What UN/LOCODE is
The United Nations Code for Trade and Transport Locations (UN/LOCODE) is a global system that assigns short codes to ports, airports, inland terminals and other logistics locations. Maintained under UNECE, it is used across shipping, customs and freight systems worldwide.
Each code has five characters: the first two identify the country, and the last three identify the specific place within it. The system gives every listed location a single standard reference that avoids confusion between similarly named places, and it is updated periodically as locations are added or revised.
Reading the code CUSCU
For the Port of Santiago de Cuba the code is CUSCU. The leading CU is the country code for Cuba, and SCU designates Santiago de Cuba within the country.
Because the code is standardised, it appears the same way in every compliant system, so a bill of lading, a schedule and a tracking record can all point to exactly the same harbour. That consistency is the whole point of the UN/LOCODE scheme, and it is why the code, rather than a place name alone, is the safest identifier to use.
Why the code matters
For anyone booking cargo, tracking a vessel or filing documentation, the UN/LOCODE removes ambiguity. Place names can be duplicated or spelled differently across languages, but CUSCU refers to one port only.
Identifying Santiago de Cuba correctly matters because Cuba has several ports, and the eastern gateway must not be confused with harbours elsewhere on the island. Using the code is the reliable way to specify the Oriente's principal port in any maritime or logistics context, and it travels cleanly across languages and systems.
Where you will see it
The code CUSCU turns up wherever the port is referenced formally: carrier schedules, freight-booking platforms, customs paperwork and vessel-tracking services. In each of these, the five characters stand in for the full port and its location.
For readers new to maritime logistics, the practical takeaway is simple. When you need to specify the Port of Santiago de Cuba, pair the plain-language name with the UN/LOCODE. Doing so aligns your reference with the wider Cuban port system and with the international standard, ensuring that everyone in the chain understands exactly which harbour is meant.