Containers at Mariel´s Harbor, in Artemisa Province, Western Cuba.

Havana, April 29 (RHC)--Since the opening of foreign trade for the non-state sector in August last year, more than 1,980 contracts have been signed to carry out import or export operations.

According to Vivian Herrera Cid, general director of Foreign Trade,  1,987 contracts have already been signed between companies specialized in foreign trade and non-state enterprises, of which 98 are for exports, with services standing out as one of the primary incursions into the international market.

One of the positive elements of these regulations is that they do not limit this possibility to self-employed workers or non-agricultural cooperatives, but rather to the entire non-State sector and diversifying the services and goods to be exported.

Forty-one state specialized companies provide foreign trade services to the private and cooperative sector. According to Herrera Cid, such conduction is necessary, considering that these state companies have the experience to make the processes viable and even make the operations cheaper.

The executive also highlighted that more than 50% of the signed contracts use the consignment or bonded warehouse modality, which enables the goods to be delivered immediately to customers.