Cuba has a population of 11.2 million people who primarily speak Spanish. The official currency is the Cuban Peso, which has a value of $0.0038 USD. Cuba has a GDP of $78.394 billion. Some key aspects of Cuban business culture include: - The standard work week is Monday to Friday from 8-5, though lateness is more common due to transportation issues. - Dress is very casual, usually just jeans and t-shirts. Business attire is a guayyabera shirt without a jacket or tie. - Lunch is the main time for business meetings, while dinners are more social. - Most new business ventures begin by meeting

2. •Population: 11.2million (2013 census)
•Language: Spanish
(English spoken by Cuban business
people)
•Currency: Cuban Peso 1.00 CUP = 0.0038 USD
•GDP: $78.394 billion
•

3. DO’S & DONT’S
Common greeting: Shaking hands is common for
both men and women. Men and women who
are friends may kiss on the cheek. Be formal at
first and don’t use first names unless invited to
do so.
Personal space: A bit closer than in the U.S. at 1
to 1 1/2 feet, and touching is common among
friends. However, Cubans aren’t used to being
touched by strangers, including seemingly
friendly pats on the back.
Eye contact: Direct.
Approach to time: It’s not unusual for Cubans to
keep people waiting for an hour or more for a
meeting.
Language: Spanish is the official language,
although English is widely spoken.
Communication: Fairly direct; not much
different from your U.S. interactions, but
they may be a bit louder than Americans
are used to.
Topics for building rapport: Travel and
family.
Negotiations: Cubans tend to try to tire
you out with slow and protracted
bargaining.
Actions to avoid: Discussions about
politics, which can be a minefield.
Tips for businesswomen: Cuba is a very
macho country where women aren’t
commonly seen in positions of power
and authority. Proceed slowly and
present yourself as representing your
company rather than yourself.
If necessary, be prepared to graciously
allow a male employee to step in if you
sense a great deal of uneasiness.

4. BUSINESS CULTURE
Work hours are generally 8-5, Monday to Friday, though some factories may
begin earlier in the day and include Saturdays in their work week.
Lateness and absenteeism are somewhat more common in Cuba than
average, due less to cultural factors than to shortages of fuel and issues with
public transportation.
There is typically no payment of overtime, except for factories producing
especially important goods.
Cubans tend to dress rather informally for work, often due to the nature of
business, but also due to the influence of hot climates; very few Cuban
workplaces enforce a dress code beyond jeans and t-shirts.
“Business” attire usually consists of a dress shirt called a guayyabera, without
a jacket or tie.
Lunch is the main meeting during which business can be done; dinners in
Cuba tend to be more formal occasions during which it is considered
inappropriate to discuss work matters.
Most business ventures begin with meetings with appropriate government
officials. Appropriate govt. officials can be found through the Cuban Chamber of
Commerce.