6. Havana, Cuba
While businesses in Havana, Cuba were excited when former US president Barack Obama said “change is going to happen in Cuba” signalling an end to the decades long stand off and trade embargo, that now appears somewhat less likely under president Donald Trump.
Trump has announced a ban on Americans and US companies doing business with Cuba’s military on Friday in a rollback of the Obama administration’s plan to thaw relations with the island.
And with a state-run, military-affiliated conglomerate owns almost all of the retail chains in Cuba and 57 of the mainly foreign-run hotels on the island business between the two countries is not going to be simple.
However, doing business in Havana is expected to become easier. The city held its first ever startup fair in 2015 and in the same year Airbnb, the US home rental service, announced that it was beginning operations on the island.
Mastercard and Netflix have since moved in to the country. The doors for business in the country is opening, gradually, and with Havana’s highly-educated squadrons of medics, pharmacists and biotechnicians, there is huge growth potential.
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By GlobalDataMeanwhile, Trump does plan to exempt port and airport fees from the ban, meaning airlines and cruise ships should still be able to bring visitors to the island, contributing billions of dollars to the economy each year. Trump will also exempt banking transactions and fees, allowing Americans to continue to rent private properties such as those offered through AirBnB,