Economy, Manufacturing

Most of Haiti’s manufacturing base is foreign-owned and includes electronics assembly, baseball stitching, and the sewing of beaded clothing and accessories. Domestic manufacturing is limited to sugar refining, flour and cement mills, textiles, and food processing. The petite industrie, or handicraft industry, is an important source of income for many Haitians. Houses in the shantytowns of Port-au-Prince double as shops where artisans carve wood, weave cloth, or make a variety of other handicrafts to sell to tourists. Further industrialization in Haiti has been obstructed by an uncertain electrical supply, waste disposal problems, limited transportation, a lack of capital and skilled labor, and government policies.