Cuba Expands Foreign Company Market Access and License Rules

The Cuban government has implemented a series of legal reforms to stimulate economic recovery by expanding foreign company access to domestic markets and tightening the regulation of commercial licenses. On October 3, 2026, new rules published in the Official Gazette permitted branches of foreign companies to import, export, and distribute goods wholesale within the country. Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment Deborah Rivas stated these measures aim to eliminate intermediaries in the distribution chain to lower prices and increase supplies for domestic production.

Simultaneously, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment (MINCEX) expanded the grounds for revoking foreign commercial representation licenses from five to seven. Under Resolution 152/2026, licenses can now be canceled if a commercial entity or its parent company undergoes dissolution, liquidation, or extinction. Other grounds for revocation include non-payment of registration fees, failure to renew, or actions contrary to national interest and public order.

These changes are part of a larger package of 176 economic measures presented by Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz to the National Assembly in June 2026. Additional reforms include allowing foreign commercial representative offices to hire workers directly and permitting Cubans living abroad to contribute capital to foreign investment projects on equal terms with other economic actors.