Dominican Republic drops the F-bomb, bull feces on trade flap with Haiti

Samaná, Dominican Republic.-Dominican Agribusiness Board (JAD) CEO Osmar Benitez on Thursday used thef-bomb to call Haiti´s ban on overland import of 22 Dominican products amistake measure, which in his view undermines the neighboring country´s population.

Benitez becomes thesecond Dominican personality to resort to vulgarity in the flap with Haiti, aftersenator Reinaldo Pared called Port-au-Prince´s ban “bulls—t.”

"We don’t understand how a country´s governmenttakes measures whose purpose and end result will jeopardize its owncitizens," he said.

He said the ban imposedby Haiti´s Economy Ministry "it´s first going to make these foods more expensivebecause it´s not the same passing them than to take them on a barge to Port auPrince, to Fort Liberté, up to Gonaives or Cap Haitien, which are the fourports that operate " in the impoverished nation.

"Secondly thiswill encourage smuggling again, because they will again pass oil and pasta on mules,donkeys and others across the border, because our border is porous," thebusiness leader said, noting that the move forms part of "a fiscal policythat affects trade, unless it´s their eagerness to f..k around, I don’t believeit is."

He urged Haiti´sgovernment to propose talks with its Dominican counterparts to reach a tradeagreement defining four ports of entry at the border.

With more than US$1.4billion Haiti is Dominican Republic´s second biggest trading partner.