weighted score 6.0 · nine dimensions
Country Risk Profile
Cuba
Sourcing risk, regulatory exposure and audit intelligence for Cuba-origin supply chains.
Forced & child labour
5
Sugarcane listed on ILAB for forced labour and child labour. State-controlled labour allocation system. Medical worker export programme criticised for coercive practices.
Worker rights & FOA
7
No independent trade unions permitted. Single-party state controls only legal union federation (CTC). No right to strike in practice. Structural FOA suppression.
OHS & audit transparency
6
State controls audit access. Independent third-party audits extremely difficult to arrange. OHS standards exist on paper but enforcement and transparency severely limited.
Food & product safety
5
Pharmaceutical/biotech sector maintains internationally competitive quality standards. Food safety for sugar and agricultural products at basic level. Limited independent testing infrastructure.
Environmental & regulatory
4
Low industrial activity limits environmental damage. Some EUDR exposure through sugar and wood products. Environmental regulation exists but enforcement capacity limited.
Governance & anti-corruption
6
TI CPI approximately 42. Single-party state with no independent judiciary or media. Corruption data limited by lack of transparency. State control may limit petty corruption but creates systemic governance risk.
Tariff & preferential access
7
No EU FTA — MFN tariffs apply. US comprehensive embargo creates the most restrictive trade environment globally. Helms-Burton Act secondary sanctions risk for EU companies.
Non-tariff barriers
7
US embargo creates pervasive non-tariff barriers including banking restrictions, shipping limitations, and insurance challenges. Even EU-Cuba trade is complicated by US secondary sanctions.
Supply chain traceability
7
State-controlled economy limits commercial transparency. Independent audit access restricted. Multi-tier supply chain visibility effectively impossible. ILAB-listed goods require enhanced due diligence.
Labour & Social Risk
Labour & Social Risk
- Forced labour — sugarcane
- Sugarcane is listed on the US Department of Labor ILAB List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor. Cuba's state-controlled agricultural sector uses mobilised labour for sugar harvests — a practice flagged as indicative of forced labour.
- Medical worker exports
- Cuba's medical mission programme — deploying doctors and medical workers abroad — has been criticised by human rights organisations as involving coercive labour practices, including withheld wages, restricted movement, and confiscated passports.
- ILO conventions
- Cuba has ratified most core ILO conventions but does not permit independent trade unions. The single-party state controls the Cuban Workers' Central (CTC) — the only legal trade union federation.
- Freedom of association
- No independent trade unions permitted. No right to strike in practice. Workers' organisations are extensions of the Communist Party. This creates a structural forced labour risk across all state-controlled sectors.
EU Regulatory Exposure
EU Regulatory Exposure
- Trade status
- EU-Cuba Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA) in force since 2017. No comprehensive EU sanctions on Cuba. No EU-Cuba FTA — MFN tariffs apply. EU Common Position on Cuba maintained as a framework.
- US embargo implications
- Helms-Burton Act Title III (activated 2019) allows US nationals to sue foreign companies 'trafficking' in confiscated Cuban property. EU companies face secondary sanctions risk when dealing with Cuba, though the EU Blocking Statute provides some protection.
- EUDR exposure
- Cuba produces sugar and some wood products — potential EUDR exposure for these commodities. Due diligence requirements apply for regulated commodity imports from 2025/2026.
- EU Forced Labour Regulation
- Regulation (EU) 2024/3015 applies from December 2027. Sugarcane (ILAB listed for forced labour and child labour) and state-controlled labour practices present risk of investigation.
Logistics & Supply Chain
Logistics & Supply Chain
- Primary export corridor
- Mariel / Havana → Caribbean Sea → Atlantic → EU ports
- Key transit chokepoints
- Florida Straits, Windward Passage
- Main EU destination ports
- Various — limited direct shipping routes; transhipment via Caribbean hubs (Kingston, Freeport) common
- Port infrastructure
- Mariel Special Development Zone (opened 2014) is the most modern facility. Havana port handles general cargo. Overall capacity limited but adequate for current low trade volumes.
- Typical transit time
- 12-18 days to Northwest Europe (via transhipment)