Speaking as an official sponsor of the Livres en folie 2026 book fair, Haiti’s Minister of Commerce and Industry (MCI), James Monazard, addressed the structural crises plaguing the national printing industry during an interview on Radio Magik 9. Interviewed by journalist Roberson Alphonse regarding the unfair competition faced by local printing shops from duty-free imported books—particularly those leverage-printed at scale in the Dominican Republic—Monazard opened the doors of his ministry to draft a strategic roadmap for the sector.
The economic imbalance stems from a fiscal loophole: foreign-printed books enter Haitian territory completely tax-free, whereas local print shops face high tariffs on almost all imported raw materials, including inks and machinery, with the sole exception of paper. Asked whether emergency tariff adjustments should be made to protect local graphic arts companies—especially as the country experiences a literary boom with 1,191 titles and 126 authors scheduled for the upcoming fair—Monazard clarified that while the MCI acts as the “defense attorney” for local businesses, it requires concrete data to build a winning legal case.
To reinforce his point, the minister shared a case study involving the local pasta industry. Years prior, when Haiti relied heavily on imported pasta, local manufacturers met with the MCI and the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), proving they possessed the industrial capacity to fully meet domestic demand. In response, the government instituted strict tariff barriers compliant with World Trade Organization (WTO) guidelines, successfully shifting former importers into domestic buyers. “Give me the necessary ammunition so I can fight for you,” Monazard stressed, challenging the printing guild to submit a comprehensive audit detailing employment figures, job creation potential, and specific tariff bottlenecks. To show immediate goodwill, Monazard announced that the MCI will host a digital hub at Livres en folie on June 4, 2026, allowing entrepreneurs to complete online business registration within minutes and obtain Professional Identification Cards on-site.
