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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.
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 December 2008 New Zealand exported goods worth NZ$124 million to Cuba, of which NZ$112 million was in the dairy sector. The dairy trade is carried out mainly via ALIMPORT, the government agency responsible for importing foreign food for use in the domestic market, or via Cubalse, the government agency that sells to special hotels and restaurants that cater mainly to tourists.
Cuba is also investigating the potential for meat and livestock imports from New Zealand and is interested in selling pharmaceuticals to New Zealand. A major New Zealand electronics company also has increasing business interests in Cuba.
In February 2004, the Latin America Strategy Fund provided financial support towards the costs of sub-titling for a New Zealand film festival in Havana as part of Si! Cubanz Filmz, a film festival exchange project.
The New Zealand Women’s Basketball team, the Tall Ferns, visited Cuba in February 2005 for a series of games against the Cuban Women’s Basketball team in Havana, Cuba.
New Zealand and Cuba are both members of the World Trade Organisation, the United Nations and FEALAC (the Forum for East Asia – Latin America Cooperation). New Zealand has voted in favour of United Nations resolutions calling for an end to the United States economic embargo.
High level contact between New Zealand and Cuba most frequently occurs in the context of international meetings.
Official Name - Republic of Cuba
Land Area – 110,860 sq kms
Population – 11.2 million (2008 estimate)
Capital City – Havana
Religion – Predominantly Roman Catholic and Protestant
Official Language – Spanish
Currencies – Cuban Peso (CUP) and Convertible Peso (CUC)
Exchange Rates –
Official internal exchange rate - CUP:CUC = 1.00
Unofficial internal exchange rate: CUP:CUC = 24.00 (available only domestically, for personal transactions).
Official external exchange rate CUP:US$ = 0.93
Unofficial external exchange rate CUP:US$ = 22.22 (used domestically, for personal transactions).
Political system – Socialist 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
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 –
Nickel
Tobacco Products
Sugar and by-products
Medicines
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/Cuba top 20 trade figures
New Zealand Exports (FOB) |
NZ$124,573,065 |
Main Exports |
Dairy (91%), Telephone equipment (4%) Sugars (3%), Generators (1%) |
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 is accredited to Cuba.
The Cuban Embassy in Wellington is accredited to New Zealand.
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
