The General Customs of the Republic of Cuba narrowed down the amount of imports to Cuba by natural citizens by any means, as per Resolution No. 206 of June 30th, according to the Granma newspaper.
The regulation, which should come into force in September, states that customs authorities will confiscate the amounts exceeding the new limit if the amount of the import indicates the entrance of goods with commercial purposes. The rest will be dispatched with no obstacles.
However, given the case that the commercial character of imports is determined due to “the reiterated import of a product, article or miscellany”, the authorities will confiscate it all, except for personal objects, which comprise one single article of each kind as long as it is not considered miscellany. The Customs also issued Resolution No. 208, which establishes the value of the articles in the category of miscellany and are not imported for commercialization dispatched by plain, sea or courier.
This resolution replaces Resolution No. 122 of 2012 and sets the import value of one kilogram equals 20 Cuban convertible pesos (CUC). It maintains imports can only be made through dispatches up to 200 pesos; therefore, the maximum weight allowed through these means was reduced to 10 kilograms.
The Ministry of Finances and Prices signed Resolution No. 300, which states that taxes under the concept of dispatches shall be made in CUCand “the addressees will be freed from paying taxes on the first 30 pesos or their equivalent up to 1.5 kilograms”.
Those people who receive dispatches above 30 CUC (1.5 kilograms) and up to 200 CUC (10 kilograms) will pay one hundred percent. Packages in Cuba waiting to be dispatched at the moment of the coming into force of these regulations will pay the taxes set in Resolution No. 223 of 2012, valid until August 30.
Some “technical” details Resolution No. 206, published by the Gaceta Oficial of the Republic of Cuba, established the limits for determining the commercial character of imports by means of a chart, organized by chapters, with a list of products according to their nature, use, function and presentation.
In the case of “Electric appliances, informatics and communications” –this document explains– it will be necessary to present a prior authorization by the Ministry of Communications to import one or two units of all kinds of telephone boards, wireless fax machines, wireless microphones and its accessories, devices for data networks (routers and switches), radio transceivers and other devices as walkie-talkies.
The following are some examples of goods with higher impact of the reduction, especially for families marked by migration and Cuban collaborators rendering their services abroad.
Amounts
The list comprises about 400 products. Most of them were affected by the new limit established for imports to Cuba, but a priori, the impact of the resolution mainly on those categories with the largest amount of articles includes:
Foods, drinks, tobacco and cigarettes (29); Cosmetics, perfumeryand cleaning products (30); Paints, varnishesand hardware articles (42); Home accessories (29); Electric appliances, informatics and communications (94); Parts and pieces for motor vehicles (63) andToys and sport gear and entertainment (26).
The reduction on the provisions established in 2011 –according to the new resolution– is derived from a study of the implementation of Resolution No. 320 which advises to modify the amounts to determine the limits of the commercial character of imports depending on the kind of article or product in question, when its nature, amount, functions or the repetition of the import, indicate its commercial purpose.
The new resolution maintained that the total value of the articles included in the luggage –which are not personal–, subject to customs fees will not exceed 1000 pesos. Dispatches cannot exceed 200 pesos.
An old struggle
As stated by Idalmis Rosales Milanés, Chief Customs Deputy, in one year a passenger imported 41 displays and 66 flat screen TVs; another passenger imported 34 printers, 58 displays and 74 computer towers, all of that between 2011 and 2014.
In January 2013, a passenger brought as part of his luggage 1695 bearing units and another one in March entered 400 intermittent bulbs for motorcycles; all that merchandise was confiscated once confirmed their commercial character.
The Cuban Customsis constantly struggling against the shuffling around of merchandise that will later on be bought and sold in Cuba. This is happening since 2011,when essential raw materials for the extension of self-employment and small businessessectors started to be importedin view of the absence of supplies.
Not so long ago the Cuban Customs warned travelers not to transport other people’s packs because thus they would contribute with the trading of illegal contents. In the website of this institution it reads that by not complying with this “travelers would have to take administrative or penal responsibility for disobeying these regulations”. These regulations not only narrow down the amount of articles with potential commercial character but also grooming products declared by the population in “danger of extinction” considering their unstable supply in state-owned shops.
