The Cuban regime published this Tuesday in the Official Gazette a comprehensive regulatory package that reforms the rules regarding the importation, assembly, commercialization, and transfer of ownership of motor vehicles, trailers, and semitrailers. The central instrument is Decree 163/2026, signed by Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, which will come into effect on August 11, 2026.
The new regulation repeals and replaces Decree 119/2024, which has been in effect since January 2025, and significantly expands what can be imported and who is allowed to do so.
What items can be imported?
Decree 163/2026 regulates the importation of complete motor vehicles—both new and used—as well as engines, engine cylinder blocks, bodies, cabins, chassis, and motorcycle frames.
Cuban individuals and foreigners residing in Cuba will be able to purchase vehicles at authorized dealerships, paying in dollars or other convertible currencies using instruments approved by the Central Bank of Cuba.
Operations are subject to tariffs, customs services, and taxes that vary depending on the type of vehicle and the import conditions.
Preferential treatment for electric vehicles
The regulation provides explicit tax benefits for electric mobility as part of the policy to transform the energy matrix.
Imported electric vehicles, along with a charging station powered by renewable energy sources, are completely exempt from tax payments.
Electric vehicles assembled in Cuba are also exempt from the special sales tax. Furthermore, any assembly or manufacturing project for this type of vehicle must include charging stations with complete coverage.
In June, the government had already announced that Cubans would be able to import electric cars directly, and in May, it put into circulation 200 electric cars as part of that policy.
Open assembly to non-state entities
One of the most significant changes in the regulatory package is the amendment of Article 229 of the Road Safety Code through Decree-Law 122/2026, adopted by the Council of State on July 22.
The previous text prohibited the assembly of vehicles from parts and components, except for state entities. The new article establishes: "The manufacturing and assembly of motor vehicles, trailers, and semitrailers is authorized, based on the lawful acquisition of their parts and components, as determined by the Council of Ministers, in order to ensure the quality and safety of their operation."
This means that non-state legal entities in Cuba will be able to import components to assemble or manufacture mopeds, motorcycles, tricycles, and electric cars intended for sale, with prior approval from the Council of Ministers facilitated by the Ministry of Transport.
However, only entities authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment will be able to import the sets, components, and accessories necessary for those processes.
New control structures
The decree establishes a Motor Vehicle Evaluation Committee, chaired by the Minister of Transport, with the authority to approve suppliers, brands, and models.
It also establishes a Fund for the Development of Public Transport and regulates the marketing of spare parts, components, and accessories, as well as technical decommissioning, dismantling, and recovery of vehicles.
The complete package includes resolutions from the ministries of Foreign Trade, Domestic Trade, Finance and Prices, Transport, and the General Customs of the Republic.
This regulatory framework arrives months after the regime temporarily suspended imports of internal combustion vehicles in February 2026, due to the severe fuel crisis facing the island.
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