Haiti–United States relations

Haiti–United States relations (French: Relations Entre Haïti et Les États-Unis; Haitian Creole: Relasyon Ayiti-Etazini) are bilateral relations between Haiti and the United States. Thomas Jefferson imposed a trade embargo on Haiti, and succeeding U.S. presidents refused to recognize the country until Abraham Lincoln in 1862.

Because of Haiti's location, Haiti has the potential to affect the stability of the Caribbean and Latin America and is therefore strategically important to the United States. Historically, the United States viewed Haiti as a counterbalance to Communist leaders in Cuba. Haiti's potential as a trading partner and an actor in the drug trade makes the nation strategically important to the United States. Moreover, the two are tied by a large Haitian diaspora residing in the United States. The U.S. occupied Haiti longer than any other Caribbean country (from 1915 to 1934, from 1994 to 1995, and in 2004).

Public opinion polling of Haitians has found overall approval of the United States. According to a 2011 Gallup survey, 79% of Haitians approved of U.S. leadership, with 18% disapproving and 3% uncertain, the highest rating for any surveyed country in the Americas.