Foreign trade minister on global tour to pitch Mariel Zone

Foreign trade minister on global tour to pitch Mariel Zone

CUBA STANDARD — The foreign trade and investment minister is on a global
tour of Cuba's closest allies to pitch the new Mariel Special
Development Zone to investors.

On Wednesday, Rodrigo Malmierca talked about the advantages of the
Mariel Zone to Russian business executive during a session of a
bilateral commission on trade and investment. While in Moscow, he
announced his next stop of the Mariel tour would be Brazil. On Sept. 25,
Malmierca and Ana Tereza Igarza, director of the new Oficina de la Zona
Especial de Desarrollo Mariel, gave a presentation to Chinese business
executives. Before that, on Sept. 20, Malmierca was in Vietnam to lead a
workshop about Mariel.

Mariel will also be highlighted during the Havana International Fair
Nov. 3-9.

The Mariel Zone is a 180-square mile area around the Bay of Mariel, just
west of Havana, that allows foreign investors reduced-tax and duty-free
operations as well as 100-percent ownership. At the core of the Mariel
Zone is a $900 million container terminal that is currently being built
by Brazil's Grupo Odebrecht SA, with mostly Brazilian funding. The first
phase of the container terminal is slated to begin operations in January
2014.

Meanwhile, an official announced that the government office in charge of
processing applications and administering the Mariel Zone will
officially open Nov. 1. Oscar Pérez, director of evaluations at the new
Oficina, made the announcement at a foreign trade and investment
conference in Havana.

The Oficina is a one-stop government office that is expected to
efficiently handle applications by businesses wanting to locate at
Mariel. The Oficina will report directly to the Council of Ministers.

Source: "Foreign trade minister on global tour to pitch Mariel Zone «
Cuba Standard, your best source for Cuban business news" -
http://www.cubastandard.com/2013/10/25/foreign-trade-minister-on-global-tour-to-pitch-mariel-zone/