The Ministry of Domestic Trade (MINCIN) published this Friday the , a regulation that establishes the technical requirements that must be met by all natural and legal persons—both Cuban and foreign, as well as branches and other authorized entities—in order to engage in commercial activities within the national territory.
The provision was published in the , on pages 43 to 46, and was issued on August 21.
The regulation is based on the , approved on August 12, 2026, which updates the legal framework of commerce in Cuba and requires compliance with formal and technical requirements from all players in the sector.
The resolution establishes six general technical requirements applicable to both wholesale and retail trade.
The first requires "to provide electronic payment channels for the marketing of goods and services and to ensure access to these means for consumers and clients."
Others require displaying current permits and licenses; validating correspondence with the social objective or with the document that authorizes the activity; “having a visual identifier for the establishment that is consistent with the activity and reflects the type of economic actor”; possessing duly certified measuring instruments; and having conditions that allow for the verification of equipment and goods prior to commercialization.
Mobile or fixed points of sale that do not constitute establishments are exempt from the requirement of a visual identifier.
In addition to the general requirements, the regulation sets specific demands based on the type of activity.
For wholesale trade, the owned or contracted warehouse must be "previously categorized, at least with the first technological level."
For retail trade, three additional conditions are added: having graphic or electronic means to inform consumers about products, prices, and units of measure; possessing means for handling refrigerant gases in refrigeration and air conditioning services; and "ensuring that the utensils and materials used in contact with consumers are clean and disinfected."
Regarding the verification procedure, the territorial registration office of the Central Commercial Registry has three business days to transfer the responsible declaration to the provincial Commerce offices.
These, in turn, have seven business days to send it to the municipal addresses, which have 60 calendar days to verify compliance and issue the corresponding ruling.
After receiving that ruling, the territorial registration office has 15 business days to issue a notice of maintenance or revocation of the commercial license, notifying the National Office of Tax Administration (ONAT), the State Inspection, and the bank branch.
The resolution specifies that "the technical opinion issued is valid as long as the requirements that were considered at the time of its issuance are met and there is no evidence of non-compliance," and that any change in the activity or business sector necessitates the request for a new opinion.
Resolution 24/2026 is part of a broader regulatory package published in the same Official Gazette, which also includes the concerning the Commercial Establishments Classification, the on the liberalization of wholesale trade, and the regarding maximum fees for services from the Central Commercial Registry.
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