WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/L/708 
10 December 2007 
 
 (07-5447) 
General Council 
18-19 December 2007 Original:   Spanish 
 
 
 
CUBA – ARTICLE XV:6 OF THE GENERAL AGREEMENT 
ON TARIFFS AND TRADE 1994 
 
Report by the Government of Cuba under the Decision of 15 December 20061 
 
  The following communication, dated 6 December 2007, is being circulated at the request of 
the delegation of Cuba.  
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  Pursuant to the provisions of Article IX.4 of the Agreement Establishing the World Trade 
Organization (WTO), the Republic of  Cuba submits herewith the fi rst annual report on the extension 
of the waiver approved on 20 December 2001 and renewed on 14 December 2006.  This waiver was 
granted to Cuba under the Decision of 14 October 1996
2 in relation to Article XV:6 of the General 
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (GATT 1994).   In spite of the damage inflicted by the ec onomic, commercial and fina ncial blockade policy 
imposed by the government of the United States of  America against Cuba, which has caused the 
country to suffer losses of around US$89,000 milli on, the Cuban economy maintained its upward 
trend in 2006 with a 12.5 per cent expansion of  gross domestic product (GDP) in relation to the 
previous year, supported by growth in almost all economic activities, notably exports of high value-
added services, and accompanied by the positive impact  of the implementation of a range of measures 
related to electricity  generation and use. 
 
 Cuba has continued to develop programmes desi gned to raise the standard of living of its 
population and which enabled it to achieve the following social indicators in 2006:  
• The infant mortality rate fell to its lowest level in the last 48 years, with 5.3 per 
thousand live births; 
• life expectancy at birth stands at 78 years, according to World Health Organization 
(WHO) records; 
• Cuba has the highest population-per-physician ratio in the world (an average of 
159 inhabitants per physician), as well as 4.9 be ds in medical institutions and 1.3 beds 
in social welfare institutions  per thousand inhabitants; 
                                                     
 
1 WT/L/678. 
2 WT/L/182. WT/L/708 
Page 2  
 
  • 32,343 students graduated in the various branches of higher education (technical, 
medical, agricultural, economic, social and e ducational sciences, etc.), out of a total 
of 232,432 graduates over the last ten years; 
• the unemployment rate dropped to a record low for the country of 1.9 per cent; 
• the average worker's wage rose by 17 per cent. 
 The blockade policy against Cuba continues to  curb the country's economic development and 
hamper the performance of all sectors of its domestic economy.  Blockade measures, which have been 
intensified over the 46 years, substantially incr ease financial costs and obstruct essential imports, such 
as food, medicines and fuel.   The economic, commercial and financial blocka de by successive US administrations ever 
since 1961 imposes extraterritorial restrictions on Cuba which also affect other WTO Members.  
Blockade measures include: 
 
• A ban on the use of the US dollar in extern al commercial and financial transactions 
by the Cuban Government, thereby forcing th e country to carry ou t such transactions 
in third currencies even though the prices of its main export commodities are quoted 
on the world market in US dollars.  As a result, Cuba has incurred substantial losses 
from the appreciation and depreciation of the dollar in relation to the currencies of its 
main trading partners, as well as the inst ability suffered by its enterprises on account 
of the double exchange-rate risk; 
• persecution of and penalties for entrepreneurs and investors interested in trading with 
or investing in Cuba, thus hindering the normal development of all external economic 
activity and access to resources to finance development; 
• a ban on loans to Cuba by multilateral and regional financial or ganizations, thereby 
denying the country access to sources of long-term financing under favourable 
conditions and forcing it to resort to s hort-term loans with high interest rates; 
• sanctions against shipping agencies that transport cargo to and from Cuba, thus 
limiting freedom of transit; 
• ban on trade with Cuba by subsidiaries of US companies located in third countries; 
• penalties for US citizens travelling to Cuba, thereby preventing the development of 
tourism between the two countries. 
 In October 2007, the US Government once ag ain stepped up its a ggressive policy towards 
Cuba with the announcement of a package of meas ures which intensify the blockade yet further, 
including increased financial support for subversive dom estic groups with a view to overthrowing the 
Cuban Revolution.   Attention should be drawn to international re jection of the US blockade policy against Cuba, 
which has been firmly opposed by the internatio nal community for 16 co nsecutive years.  Such 
international condemnation was rece ntly ratified by the United Nations (UN) in October 2007, when 
184 nations voted in favour of the resolution subm itted by Cuba calling for an end to the blockade. 
  WT/L/708 
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   The above factors mean that the particular circ umstances that gave rise to the extension of the 
waiver granted to Cuba in December 2001 and renewed in December 2006 continue to exist. 
  Cuba has shown that it has fulfilled its commi tment to make use of the waiver without 
affecting the objectives of the General Agreement or harming the rights of the other WTO Members 
and confirms its willingness to continue to comply  with the principles laid down in the General 
Agreement.  
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