China plans to open a solar-powered shoe factory in Cuba
It is a joint venture created on July 7 called DuoNex S.A. between a Cuban entity and Chinese company Hangzhou Iunke Industrial Development Co., Ltd., according to the official Cuban press.
A previous report stated that the new company was established with the goal of 'developing, producing and marketing footwear, leather goods, saddlery, plastics and textiles.'
According to the official newspaper Granma, María Eugenia Fabra Tamayo, Business Director at Industrias Nexus S.A., says the goal of the company is to produce up to three pairs of shoes per capita.
The first production lines will include flip-flops, protective boots, athletic and executive footwear. Fabra said that the products will be targeted at sectors such as communications, tourism, agriculture, the sugar industry, non-state management, and the general population, through chain stores and e-commerce platforms.
Fabra also said that the products would not be limited to the domestic market, but that the plan is to export them to Latin America and the Caribbean, although the destination countries were not specified.
The company also plans to produce plastic products, such as containers for industrial paint. The factory will be located in the municipality of Regla in Havana, with an initial workforce of 63 and the creation of more than 40 additional jobs.
While Cuba will provide the labor and infrastructure, China will be responsible for providing designs, molds, financing for technological improvements and purchasing spare parts.
China will also supply some of the raw materials, while the Cuban partner will negotiate agreements with other national companies to obtain leather and packaging materials.
To ensure operational capacity during frequent power outages, the company will rely on photovoltaic solar panels imported from China, with the goal of becoming energy self-sufficient.
China has become one of Cuba's main allies amid the deep crisis plaguing the island, strengthening ties in key sectors such as tourism.
The Cuban government has eliminated visa requirements for Chinese travelers, while this year China began offering Cubans free visas to visit the Asian country if they meet the requirements.
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