HAVANA — Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel announced a package of economic reforms on Friday. The reforms aim to attract investment, expand economic participation by Cubans living abroad, and decentralize parts of the national administration.
Díaz-Canel stated that Cuban officials are evaluating measures related to foreign trade, exports, supply chains, and logistics. He suggested the government could eliminate mandatory state intermediaries in import and export operations and grant tariff benefits to entities that bring raw materials into Cuba for production. "Every opportunity in the midst of a crisis must be seized as a moment for takeoff, as a moment for growth." Díaz-Canel said.
The announced reforms include introducing new actors into Cuba's tourism sector. The government also plans to open more economic sectors to private, non-state actors. The reforms include measures to increase autonomy for state enterprises regarding wages, profit investment, imports, exports, partnerships, business planning, and exchange market access. Cuba plans to allow agricultural producers direct access to supplies, partnerships with other economic actors, real bank accounts, participation in the exchange market, and streamlined bureaucratic procedures. The plan includes reducing the number of government ministries from 27 to 20.
Díaz-Canel said, "The country is not stopped. The country is intelligently confronting this entire situation. We cannot say everything so clearly because the enemy is watching everything we do."
The United States tightened restrictions on Cuba's oil supplies in January. U.S. President Donald Trump threatened tariffs in late January on any country that sells or provides oil to Cuba. Cuba produces 40 percent of its domestic oil, and the country has experienced significant power outages. Washington is pressing the Cuban government to release political prisoners and pursue political and economic liberalization in exchange for lifting sanctions.
A ship carrying nearly 100 tons of food and essential goods from Colombia arrived in Havana on Friday. The Colombian Presidential Agency for International Cooperation confirmed the shipment was ordered by President Gustavo Petro and included nonperishable food, medicine, hospital supplies, electrical materials, and solar panels. The Colombian vessel transported an additional seven tons of goods collected by solidarity groups. A separate ship carrying 1,700 tons of essential goods from Mexico and Belize arrived in Havana over the weekend.