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New Zealand’s diplomatic representation to Cuba was established in 2001, and the first Cuban Ambassador resident in Wellington, Ambassador Jose Luis Robaina, was appointed in November 2007 and will finish his term in New Zealand mid-September 2011.
New Zealand’s most substantial link with Cuba is the dairy trade. This is of long standing, although volumes can vary greatly from year to year. In the year to December 2010, total New Zealand exports to Cuba were worth NZ$53 million, of which over NZ$50 million was in dairy products. The trade is driven by the Cuban Government’s social policy of providing each Cuban child under 4 with a litre of liquid milk every day. Trade is conducted mainly via ALIMPORT, the government agency responsible for importing foreign food for use in the domestic market, or via Cubalse, the government agency that sells to special hotels and restaurants that cater mainly to tourists.
Cuban exports to New Zealand average just over NZ$1 million per year and consist of cigars, tobacco and rum.
New Zealand and Cuba are both members of the World Trade Organisation and the United Nations. New Zealand has voted in favour of United Nations resolutions calling for an end to the United States economic embargo.
High level contact between New Zealand and Cuba most frequently occurs in the context of international meetings. Most recently, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon Murray McCully met the Cuban Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Abelardo Moreno in Bali in July 2011.
Official Name: Republic of Cuba
Land Area: 110,860 sq kms
Population: 11.2 million (2008 estimate)
Capital City: Havana
Religion: Predominantly Roman Catholic and Protestant
Official Language: Spanish
Currencies: Cuban Peso (CUP) and Convertible Peso (CUC)
Exchange Rates:
Official internal exchange rate - CUP:CUC = 1.00
Unofficial internal exchange rate: CUP:CUC = 24.00 (available only domestically, for personal transactions).
Official external exchange rate CUP:US$ = 0.93
Unofficial external exchange rate CUP:US$ = 22.22 (used domestically, for personal transactions).
Political system: Communist State
National government: Organs of the state and the Cuban Communist Party are closely entwined and power devolved primarily from the Executive Committee of the Council of Ministers
National legislature: National Assembly of 614 members
Last elections: Provincial and national assemblies: January 2008; Municipal: October 2007.
Next elections due: Provincial and national assembles: 2013
Head of State: Raúl Castro Ruz
Head of Government: Raúl Castro Ruz
President of the Council of State and Council of Ministers: Raúl Castro Ruz
First Vice-President of the Council of State: José Ramón Machado Ventura
Foreign Minister: Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla
Main political parties: Only one legal political party: the Cuban Communist Party (PCC)
Economic
Nominal GDP: US$60.51 billion
Nominal GDP per capita (PPP): US$10,661
Real GDP Growth: 3.5%
Inflation rate: 3.1%
Main industries: tourism, nickel, tobacco, sugar, agriculture and rum.
Total external debt: US$21.025 billion
Current account: US$488 million deficit
Source: Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) – 2011 estimates
Key Ministers:
First Vice-President - José Ramón Machado Ventura
President of the National Assembly - Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada
Foreign Relations - Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla
Agriculture - Ulíses Rosales del Toro
Foreign Trade and Investment - Rodrigo Malmierca Díaz
Economy & Planning - Marino Alberto Murillo Jorge
Finance & Prices - Lina Olinda Pedraza Rodríguez
Main political parties: Only one legal political party: the Cuban Communist Party (PCC)
GDP: US$ 54,707 million (2008 estimate)
GDP Per Capita: US$4,884
GDP Per Capita (PPP): US$9,625 (2008 estimate)
Real GDP Growth: 4.3%
Exports of Goods FOB: US$3,780 million
Imports of Goods FOB: US$14,500 million
Main exports:
Consumer Price Inflation: 3.4 % (2008 estimate)
Total external debt: US$19.6 billion (2008 estimate)
Current account: US$2.7 billion deficit
Source: Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) 2008 figures
New Zealand Exports (FOB) |
NZ$124,573,065 |
Main Exports |
Dairy (91%), Telephone equipment (4%) |
New Zealand Imports (CIF) |
NZ$1,201,012 |
Main Imports |
Cigars (67%), Ethyl alcohol (16%), Coffee (11%) Insulated wires and cables (1%) |
Source: Statistics New Zealand (year to December 2008)
The New Zealand Embassy in Mexico City [external link] is accredited to Cuba.
The Cuban Embassy in Wellington is accredited to New Zealand.
The SafeTravel website [external link] provides a travel advisory for travellers to Cuba.
Further enquiries may be directed to:
Consular Division
Tel: +64 4 439 8000
Fax: +64 4 439 8532
Email: cons@mfat.govt.nz
[1] The Cuban Trogon or Tocororo (Priotelus temnurus) is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family. It is endemic to the Caribbean island of Cuba, where it is also the national bird. Its natural habitats are dry forests, moist forests, and heavily degraded former forest.