The Cuban Ministry of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment (MINCEX) has given the green light to the Venezuelan company Grupo Empresarial Terra Nova, C.A. to establish a representative office in Cuba. This approval, outlined in Resolution 24/2026, was officially published last Thursday in the extraordinary issue number 52 of the Official Gazette.
Signed by Minister Óscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga, the resolution specifies that the Venezuelan company is authorized to engage in the trade of finished goods, industrial raw materials, equipment, parts and components for the agroindustrial sector, as well as foodstuffs, agrochemicals, fertilizers, and personal hygiene products.
Scope and Limitations of Terra Nova's Operations
The resolution's annex provides a comprehensive list of permissible goods, ranging from meat and edible offal to fish, crustaceans, dairy products, eggs, honey, vegetables, fruits, coffee, spices, cereals, sugars, alcoholic beverages, fertilizers, and cleaning products.
However, there are explicit restrictions on Terra Nova's activities in Cuba. The document clearly states that the license does not permit: a) Direct import and export with commercial intent; b) Engaging in wholesale or retail trade of products and services; nor c) Distributing and transporting goods within the national territory.
This means Terra Nova's role will be limited to acting as a commercial intermediary, facilitating contracts between the Venezuelan firm and authorized Cuban importers, without direct involvement in the island's domestic market.
Urgency Amid Cuba's Food Crisis
The company has a strict timeline to secure its legal foothold. As per the resolution, there is a 90-day deadline, starting from the resolution's enactment, for the company to formalize its registration in the National Register of Foreign Commercial Representations, failing which the application will be archived.
This authorization arrives at a critical juncture amidst Cuba's worst food crisis in decades. The island relies on imports for 70% to 80% of its food, while domestic production has plummeted: pork production dropped by 93.2% in 2023 compared to 2022, cow's milk declined by 37.6%, egg production fell by 43%, and rice by 59.1%.
A report released on April 15 highlighted severe food insecurity in five provinces: Havana, Matanzas, Cienfuegos, Guantánamo, and Santiago de Cuba.
In February 2026, the Díaz-Canel regime announced an extreme rationing plan called "Option Zero," which provides barely seven pounds of rice per person per month.
Multiple Foreign Companies Granted Import Licenses
The same extraordinary Official Gazette issue included an additional eight resolutions from MINCEX permitting commercial representations for companies from Italy, Russia, the United Kingdom, Spain, Croatia, and Canada, many of which are authorized to trade in foodstuffs.
Among the most notable is Resolution 28/2026, allowing the Russian company UniGroup S.R.L. to trade "food, tropical fruits, Russian brand auto parts, commercial cargo delivery logistics services, package delivery, and airline ticket sales" in Cuba.
Italian company Globestar S.R.L. received permission to engage in "both maritime and air cargo transportation, food and non-food product sales, as well as multimodal cargo transport services."
The emerging pattern from the Gazette indicates a regime desperately seeking external supply channels in response to its internal production collapse, a direct consequence of 67 years of centralized and failed economic management.
All resolutions were signed by Óscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga, great-nephew of Fidel and Raúl Castro, who concurrently holds the positions of MINCEX minister and deputy prime minister as of October 2025.
FAQs on Cuba's Food Import Strategy
What is the role of Terra Nova in Cuba's food import strategy?
Terra Nova will act as an intermediary, enabling contracts between the Venezuelan company and authorized Cuban import entities, without direct involvement in domestic distribution or retail activities.
What limitations are placed on Terra Nova's operations in Cuba?
The company is restricted from direct commercial imports and exports, wholesale and retail trade, and domestic distribution and transportation of goods.
How severe is the current food crisis in Cuba?
Cuba is experiencing its worst food crisis in decades, with significant drops in domestic production and high dependency on imported food, leading to critical food insecurity in several provinces.