HAVANA, Oct. 2 — The Cuban government on Friday expanded foreign companies’ access to its wholesale market and allowed their local commercial offices to hire workers directly, outlining new rules aimed at boosting foreign investment and trade.
The rules, published Friday in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Cuba, are part of government reforms intended to increase supplies of materials and other inputs for domestic production.
Under the new provisions, branches of foreign companies established in Cuba can import and export goods and distribute them wholesale within the country.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment Deborah Rivas said the changes would give foreign suppliers more direct access to the Cuban market and reduce the number of intermediaries.
“One of the main effects this measure could have is the elimination of intermediaries in the distribution chain,” Rivas told a news conference, adding that fewer intermediaries should lead to lower prices.
Previously, foreign companies supplied goods while Cuban importers handled customs clearance, transportation and distribution, she said.
The new rules allow foreign suppliers to handle wholesale distribution themselves. The hiring changes build on Decree-Law 128, published in September, which amended Foreign Investment Law 118 to allow businesses with foreign capital to choose whether to hire workers directly or through employment agencies.
Rivas said the latest provisions extend that option to foreign commercial representative offices, which operate under separate regulations.
Cuban legal entities can also apply directly for authorization to import and export, without going through intermediaries, using the Foreign Trade Single Window, an online platform accessible nationwide.
A separate Foreign Investment Single Window remains available and has received inquiries from prospective investors in several countries, Rivas said.
Cubans living abroad can also participate in foreign investment projects and contribute capital from inside or outside Cuba on equal terms with other economic actors, she added.
The measures build on initiatives announced by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Investment since November 2025 to stimulate the sector and support Cuba’s economic recovery. “Cuba is an open door to the world when it comes to foreign investment,” Rivas said. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
