Moscow eyes deeper Latin American trade links via the Caribbean nation’s strategic port of Mariel
Russia and Cuba are working to establish a joint logistics hub at the Caribbean nation’s most significant deep-water port to boost cooperation, RIA Novosti reported on Monday.
The project, aimed at streamlining trade flows between Moscow and Latin America, was confirmed on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2025), which wrapped up last week.
Tatyana Mashkova, head of Russia’s National Committee for Economic Cooperation with Latin American Countries, told the outlet that the two sides are working “in parallel” to set up the hub at Cuba’s Port of Mariel.
Situated at the mouth of the Gulf of Mexico, Mariel features a container terminal, free-trade zone, modern warehousing, and rail links. The area offers business-friendly tax breaks and customs preferences designed to encourage investment and local production. Several Russian companies are already present at the site.
Mashkova said Russian and Cuban business representatives are also discussing ways to strengthen financial cooperation, including with backing from the Russian Export Center. The goal is to facilitate bilateral trade and reduce logistical barriers.
“Our companies could benefit from this Cuban platform to deliver their goods more actively throughout the region,” she stated, pointing to opportunities across Central America and the Caribbean.
Cuba has also offered to host an industrial park for the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) within the Mariel special economic zone. The proposed 50-hectare site would be leased to the bloc for 50 years, with an option to extend. The park would allow EAEU members to localize production, invest directly, and expand access to Latin American markets.
The EAEU brings together five post-Soviet nations: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia. Cuba has been cooperating with the bloc for several years and became an official observer in 2020.
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