This Monday, the Cuban Chamber of Commerce launched the "Booster Program," a new effort aimed at linking Cuban small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with international markets, as reported by the state-run agency ACN.
Announced via an online broadcast from Havana, this initiative is part of the New Economic Actors Project (NAE), an international cooperation effort backed by the European Union with a budget of 14 million euros, and executed in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
Two Distinct Approaches to Expansion
The program is divided into two distinct approaches: the Sectorial Booster targets producers of coffee, honey, derivatives, and processed fruits with added value, while the Geographic Booster focuses on information technology companies, cultural and creative industries, and renewable energy firms aiming to enter markets in Mexico, Canada, and Europe.
Originating from a French methodology, the program's strategies were previously utilized by ProCuba to train "Boosters" for exporting micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
Comprehensive Support Network
The Booster Program offers coaching, mentoring, and support to selected economic actors, developed in partnership with Business France, the National Institute of Economic Research (INIE), INAENE, and the Chamber of Commerce itself.
In addition to the UNDP and the European Union, the initiative is also supported by the Cuban Ministry of Economy and Planning, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, and ProCuba.
Challenges Facing Cuba's Private Sector
This initiative emerges in a context where the Cuban private sector's involvement in foreign trade remains minimal: as of October 2025, non-state management forms accounted for only 3.2% of the country's exports, primarily led by charcoal and IT services.
The overall export landscape is equally grim: in the first half of 2025, the Cuban government admitted to meeting only 62% of its goods export plan, down from 78% during the same period in 2024.
During the same timeframe, non-state management exports grew by 30%, reaching approximately 21 million dollars, albeit from a very low starting point.
Regulatory Hurdles
The regulatory environment presents additional challenges: in 2024, the regime imposed fines exceeding 348 million pesos on private MSMEs, and in February 2026, a law was passed to withhold foreign currency from external trade, adding more controls on the sector.
The NAE Project, set to run from June 2024 to October 2028, had previously launched calls for proposals: one for the agri-food sector with funding of up to 40,000 dollars per project, and another for the information technology sector with up to 20,000 dollars per initiative, targeting state and private MSMEs, non-agricultural cooperatives, and local development projects.
The Booster Program serves as the internationalization component of this broader project, with its real impact hinging on whether Cuban MSMEs can operate with sufficient autonomy in a historically restrictive system regarding access to foreign currency and external markets.
Key Questions About Cuba's Global Trade Initiative
What is the main goal of the Booster Program?
The primary objective of the Booster Program is to connect Cuban small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with international markets to enhance their global presence.
Which sectors are targeted by the Booster Program's different approaches?
The Sectorial Booster focuses on producers of coffee, honey, derivatives, and value-added processed fruits, while the Geographic Booster targets information technology companies, cultural and creative industries, and renewable energy firms.
How does the regulatory environment affect Cuban private enterprises?
Cuban private enterprises face challenges from the regulatory environment, including significant fines and laws that restrict access to foreign currency from external trade, placing additional controls on the sector.