Cuba Extends Tariff Exemption on Basic Goods for Travelers
as the government admits the crisis “persists”
The regulation allowing travelers to bring in certain products duty free will remain in effect until next September 30, 2025.
HAVANA TIMES – The Ministry of Finance and Prices, which continues to rely on Cubans purchasing abroad what the State cannot import, once again extended this Friday the tariff benefit on medicines, hygiene products, food, and electric generators. Until September 30, 2025, all these products may enter the country free of Customs taxes, provided they are imported for non-commercial purposes.
The Ministry reminds that the items must be presented to Customs by individuals in packages separate from their personal luggage in order to receive the tariff benefit. Shipments through international couriers are also allowed.
Nevertheless, the authorities have turned their attention to those attempting to bring in these products with the intent to resell them. According to Cubadebate, last year 118 violations were recorded by “people who use these benefits for profit and not to meet personal and family consumption needs.”
By the end of the first quarter of 2025, the figure had already reached 104, with goods — including medicines, food, and hygiene products — confiscated.
That a large portion of these items end up in the informal market is an open secret, but the authorities issue a warning: “Customs will continue reinforcing control measures to ensure that the extension of this benefit is not misused.”
Even so, the measure only benefits those who can afford to travel abroad and import these goods, as well as business owners and people with relatives overseas who can pay for them. The majority of the population — poorer and more marginalized, without relatives to send packages or decent wages to buy from resellers — is left out.
The government does not hide it: the reason this regulation has existed since 2021 is because “the conditions that gave rise to these measures persist,” namely, the shortage of medical supplies and medicines in hospitals and pharmacies, the agricultural crisis that forces the country to import almost all of its food, and inflation, which has slashed Cubans’ purchasing power to minimal levels.
However, since that year, the economic crisis in the country has worsened, and the imports that once provided relief to some families now only temporarily alleviate needs. Between 2015 and 2022 alone, the consumer price index increased 24 times, and purchasing power fell by 96%. In the following years, inflation has deepened shortages and devalued the Cuban peso to unprecedented levels.
“Regarding the national electricity system, despite the country’s efforts and the energy recovery program, there are still significant energy deficits,” adds Cubadebate, acknowledging that electric generators are among the most sought-after items by business owners and Cubans with family abroad who can afford to pay for the equipment — though having a generator does not guarantee they will find the fuel to run it.
The last time the regulation was extended was this past January. At that time, the authorities clarified that the customs value limit for imports remains between 200 and 500 U.S. dollars. The value limit for imported items is 500 dollars and up to 50 kilograms in weight.
For items sent by air, sea, or postal shipment, a limit of 200 dollars or up to 20 kilograms in weight is authorized.
First published in Spanish by 14ymedio and translated and posted in English by Havana Times.