Cuba: sanctions and trade risk

Comprehensive embargoThe US maintains a comprehensive trade embargo on Cuba.

As of 7 November 2026, the screened UN, EU, UK, Swiss and US sanctions lists contain 82 companies, organisations, vessels and aircraft linked to Cuba.Lists last checked 2026-11-07 21:01 UTC.

Logistics profile: ports, airports, customs, documents, holidays, news ↓

Nearly all exports, imports and financial dealings with Cuba are restricted by at least one major sanctions regime. Pause any shipment until a qualified review confirms it is permitted or licensed.

Sources: OFAC — Sanctions Programs and Country Information (active programs) (24 Oct 2026) · eCFR — EAR Supplement No. 1 to Part 740 (Country Groups D:1–D:5) (1 Oct 2026) · SECO — Sanktionsverordnungen (index of 28 Swiss regimes) (24 Oct 2026) · reviewed 24 Oct 2026

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By sanctions regime

The indicator above is the strictest of these. Which regimes are relevant to a shipment depends on many connections — dispatch country, company location, incorporation, nationality, ownership, banks, goods origin. The check selects them from your inputs in a simplified way; UN measures take effect through each country's implementing law.

Regime	Indicator	What applies
UN	—	No UN sanctions regime.
EU	—	No measures against the country itself.
Switzerland	—	No measures against the country itself.
UK	—	No measures against the country itself.
US	Comprehensive embargo	Comprehensive US trade embargo. For EU companies, the EU blocking statute covers certain US measures and can itself create obligations; it does not remove US sanctions risks in general.

On the sanctions lists

82 entries on the official lists name Cuba — as nationality, address, registration or flag. That links them to the country; it says nothing about other companies there. The same company can appear on several lists and is then counted once per list. Individuals are not included — Sanctioni does not process them.

List	Entries	Companies & organisations	Vessels	Aircraft
US OFAC — Specially Designated Nationals (SDN)	82	82	—	—

Latest changes

United States (OFAC) · CUBA-EO14404: 8 new designations
5 Nov 2026 · New listings

All updates →

Logistics profile

Cuba: logistics and trade

Caribbean island and transshipment location (ZED Mariel)

Cuba (ISO Code: CU) is located in the Caribbean and, together with the main island and several smaller islands, forms the largest island nation in the region. Politically, Cuba is a socialist single-party state with a centrally-controlled economy. The climate is tropical with a pronounced rainy and dry season, as well as high temperatures year-round. Economically, the country relies on sugar production, tobacco, tourism, and services. Foreign trade is heavily dependent on a few partner countries, particularly Venezuela, China, and the European Union. Cuba is import-dependent, especially for food, fuel, and machinery. The ports of Havana, Santiago de Cuba, and Mariel play an important role in international freight and logistics. The national currency is the Cuban Peso (CUP), which has been the only currency since 2021 following the abolition of the CUC. Due to its geostrategic location, Cuba serves as a regional hub for the flow of goods in the Caribbean. Infrastructure projects aim to modernize ports and transportation routes and increase efficiency in foreign trade.

Capital: Havana
Population: 9,748,007
Area: 109,884 km²
Currency: Cuban Peso (CUP)
Continent: North America
Region: Caribbean
Economic area: ALADI / ALBA (no customs union)
Religions: Catholic, Protestant, Other
Access to the sea: Yes

Transport modes Sea · Air · Road · Rail

Current situation: Ongoing economic and energy crisis with fuel and power shortages weighs on ports and inland transport.
Seasonal conditions: Tropical climate; hurricane season from June to November with risk to ports and supply chains. Pronounced rainy season from May to October.

Main seaports

Mariel
Mariel (CU MAR): Cuba's leading container port (TCM, PSA-run), neo-panamax capable, ~300,000 TEU/year in the ZED Mariel zone. Also: Havana, Santiago de Cuba.
Santiago De Cuba
Santiago de Cuba (CU SCU): Cuba's second port, multipurpose handling of general cargo, bulk and containers. Deepwater boxes route via Mariel.
Cienfuegos
Cienfuegos (CU CFG), south Cuba: a bulk and energy port for sugar, oil and fertiliser. No confirmed container service; alternatives are Mariel or Havana.
Antilla
Antilla (CU ANT): small sugar-export port on Cuba's Nipe Bay. Limited container relevance — boxes move through Mariel.
Bahai De La Habana
Port of Havana (CUHAV): now general cargo, coastal and cruise – container traffic shifted to Mariel in 2014. Cargo, customs, hinterland, alternatives.
Bahia De Sagua De Tanamo
Sagua de Tánamo (CU SDT): open roadstead in NE Cuba's nickel belt, bulk and ore not containers. Cargo, hinterland and Mariel/Moa alternatives.

Main cargo airports

José Martí International AirportHAV
José Martí Airport (HAV), Havana: Cuba's main air-cargo gateway with the Aerovaradero terminal, cold chambers, Cargosur/Iberia handling and customs warehousing.

Road corridors

Central Highway (Carretera Central)
National Motorway (Autopista Nacional, A1)

Rail corridors

Main rail line Havana - Santiago de Cuba

Main trade lanes

China - Cuba
EU - Cuba
Latin America - Cuba

Customs and import

Customs authority Aduana General de la República de Cuba (AGR)Official website ↗

Import customs system: AGR's own national customs system with electronic Declaración de Mercancías and Teledespacho (no SIDUNEA/ASYCUDA); legal framework Decreto-Ley 22/2020.
Export customs system: Export clearance via the AGR with electronic goods declaration; foreign trade is state-controlled, currency approval via the Comité de Aprobación de Divisas (CAD) of the central bank.
Import VAT: No classic value added tax system. The main import levy is customs duty (arancel), on average around 10 percent of CIF (range 0-30, MFN). Impuesto sobre las Ventas (Ley 113) mainly applies domestically.
Proofs of origin and trade agreements: No free trade agreement with the EU; EU-Cuba only has a political and cooperation agreement (PDCA, provisionally applied since 1.11.2017). Preferences mainly via ALADI agreements; certificate of origin depends on the agreement.
Restricted and prohibited goods: Imports of weapons, ammunition, narcotics and certain communication equipment are strictly regulated; many product groups are subject to state import monopolies. Detailed rules via the AGR.

Typical import documents

Commercial invoice
Packing list
Bill of lading / air waybill
Certificate of origin
Declaración de Mercancías

Typical export documents

Commercial invoice
Packing list
Bill of lading
Certificate of origin
Export permit (state)

Logistics conditions

Customs complexity: High
Customs delays: High
Port congestion: Medium to high
Dangerous goods relevance: Medium
Pharma and cold chain relevance: Medium
E-commerce relevance: Low

Trade

Top import partners

China Spain Brazil Mexico Canada

Top export partners

China Spain Canada Netherlands Russia

Top import goods

Food
Mineral oils
Machinery
Vehicles
Pharmaceuticals

Top export goods

Tobacco
Sugar
Nickel
Pharmaceuticals. Rum and cigars

Typical cargo

Food
Fuel
Machinery
Pharmaceuticals
Tobacco
Nickel
Sugar

Logistics questions

Which authority is responsible for customs clearance in Cuba?

The Aduana General de la República de Cuba (AGR) is responsible. It handles imports and exports through its own national, computerised customs system with electronic Declaración de Mercancías and Teledespacho; the legal basis includes Decreto-Ley 22/2020, among others.

Is there an import VAT in Cuba?

No, there is no classic value added tax system. The main import levy is customs duty (arancel), averaging around 10 percent of the CIF value (range 0 to 30 percent, most-favoured-nation rate). The domestic Impuesto sobre las Ventas (Ley 113) mainly affects sales within the country.

What are Cuba's most important ports?

The most important port is Mariel, with the ZED Mariel special development zone and a modern container terminal operated by PSA (capacity around 800000 TEU, expandable to up to 3 million). Other important ports are Havana, Santiago de Cuba and Cienfuegos.

What currency is used in Cuba?

The official currency is the Cuban peso (CUP). Since the currency unification in 2021 (Tarea Ordenamiento), the CUC has been abolished. In practice, several exchange rates and an informal foreign currency market exist, which complicates payments and calculations.

Full logistics profile on Freight Academy ↗