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2 clusters · 18 sources · 1 days · First seen 1 day ago · Last updated 1 day ago

Categories: POLITICS · BUSINESS

Cuba expands vehicle and private sector reforms

Entities: Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila · Cuban Ministry of Transport · Cuba · Betsy Díaz Velázquez · Resolution 172/2026

Overview

In August 2026 Cuba deepened its overhaul of motor‑vehicle ownership, transfer and import rules that began with Decree 163/2026 and Resolution 172/2026. The government broadened the reforms to a wider economic package, authorising private pharmacies, banks, law firms, engineering services, elder‑care homes and port terminals. In the transport sector, the five‑year limit on buying six vehicles was removed for individuals and companies, the pool of authorised dealers was doubled, and non‑state entities were permitted to assemble and sell electric vehicles, mopeds, motorcycles and cars. Tax exemptions were introduced for electric vehicles and for locally assembled buses, and sales to foreign residents holding temporary or permanent visas were liberalised.

A further step was the launch of the third vehicle‑parts legalisation programme. Mitrans, via Resolution 47 published in Gaceta Oficial Extraordinaria No. 83, announced a three‑stage process: owners first register their self‑built vehicles on a forthcoming digital platform, then undergo a technical inspection, and finally receive official certification. The platform is being finalised and will be activated once technical specifications are ready.

These measures, part of the most extensive market‑oriented shift since the 1959 revolution, aim to regularise informal vehicle markets, stimulate private investment and alleviate chronic shortages amid ongoing power outages, food and medicine scarcities, and heightened U.S. sanctions.

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 7 SOURCES] Electric vehicles sold together with renewable‑energy charging stations are exempt from the special sales tax. (new regulations)
[● 7 SOURCES] Non‑state legal entities are authorized to assemble and market electric vehicles such as ciclomotores, motorcycles, tricycles and cars. (new regulations)
[● 6 SOURCES] The previous limit of six vehicle purchases per five‑year period for individuals and companies has been removed. (new regulations)
[● 2 SOURCES] Decree 163 expands eligibility for vehicle transfers to Cuban citizens, foreign residents with various visas and certain legal entities. (new regulations)
[● 2 SOURCES] Vehicle transfer transactions must be notarised and buyers must submit an affidavit confirming lawful origin of the money used. (new regulations)
[● 2 SOURCES] Mitrans introduced a new three‑stage homologation process for self‑built motor vehicles, requiring online registration, technical inspection and official documentation. (new regulations)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Minimum reference values for vehicle tax calculations are set, e.g., 2,040,000 Cuban pesos for cars less than five years old. (new regulations)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Resolution 172/2026 establishes a tiered special tax on vehicle sales: 35% for luxury cars, 25% for standard combustion cars, 5% for imported electric vehicles, with lower rates for locally assembled‑ (Cuban Ministry of Finance and Prices)

Timeline

1 day ago

[POLITICS] 3 sources
Cuba launches third vehicle‑parts legalization program
Cuba's Ministry of Transportation starts a third digital registration and inspection program to legalize homemade vehicles, following two earlier efforts that regularized over 100,000 units.
1 day ago

[BUSINESS] 15 sources
Cuba expands private sector with vehicle, pharmacy and commerce reforms
Cuba's latest reforms open private pharmacies, banks and law firms, lift vehicle‑purchase limits, allow electric‑vehicle assembly and restructure wholesale trade and subsidised meal services.

Sources

almomento.net · comercioyjusticia.info · cubainformacion.tv · directoriocubano.info · elnuevodiario.com.do · europesays.com · kiwaradio.com · legrandparquet.fr · nouvelles-du-monde.com · periodicovictoria.cu · prensa-latina.cu · radiobayamo.icrt.cu · radiohc.cu · radiorebelde.cu · rcm.cu · thedotgood.net · tvyumuri.icrt.cu · wgowam.com

This summary has been updated 3 times: see revision history