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Terminal de Contenedores de Mariel
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Nation / PlaceCU

Terminal de Contenedores de Mariel

Cuba's deep-water container port at Mariel, controlled by GAESA and designated by OFAC after its mid-June transfer to Coral Maritima.

Last refreshed: 26 July 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic

Key Question

Why did the US blacklist Cuba's main container port and its new owner together?

Timeline for Terminal de Contenedores de Mariel

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Background

OFAC designated the Terminal de Contenedores de Mariel (TCM) on 23 July 2026 together with Coral Maritima S.A., the firm State says received the port in a mid-June transfer built to evade sanctions.

TCM is Cuba's principal deep-water container port, sited in the Mariel Special Development Zone roughly 28 miles west of Havana. Its channel dredging allows Neo-Panamax vessels, and the terminal handles around 300,000 TEU a year against a stated capacity of 800,000 TEU, making it the country's main gateway for containerised trade. It has been controlled by GAESA, the Cuban armed forces' economic conglomerate.

Designating the port and its transfer recipient in a single notice closes a loophole analysts had flagged since OFAC's June action against GAESA-linked banks: a blocked asset cannot be shielded by moving it to an undesignated Shell if that Shell is blacklisted the same day.

Common Questions
What is the Terminal de Contenedores de Mariel?
Cuba's principal deep-water container port, located in the Mariel Special Development Zone, with capacity for around 800,000 TEU a year.Source: ZED Mariel
Why did OFAC designate the Mariel Container Terminal?
OFAC designated it on 23 July 2026 alongside Coral Maritima S.A., the company State says received the terminal in a mid-June transfer designed to evade sanctions on GAESA.Source: OFAC
Who controls the Mariel Container Terminal?
GAESA, the Cuban armed forces' economic conglomerate, has controlled the terminal, according to OFAC's designation notice.Source: OFAC

Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 26 July 2026. Editorial standards.