Republic of Cuba

Relationship with New Zealand

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.

Trade and economic links

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 recent years, it has been our third largest market for dairy products in Latin America. 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.

 

In the year to June 2008 New Zealand exported goods worth NZ$164 million to Cuba, of which NZ$155 million was in the dairy sector. The dairy trade is carried out 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.

 

Cuba is also investigating the potential for meat and livestock imports from New Zealand and is interested in selling pharmaceuticals to New Zealand. A major New Zealand electronics company also has increasing business interests in Cuba.

People to people links

In February 2004, the Latin America Strategy Fund provided financial support towards the costs of sub-titling for a New Zealand film festival in Havana as part of Si! Cubanz Filmz, a film festival exchange project.

 

The New Zealand Women’s Basketball team, the Tall Ferns, visited Cuba in February 2005 for a series of games against the Cuban Women’s Basketball team in Havana, Cuba.

Political links

Multilateral links

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.

Visits

High level contact between New Zealand and Cuba most frequently occurs in the context of international meetings.

Recent visits by high level New Zealanders to Cuba

• In August 2007 Minister of Conservation Chris Carter met Cuban Foreign Minister Pérez Roque at a Ministerial meeting of the Forum for East Asia Latin America Cooperation in Brasilia.
• In September 2004 the Minister of Foreign Affairs & Trade met with his Cuban counterpart at the United Nations General Assembly. 
• In January 2004 the Minister of Foreign Affairs & Trade Phil Goff met with his counterpart, Felipe Pérez Roque, at the Forum for East Asia - Latin America Cooperation Ministerial Meeting in Manila
• In January 2002, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Phil Goff undertook a bilateral visit to Cuba.
• Early in 2001, a New Zealand parliamentary delegation led by Hon Doug Kidd visited Cuba for an International Parliamentary Union conference, and met President Castro at a social function.  

Recent visits by high level Cubans to New Zealand

• There have been no high-level visits of Cubans to New Zealand since a Vice-Foreign Minister visited in 1985.

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Key facts

Geography/Demographics

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

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: January 2012; Municipal: April 2010.

Head of State – Raúl Castro Ruz

Head of Government – Raúl Castro Ruz

 

Key Ministers –

First Vice-President - José Ramón Machado Ventura

Vice-President - Carlos Lage Dávila

President of the National Assembly - Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada

Foreign Relations - Felipe Pérez Roque

Agriculture - Ulises Rosales del Toro

Foreign Trade - Raúl de la Nuez Ramírez

Economy & Planning - José Luis Rodríguez García

Finance & Prices - Georgina Barreiro Fajardo

 

Main political parties – Only one legal political party: the Cuban Communist Party (PCC)

Economic

GDP – US$ 55.515 billion (2008 estimate)

GDP Per Capita (PPP) – US$9,768 (2008 estimate)

Real GDP Growth – 4.3% (2008 estimate)

Exports of Goods FOB – US$3.779 billion (2008 estimate)

Imports of Goods FOB – US$10,083 million

Main exports –

Nickel

Tobacco Products

Sugar and by-products

Medicines

 

Consumer Price Inflation (average) – 4.2% (2008 estimate)

Total external debt – US$19.2 billion (2008 estimate)

Current account – US -$2.690 billion (2008 estimate)

Source: Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)

Trade with New Zealand

 

New Zealand/Cuba top 20 trade figures 

New Zealand Exports (FOB)	NZ$164 million
Main Exports	Milk powder (94%) Telephone equipment (2%) Generators (1%)
New Zealand Imports (CIF)	NZ$1.3 million
Main Imports	Cigars (78%) Ethyl alcohol (11%) Coffee (7%) Beer (1%)

 

Source: Statistics New Zealand (year to June 2008)

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Embassies

The New Zealand Embassy in Mexico City is also responsible for Cuba.

The Cuban Embassy in Wellington is responsible for New Zealand.

Travel advice

 

The New Zealand government's safetravel website has comprehensive travel information including advice on the safety and security of travel to Cuba.

 

Further enquiries may be directed to:

Consular Division

Tel: +64 4 439 8000

Fax: +64 4 439 8532

cons@mfat.govt.nz

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