Russia and Cuba are working to establish a joint logistics center in the Caribbean nation's most important deep-water port to boost cooperation, Russian media reported.
The project, aimed at streamlining trade flows between Moscow and Latin America, was confirmed at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2025), which concluded last week.
Tatyana Mashkova, head of Russia's National Committee for Economic Cooperation with Latin American Countries, told the media outlet that the two sides are working “in parallel” to establish the center in the Port of Mariel, Cuba.
Located at the mouth of the Gulf of Mexico, Mariel has a container terminal, a free trade zone, modern warehouses and rail connections. The zone offers tax exemptions and business-friendly customs preferences designed to encourage investment and local production. Several Russian companies already have a presence there.
Mashkova said Russian and Cuban business representatives are also negotiating ways to strengthen financial cooperation, including support from the Russian Export Center. The goal is to facilitate bilateral trade and reduce logistical barriers.
“Our companies could benefit from this Cuban platform to distribute their products more actively throughout the region,” he said, pointing to opportunities in Central America and the Caribbean.
Cuba has also offered to host an industrial park for the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) within the Mariel special economic zone. The proposed 50-hectare site would be leased to the bloc for 50 years, with an option to extend. The park would allow UEE members to localize production, invest directly and expand access to Latin American markets.
The EEU includes five post-Soviet countries: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia. Cuba has been cooperating with the bloc for several years and became an official observer in 2020.