#1668: Reply to Mark Gill from Tom Driver

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From: Tom F. Driver <tfd3@columbia.edu>

Mark Gill replied to my recent post by asking 
> how can a poor country, with per capita income of around $250 buy all
> these agricultural and manufacturing products?  can you give some
> accurate figures about this dumping? and, show how it is a great asset
> to the US for Haiti to remain poor?

Statistics are not my specialty.  The dumping of surplus goods is visible in 
curbside markets on almost every street in Haiti.  The flooding of Haiti with 
"Miami rice" and its disastrous effect on rice production in the Artibonite is a 
well known story.  As for the explanation of how Haiti's poverty benefits US 
manufacturing interests, I gave that in my original post.  It has to do with the 
depression of wages throughout the Caribbean Basin and within the US.

Happy New Year.

Tom Driver

P.S.  I've now seen Madison Bell's very understanding reply to Mark.  
Thanks, Madison.


-------------
Tom F. Driver
New York City
<tfd3@columbia.edu>