Cuban Ambassador to Sri Lanka Juana Elena Rodrigues invited the Sri Lankan business community to explore business opportunities in pharmaceutical, renewable energy, agro-food, tourism and real estate development and agriculture sectors in Cuba. Speaking at a seminar on ‘Bilateral Trade between Sri Lanka and Cuba’ organised by the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka she said as bi-lateral trade volumes between the two countries is currently below its potential level. The Cuban government is looking at possibilities of creating much needed trade and investment ties with Sri Lanka in a bid to take the bi-lateral trade activities to the next level.
Cuba has established commercial relations with 160 major countries and Rodrigues expressed confidence that Sri Lanka will also become Cuba’s major trading partner in the near future. Sri Lanka and Cuba established diplomatic ties in 1959. Cuba is mostly recognised as a sugar producing country and famous for its Cuban cigars, and calypso music.
Sri Lanka imports from Cuba, sugar, nickel, fish, citrus fruits, tobacco products, medicinal products and coffee. Sri Lanka exports ceramicware, tea, coconut coir, apparel and clothing, precious and semi precious stones and leather goods to Cuba. The most important mineral resource is nickel. Cuba has significantly increased its market share of Caribbean tourism in the last decade; as a result of significant investment in tourism infrastructure.
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