Cuba enacts new trade policy to streamline wholesale and retail activities

Cuba has rolled out a comprehensive new domestic trade policy designed to modernize and streamline its wholesale and retail sectors. Published in the Official Gazette, the updated regulations will take effect in seven days, aiming to simplify the legal framework for businesses operating within the island nation.

The new policy, detailed in Decree 167/2026, clarifies the scope of wholesale and retail commerce, consolidating previously dispersed provisions and regulating various sales modalities, including e-commerce. Betsy Díaz Velázquez, the Minister of Domestic Trade, emphasized that the normativa addresses long-standing needs and aligns with the country's broader economic and social reform agenda.

Crucially, the regulations apply to a wide range of economic entities. This includes state-owned enterprises, state and private micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), self-employed workers, and foreign investment projects involved in trade activities. This broad application signals an effort to create a more unified and regulated commercial environment.

Further simplifying administrative processes, Decree 168/2026, concerning the Central Commercial Registry, introduces a unified licensing system. Businesses engaged in multiple activities will now be able to obtain a single commercial license, eliminating the previous distinction between licenses for national currency operations and those for foreign currency transactions. Additionally, a new classification of commercial establishments reduces the number of typologies from 109 to 33, further streamlining the system.

Minister Díaz Velázquez noted that extensive preparation has occurred across all provinces to ensure smooth implementation. The primary challenge ahead, she stated, is translating these legalordenamientos into practical application, simplifying procedures for economic actors while simultaneously reinforcing consumer guarantees and rights.