RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE S/NGMTS/W/2/Add.33
17July1995
ORGANIZATION(95-2348)
Original: Spanish Negotiating Group onMaritime Transport Services
COMMUNICATION FROM CUBA
Response toQuestionnaire onMaritime Transport Services
Thefollowing communication iscirculated attherequest ofCuba toMembers oftheNegotiating
Group onMaritime Transport Services.
_______________
I. Market structure
Vessels
1.
Structure ofnationally-owned oroperated fleet
Type ofvessels Number ofvessels Deadweight tonnage
National flag Foreign flag National flag Foreign flag
Oiltankers 12 3 92,796 36,000
Chemical tankers 2 - 2,650 -
Ore/bulk carriers - 5 - 50,046
General cargo 20 28 184,652 299,188
Container ships - 9 - 130,580
Refrigerated carriers 7 - 24,770 -
Allvessels 41 45 304,868 515,814
Source: Unión Marítimo Portuaria.
1. Figures asatendDecember 1994.
2. (Data onloading/unloading inports)S/NGMTS/W/2/Add.33
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Trade
2and3. International trade byquantity upto1994 (thousands oftonnes)
Carried bysea Exports Imports
28percent 72percent
Almost allCuba'sforeign trade iscarried bysea,onlyaminimum amount goesbyair.
4. International trade carried bynational flagvessels:
Bulkshipping 8percent
General cargo 12percent
Refrigerated cargo 6percent
5. Thisinformation isnotavailable.
Organization ofcargo
6. In1994, thepercentages ofinternational trade bytypeofshipping were asfollows:
Quantity
Liquid bulkshipping 48percent
Drybulkshipping 45percent
Liner shipping 7percent
7. Nomaritime traffic iscarried byconferences orconsortia.
8. None.
9. Noinformation isavailable onthequantity norvalue, although goods havebeentransported
under bilateral agreements.
10. In1994, theestimated share ofinternational trade carried oncontainerized linervessels was
50percent.
11. Thetransport ofgoods onliner vessels under amultimodal transport system isbecoming
increasingly important, butnoinformation isavailable onthequantity orvalue.
Ports andauxiliary services
12. National porttraffic forinternational trade cargoes isaround 8,874.0 andthemajor national
ports concerned arethefollowing:
Havana 36percent
Santiago deCuba 12percent
Matanzas 30percent
Cienfuegos 8percent
Nuevitas 6percentS/NGMTS/W/2/Add.33
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13and14. Theservices mentioned inthelistinthequestionnaire areallsupplied byCuban firms,
withtheexception ofmaintenance andrepair ofvessels where foreign interests arepresent.
II. Regulatory structure
General
1. TheMinistryofTransportisresponsibleforsupervising,implementingandmonitoringapplication
ofthemaritime transport policy, itsauxiliary services andcivilmaritime shipping.
TheMaritime PortUnion (Unión Marítimo Portuaria )deals withthecommercial technical
aspects oftheactivity asawhole.
2,3,4,5. There arenoregulations inthisregard.
6. InCuba, "international maritime transport" hasnotbeenspecifically defined, butitisconsidered
tobetransport outside national geographical coverage.
7. "National shipping enterprise" means anytransport entity which utilizes vessels forshipping,
isestablished inCuba andisrecognized asashipping enterprise inaccordance withthelegalprovisions
ineffect.
Market access
8. (a),(b)Theonlylimitations onthemaritime sector arethose tobefound inthehorizontal offer.
(c) Theonlycargo atpresent regulated bybilateral agreements isthatwithArgentina,
Algeria, People 'sRepublic ofChina, Vietnam, Democratic People 'sRepublic ofKorea,
Russia Federation andUkraine.
9. No.
10. Theonlyspecial limitations inthemaritime sector arethose tobefound inthehorizontal offer
(Decree LawNo.50).
11. Theonlylimitations ongranting foreign companies therighttoregister ships under theCuban
flagaretobefound inthehorizontal offer.
National treatment
12. Nopreferences aregiven tonational shipping enterprises. There arenoloans atpreferential
rates, preferential taxtreatment norreimbursement oftaxes tonational shipping enterprises.
Access toanduseofportfacilities
13. Alltheservices mentioned areavailable inCuba'smajor ports onanon-discriminatory basis.
14. Pilotage andtowing inports isobligatory.S/NGMTS/W/2/Add.33
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15to18. Access toCuban ports isopentoallnational orforeign vessels arriving there.
Theservices available inthese ports areavailable toallvessels requesting them onthebasis
ofthefeesfixed, without discrimination astotheflag.
19. No.
Most-favoured-nation treatment
20-21. Asmentioned under paragraph 8(c)"market access", Cuba hasbilateral agreements included
inthelistofexemptions submitted which allocate allorsome ofthecargo intrade witheachofthe
countries mentioned, depending onthecase, tonational shipowners intheproportion of50percent
foreachcontracting party.
22. No.
23. Bilateral shipping agreements withseveral Latin American, European andAfrican countries.
24to26. Nosuchmeasures exist.
Government procurement
27. They existonlyforcustoms purposes. Thedefinition willhavetobeprovided bythecustoms.
28. No.
Competition law
29. No.
Shipping conferences
30to34. Notapplicable.
Shipper/carrier relations
35. These relations arethesubject ofagreement between theparties.
36. There arenospecial requirements concerning freight ratenegotiations orconsultation onmatters
ofcommon interest. They aresubject tomarket forces. Disputes aresettled byarbitration.