A 100% Italian capital company was constituted this Thursday at the Havana International Trade Fair (FIHAV 2019) to become established in the Mariel Special Development Zone (ZEDM), Cuba’s main project to attract foreign investment.
Lácteos Mariel S.A. this Thursday became one of the 50 businesses from 21 countries authorized by the Cuban government to operate in the commercial center, where 26 of these investments are already underway and the rest are in the project stage for a value of 2.3 billion dollars, according to official data released this week.
Of the 50 approved investments, 29 are 100% foreign capital, 12 joint ventures, seven 100% Cuban capital and two international economic association contracts.
The Italian entity will produce dairy products such as yogurt, ice cream and mozzarella cheese for the Cuban market and for export.
One of its two shareholders, Gianmaria Bellati, said the company will be of interest to the agricultural, agribusiness and tourism sectors and intends to develop milk production with agricultural workers on the island to obtain a high-level product, according to the state Agencia Cubana de Noticias news agency.
The Italian entrepreneur explained that they will bring to Cuba the same technology they have in Europe, and in a first stage the firm’s productions hope to meet local demand, which is around 20 million containers, and then they will start thinking about exporting.
Lácteos Mariel S.A. is the third Italian company present in the island’s Special Development Zone, two of them joint ventures with participation of Cuban capital: Vidrios Mariel and Industrias Arthis, for the production of disposable diapers, which are still in the investment process.
The firms installed in the ZEDM cover the sectors of industry, food, logistics, transportation, biotechnology, tourism, oil, renewable energy, construction, and the country with the greatest presence is Spain.
The Special Zone, located about 45 kilometers west of Havana, takes up an area of 465.4 square kilometers at a point of strategic importance for maritime traffic due to its geographical location around Mariel, one of the main ports in the north coast of Cuba.
Italy, one of Cuba’s 10 main trade partners, is represented at the Havana Trade Fair by more than 50 companies related to maritime and air transportation, construction materials, furniture and decoration marketing enterprises, and producers of food and industrial equipment, among others.
