Commerce and Industry Minister James Monazard urged Haitians in the United States to invest in Haiti at the second Haitian American Business Summit on October 31, HaitiLibre reported. The U.S. Haitian Chamber of Commerce organized the summit under the theme “Rebuilding Haiti Through Business, Trade & Diaspora Leadership.”

Speaking on a panel about bringing Haitian products to the U.S. market, the minister acknowledged that insecurity, poor access to energy and credit, weak logistics and supply-chain disruptions hurt Haitian businesses. He also pointed to the country's strengths: its closeness to the U.S. market, its experience in textiles, its farm potential and its craftsmanship.

Beyond textiles, he said, the government wants to diversify exports into agri-food, processed farm products, crafts and some manufacturing, as long as products meet quality, packaging, traceability and regulatory standards. He also highlighted a regional caravan launched on October 16 in all ten departments to help at least 5,000 businesses, many of them informal, register and get training.

Addressing the diaspora, he said its contribution goes beyond the money sent home to families: its knowledge of American consumers, regulations and distribution networks can help Haitian companies sell abroad. He called for stronger links between producers in Haiti and Haitian entrepreneurs in the United States.