No patent activity. No technology sector. Innovation ecosystem non-existent.
Quality standards
1
No functional national standards body. No accredited testing laboratories. Garment sector quality managed by buyer-imposed standards only.
Labour & Cost Competitiveness
Labour & Cost Competitiveness
- Wage levels
- Haiti has among the lowest manufacturing wages in the Western Hemisphere. Garment sector minimum wage approximately $5-6/day. However, low wages reflect low productivity, not cost competitiveness.
- Total cost of ownership
- Low wages are offset by extremely poor infrastructure, security costs, unreliable power, and logistics complexity. Total cost of ownership for manufactured goods is not competitive when all factors are included.
- Labour availability
- Population ~11.9 million with high youth unemployment. However, skilled labour is extremely scarce. Education system severely disrupted. 1.4 million internally displaced.
- Inflation
- 28% inflation erodes any nominal wage advantage. Currency instability (Haitian gourde) creates pricing uncertainty for export contracts.
Supply Base & Infrastructure
Supply Base & Infrastructure
- Manufacturing base
- Garment assembly in SONAPI industrial parks is the only formal manufacturing sector of scale. ~55,000 workers. Entirely dependent on US HOPE/HELP trade preferences expiring end 2026.
- Port infrastructure
- Port-au-Prince port severely limited. Most container cargo trans-ships via Dominican Republic or Miami. No deep-water berth capacity. Gang control of access roads.
- Power supply
- Electricity access below 40% nationally. Frequent blackouts. Manufacturers rely on diesel generators, adding significant cost. No renewable energy infrastructure at scale.
- Risk note
- Haiti's supply base is effectively limited to a single sector (garments) in a single location (Port-au-Prince industrial zones) dependent on a single trade preference (HOPE/HELP). This is extreme fragility, not supply base depth.
Trade Access & Business Environment
Trade Access & Business Environment
- EU EBA access
- As an LDC, Haiti qualifies for EU Everything But Arms — duty-free, quota-free access. This is a structural advantage but trade volumes are minimal due to lack of exportable production.
- US HOPE/HELP
- Trade preferences for Haitian garments expire end 2026. Without Congressional renewal, the garment sector loses its only competitive rationale. This is the single most important trade policy variable for Haiti.
- Regulatory environment
- World Bank Doing Business indicators consistently rank Haiti among the most difficult business environments globally. TI CPI 2025: 16. No functional commercial courts. Contract enforcement essentially impossible.
- Remittance economy
- Diaspora remittances (~30% of GDP) are larger than export earnings and aid combined. The formal economy is secondary to the remittance and informal economies.