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The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment (MINCEX) authorized this Friday the registration of the branch of the Spanish company DIETAMPA, S.L. in the National Registry of Foreign Trade Representations, affiliated with the Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of Cuba, as stated in the Official Gazette.
The authorization holds special significance due to the type of activity that the company will be able to develop on the island. According to Resolution 64/2026, the approved business scope includes the “marketing of industrial technologies with the corresponding consultancy and technical training, equipment, machinery, general apparatus, and their spare parts”, in addition to various materials for industrial use.
The Spanish company arrives in Cuba at a particularly delicate moment for the regime, which is facing a deep energy crisis, a growing deterioration of industrial infrastructure, and new U.S. sanctions aimed at entities linked to the military conglomerate GAESA.
Industrial equipment and electrical materials
The resolution also includes a specific annex that outlines the goods authorized for the Spanish company. According to the official document, DIETAMPA will be allowed to operate in tariff chapters 84 and 85, which cover "nuclear reactors, boilers, machines, mechanical devices and equipment", as well as "machines, devices and electrical materials, and their parts".
Although the regulations do not mention specific projects or contracts already signed, these chapters include a wide range of equipment used in electricity generation, industrial automation, pumping systems, transformers, motors, electromechanical equipment, and essential components for energy infrastructure.
The explicit reference to advisory and technical training distinguishes this authorization from other foreign commercial representations registered in Cuba and suggests that the company could play a role not only as a commercial intermediary but also as a technical support for the installation, operation, or maintenance of specialized equipment.
The authorization takes on special significance amid the prolonged crisis of the National Electric System (SEN), which has experienced massive blackouts, record generation deficits, and several total collapses of the power grid since late 2024.
What can the company do in Cuba?
The DIETAMPA branch will be authorized to promote and market its products and services in the Cuban market, as well as to provide related technical assistance.
However, the license approved by the Cuban government sets forth specific limitations.
The resolution states that the company will not be able to:
“Import and export directly for commercial purposes”;
b) “Distributing and transporting goods within the national territory”.
Unlike other resolutions typically published by MINCEX, in this case, the company is not authorized to engage in wholesale or retail activities or to issue commercial invoices in Cuba. As is the case with other foreign representations, foreign trade operations continue to be channeled through the authorized Cuban state entities.
Likewise, the Gazette establishes a 90-day period to formalize the registration of the branch in the corresponding registry. If the company does not complete the process within the stipulated timeframe, the file will be archived and the authorization will be rendered void.
The Customs also comes into play
A striking detail of the resolution is that MINCEX ordered “to inform the head of the General Customs of the Republic”, a provision that usually accompanies authorizations related to specific commodity nomenclatures.
The measure is related to the annex attached to the resolution, which specifies the authorized tariff chapters for DIETAMPA's activities. This indicates that the Cuban authorities have clearly defined the products that can be promoted by the Spanish company in the country.
Other companies authorized in the same Gazette
The extraordinary edition of the Official Gazette also authorized or renewed the registration of other foreign companies.
Among them is the Cypriot Gilmar Investments Limited, engaged in investor and financial mediation; the Dominican Sunye Industria & Comercial, S.R.L., specialized in machinery, tools, and accessories for vehicles; and the Spanish Hydro Difusión S.L., associated with the supply of raw materials, machinery for the plastic industry, and turnkey industrial projects.
In all three cases, these are companies that already had or maintain commercial interest in sectors deemed strategic by the Cuban regime, ranging from industry and construction to attracting investments and supplying specialized equipment.
The context: energy crisis and pressure from sanctions
The authorization comes at a time of extreme tension for the Cuban economy.
Since October 2024, the National Electric System has experienced multiple total collapses. The average daily deficit, which hovered around 570 MW during the summer of 2024, later exceeded 1,300 MW at various points during the crisis, forcing prolonged blackouts in large parts of the country.
At the same time, Executive Order 14404 signed by President Donald Trump on May 1, 2026, imposed secondary sanctions on foreign companies that maintained business ties with entities controlled by GAESA, the business conglomerate of the Cuban Armed Forces.
The measure led to the departure of several Spanish hotel chains from operations associated with Gaviota. Meliá Hotels International announced the cessation of operations in 15 hotels and Iberostar stopped operating 12 hotels linked to Gaviota/GAESA.
However, DIETAMPA's registration indicates that while some players are reducing their exposure to the Cuban market, other companies continue to explore opportunities in areas related to infrastructure, industrial technology, and electrical equipment—sectors that the government considers a priority amid the worst energy crisis in recent decades.
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