Cuba Starts Fee for Bringing in Food

HAVANA TIMES — After a four-year suspension of the measure, the Cuban Customs Office on Monday reinstated the requirement of duties being paid at airports by Cuban passengers arriving on the island bringing in food.

Those travelers will have to pay 10 Cuban pesos or the equivalent in convertible pesos (CUCs) — depending on whether they are residents in Cuba or not — for every kilogram of non-commercial food brought in. This requirement is consistent with provisions of a law approved in 1979.

According to the Cuban government, it is now “necessary to restore and enforce” that law, which was suspended “temporarily and exceptionally” due to the impact of hurricanes Gustav, Ike and Paloma in 2008. These storms left in their wake damage estimated at $10 billion.

See HT commentary on the new charge.