More Than 150 Spanish Companies Attend FIHAV 2017

Havana, Nov 1 (Prensa Latina) More than 150 Spanish companies are exhibiting their products and services at the 35th Havana International Fair, FIHAV 2017, which takes place since Monday at ExpoCuba fairgrounds, in this capital, a source from that European country reported today.

The economic advisor at the Spanish embassy in Cuba, Federico Ferrer, told Prensa Latina that the ties between the two nations are very strong, in which some 400 companies of that Iberian nation are settled in this island.

He stressed that Spain has five of 25 pavilions of ExpoCuba -the largest Cuban exhibition site-, which is the most represented country, with a 20 percent.

According to the official, bilateral trade in 2016 exceeded 900 million Euros, and a fifth of that figure corresponded to Cuban exports to Spain, consisting of tobacco, rum, nickel and other metal products and traditional goods.

With regard to trade from Spain to Cuba, which favors the European country, it supplies food, machinery, special tools, water treatment machines, supply for hotels, among others.

Cuba is a very important country for Spain and our businessmen are comfortable on this island, where they are present in many sectors, Ferrer said.

Spain is Cuba's fourth commercial partner, after Venezuela, China and Russia.

The Day of Spain at FIHAV 2017 is celebrated today, occasion in which the pavilions of that nation will be opened, on occasion of the official visit to Cuba by Secretary of State for Commerce of that nation, Maria Luisa Poncela Garcia, to participate in the event.

About 3,400 exhibitors from more than 70 countries are participating in the fair, no less than 30 representatives from Chambers of Commerce and other organizations promoting this activity, as well as 300 Cuban companies.