Fihav 2025 Arrives This November with New Proposals

Businesspeople and delegations from around the world can participate in the 41st edition of the Havana International Fair (Fihav 2025), to be held in Cuba from November 24 to 29, government authorities announced today.

At a press conference, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment (Mincex), Oscar Pérez-Oliva, explained that the event will take place at its usual venue, the Expocuba fairgrounds, despite an adverse environment due to the "multidimensional war" unleashed by the United States, reflected in the country by a strengthening of the economic, commercial, and financial blockade.

Pérez-Oliva recalled that the Island's situation was aggravated by the impact of Hurricane Melissa on the eastern provinces, a phenomenon that significantly affected Holguín, Granma, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantánamo, causing damage to housing, agriculture, electrical grids, communications, road and rail infrastructure, as well as health and education centers.

Despite this landscape, Pérez-Oliva reflected that Fihav is a significant platform for exchanging information with national and foreign businesses about opportunities and the nation's special, productive, and export potential.

New Thematic Areas and Parallel Events

Among the scheduled activities are the VIII Investment Forum, the update of the Portfolio of Opportunities, business forums, product presentations, National Days, and presentations on new foreign investment policies aimed at attracting more foreign capital.

In parallel, the Caribbean Banking Forum will take place on November 26 and 27 at the Hotel Parque Central, with the goal of strengthening regional financial integration among countries of the Caribbean Community (Caricom).

The organizers explained that this edition will feature five novel thematic areas:

• Hecho en Cuba (Made in Cuba), showcasing 40 exportable products and services with 280 participants.

• The Energy Transition, displaying the development of renewable energy sources and their prospects for national transformation with the participation of local and foreign economic actors.

• AI Cuba, an interactive space dedicated to artificial intelligence, exhibiting the main technological applications in various sectors.

• The Fihav 2025 Integration Mechanisms Forum, focused on schemes where Cuba participates, such as ALBA-TCP, the Eurasian Economic Union, BRICS, and ALADI.

• Cuba Única, for the comprehensive promotion of the tourism sector, innovative projects, and new business models attractive to foreign companies, to enhance the export of services.

Confirmed International Participation

Regarding international attendance, Pérez-Oliva confirmed the participation of 16 official delegations from Venezuela, Mexico, Bulgaria, the Eurasian Economic Union, the Czech Republic, Iran, Congo, Zimbabwe, Comoros, Angola, and South Africa.

They will be joined by the director of the Colón Free Zone of Panama, the executive secretaries of ALBA-TCP and the Latin American Economic System (SELA), and the secretary general of ALADI, in addition to 15 trade and investment promotion agencies.