- According to Bloomberg, there will be a document for exporters and re-exporters with explanations, although doubts remain about how the State will be prevented from intervening at any point.
- Quimimport told 14ymedio that it still does not have authorization from the Ministry to carry out purchases abroad.
14ymedio, Madrid, February 25, 2026 – The U.S. government appears determined to calm doubts about the importation of fuel for private businesses in Cuba, according to Bloomberg on Tuesday. A Washington official told the outlet that a clarification will be issued regarding that authorization, making clear that the beneficiary will be “the Cuban people” and not “the Cuban regime.”
The sales had already been confirmed in recent days through testimony from businesspeople on the Island and in the United States, but fears that the U.S. administration might cut off that flow were evident. “It is being handled with the utmost discretion. There is concern that the Trump Administration could also restrict this channel, although following recent statements by Marco Rubio there are expectations that no measures will be adopted that directly affect small and medium-sized enterprises,” a source told Martí Noticias just over a week ago.
Now, according to Bloomberg’s source, the Department of Commerce and the Department of the Treasury will end the uncertainty by issuing a document for exporters and re-exporters emphasizing that the sale of fuel to Cuban private companies and individuals does not require a specific license and is permitted under current legislation.
Pending publication of the guidance, the question is how the fuel can be transferred to private hands without the State intervening in the slightest
Pending publication of the guidance, the question is how the fuel can be transferred to private hands without the State intervening in the slightest.
At the beginning of February, the Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, Óscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga, said the Government was facilitating and authorizing any company capable of purchasing fuel to do so. “We have decentralized, so to speak, the importation of fuel,” he stated.
Since then, it has emerged that several companies are already importing the product, some of them, as this newspaper confirmed, through the Chinese company Fujian Trebor Trading Company, which brings in and sells gasoline paid for in dollars to small and medium-sized enterprises, in shipments of up to 25,000 liters.
The conditions for purchase, announced on social media, were confirmed to 14ymedio in phone calls to several small and medium-sized enterprises that have used its services. They must process operations through the state company Quimimport, which is dedicated to purchasing chemical products. Interested parties must “qualify as clients” and wait for the corresponding “commercial proposal.”
Clients must have a Micro-Location Certificate issued by the Physical Planning authority, including the exact coordinates of the site where the storage tank will be located; certification from the APCI (Fire Protection Agency) of the Fire Department; the tank capacity and standardization certificate issued by the Metrology authority, in cases where the storage facility is rented from a state company; a declaration from the company stating that the fuel will be for its own use; and the Storage Contract (the corresponding agreement, lease, cooperation, or storage contract) when the tank belongs to a state entity.
Quimimport, contacted by 14ymedio, stated that the company “is carrying out the processing and execution of these operations; therefore, it is necessary to clarify that, to date, authorization for importation has not been granted by the Ministry’s Directorate.”
In any case, to be authorized by the Government for these acquisitions, it is essential to rely on the State for various procedures, as well as for the storage and management of a product that carries associated risks.
Earlier information published by Martí Noticias stated that several countries are already doing this type of export to the Island, including Miami-based entrepreneurs. “Each unit can transport around 24,000 liters, and delivery is made at the Port of Mariel directly to clients,” said one of those interviewed.
The United States will have to clarify how it will prevent the regime from exerting some degree of control over the fuel once the diesel arrives on the Island, although the Cuban Government is also not interested in obstructing assistance that would inject oxygen into the private sector’s economy and help alleviate current hardships.
Meanwhile, Cubanet published an investigation on Tuesday indicating that a large number of private companies are linked to ministers, members of the armed forces, or relatives of officials, including Mariela Castro’s own daughter, who owns a Local Development Project authorized to import hydrocarbons.
According to the outlet, as of February 16, approximately 150 companies had submitted formal applications, of which 42 have been authorized, most dedicated to passenger transport, logistics, and agricultural production.
Translated by Regina Anavy
______________________
COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.