Cuba and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea signed on Friday two agreements on commercial exchange and payments, at the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Investment (MINCEX) in this capital.

Cuba and Vietnam reiterated their joint willingness to enhance bilateral cooperation in several fields and to consider possible joint investment projects in the field of ceramics.

Tobacco planting in western Pinar del Rio will use over 15 thousand 900 hectares of land for the 2014-2015 campaign, 115 hectares more than last year, when the local production was well below schedules particularly due to bad weather.

Over half the total number of homes built in the country this year, were raised on the own efforts of their owners, a growing trend in Cuba today, though the housing plan continues to be below schedules for the second consecutive year.

The domestic market was a key factor in the success during the summer for the Canadian company Blue Diamond, third largest hotel chain with presence in Cuba.

Housing construction by own efforts and rehabilitation of housing stock in the province of Cienfuegos were favored with increased marketing of building materials.

The rice mill, with capacity to process five tons of that cereal per hour, that is being built in the town of Amarillas that belongs to Matanzas Grains Agro-industrial Company, is nearing completion.

Partial shortage of cigars and cigarettes at Havana´s local shops is due to increasing consumption and hoarding and other reasons, according to local media.

Private business in Cuba have hired a total of 100 thousand 448 employees up to last September, which is in tune with the promotion of the new non-state employment modality.

A national audit to take place from October 20 to November 28 will target the performance of the new cooperatives set up in non-agriculture areas, with the objective of controlling and helping their appropriate development.

Mexico will increase quotas to import Cuban rum and cigars, as part of a renegotiation of the Economic Complementary Agreement (ACE 51) between the two countries.

Cuban and Japanese business executives considered opportunities to expand commercial cooperation and the signing of new accords, during a joint conference held this week in Havana.

The elimination of the circulation of the double currency and exchange rate in Cuba is a high priority and challenge for the island banking system.

The US economic blockade of Cuba makes it very difficult and costly to undertake important investment on the island's sugar industry, said the director of Industrial Plants with the sugar sector in the eastern province of Camaguey Erduin Delgado.