Haiti flag (FlagPictures.org)

The Republic of Haiti shipped US$798.5 million worth of exported products around the world in 2024.

That projected dollar amount results from a -23.8% downturn from $1.05 billion five years earlier in 2020.

Year over year, the value of Haiti’s exports slowed by -24.4% compared to $1.06 billion starting from 2023.

Based on the average exchange rate for 2024 on a Purchasing Power Parity basis, the Haitian gourde diluted by -37.2% against the US dollar since 2020 and appreciated by 6.8% from 2023 to 2024. Haiti’s weaker local currency over the 5-year time window makes Haitian exports paid for in stronger US dollars relatively less expensive for international buyers starting from American currency.

Haiti occupies the western three-eighths of Hispaniola located on the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean Sea, sharing the remaining area of the island with the Dominican Republic.

The latest available country-specific data from 2017 shows that 92% of products exported from Haiti was bought by importers in: United States of America (56.4% of the Haitian total), France (12.5%), Canada (4.4%), Thailand (4.2%), Spain (2.8%), Taiwan (2.3%), United Kingdom (2.2%), Dominican Republic (2.1%), Vietnam (1.6%), mainland China (1.4%), Belgium (1.07%) and Jamaica (1%).

From a continental perspective, 61% of Haiti’s exports by value was delivered to North American countries while 20% was sold to importers in Europe. Haiti shipped another 12.6% worth of goods to buyers in Asia.

Tinier percentages went to Latin America (5%) plus the Caribbean led by Dominican Republic but excluding Mexico, Africa (1.4%), then Oceania’s Australia and New Zealand (0.1%).

Given Haiti’s population of 12.4 million people, its total $798.5 billion worth exports in 2024 translates to roughly $65 for every resident in the West Indian country. That dollar metric lags the average $90 per capita one year earlier during 2023.

Haiti’s top 10 export categories generated 95.4% of the overall value of its global shipments.

Cocoa was the fastest grower among the top 10 export categories, up by 133.5% from 2023 to 2024.

In second place for improving export sales was headgear via a 24.2% gain.

Haiti’s shipments of perfumes and cosmetics posted the only other advance in value, up by 12.7%.

The leading decliner among Haiti’s top 10 export categories was copper, pulled down by a -49.2% year-over-year drop.

At the more granular four-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level, knitted or crocheted t-shirts and vests represent Haiti’s most valuable exported product at 40% of the country’s total export sales. In second place were knitted or crocheted jerseys and pullovers (14.9%) trailed by unknitted and non-crocheted men’s suits and trousers (6.2%), essential oils (5.7%), knitted or crocheted women’s clothing (4.3%), unknitted and non-crocheted men’s shirts (4%), unknitted and non-crocheted tracksuits and swimwear (2.9%), knitted or crocheted hats or other headgear (2.7%), unknitted and non-crocheted women’s clothing (2.5%), then knitted or crocheted women’s clothing (2%).

Collectively, that cohort of 10 major commodities represents 85.2% of the overall value of Haitian exported goods during 2024. That percentage suggests a concentrated portfolio of exported goods specific to the clothing industry.

The following types of Haitian product shipments represent positive net exports or a trade balance surplus. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports.

In a nutshell, net exports represent the amount by which foreign spending on a home country’s goods or services exceeds or lags the home country’s spending on foreign goods or services.

Overall Haiti incurred an estimated -US$2.72 billion trade deficit for 2024, shrinking by -6.3% from -$2.91 billion in red ink one year earlier in 2023.

Below are exports from Haiti that result in negative net exports or product trade balance deficits. These negative net exports reveal product categories where foreign spending on home country Haiti’s goods trail Haitian importer spending on foreign products.

Not one Haitian corporation ranks among Forbes Global 2000.

Wikipedia lists some exports-related companies from Haiti. Selected examples are shown below.

 
In macroeconomic terms, Haiti’s total exported goods represent 2.1% of its overall Gross Domestic Product for 2024 ($37.6 billion valued in Purchasing Power Parity US dollars). That 2.1% for exports to overall GDP in PPP for 2024 compares to 2.7% for 2023. Those percentages suggest a relatively decreasing reliance on products sold on international markets for Haiti’s total economic performance, albeit based on a short timeframe.

Another key indicator of a country’s economic performance is its unemployment rate. Haiti’s unemployment rate averaged 15.1% for 2024, up from an average 14.9% in 2023 according to Trading Economics.

Haiti’s capital city is Port-au-Prince.

See also Aruba’s Top 10 Exports, Mexico’s Top Trading Partners, Jamaica’s Top 10 Exports and Dominican Republic’s Top 10 Exports

Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Central America and Caribbean: Haiti. Accessed on June 20, 2025

FlagPictures.org, Flag of Haiti. Accessed on June 20, 2025

Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on June 20, 2025

International Monetary Fund, Exchange Rates selected indicators (National Currency per U.S. dollar, period average). Accessed on June 20, 2025

International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on June 20, 2025

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on June 20, 2025

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on June 20, 2025

Wikipedia, Gross domestic product. Accessed on June 20, 2025

Wikipedia, Jordan. Accessed on June 20, 2025

Wikipedia, List of Companies of Haiti. Accessed on June 20, 2025

Wikipedia, Purchasing power parity. Accessed on June 20, 2025