HAVANA -- Cuba and China signed an agreement in Havana on Monday designed to promote export companies from both countries and boost their exchange of commercial information.

The accord was inked after a meeting between Xu Bing, deputy general director of the Chinese Center for Foreign Trade affiliated with China's Ministry of Commerce, and Secretary General of Cuba's Chamber of Commerce Omar Fernandez.

It is aimed to promote export companies of both countries and enhance the exchange of commercial information, but not cover trade per se, Fernandez told reporters after signing the document.

He said that his meeting with Xu was also meant to introduce business opportunities to Cuban companies in China.

China, Cuba's second largest trade partner after Venezuela, has developed important cooperation with the Caribbean nation in such areas as sugar and nickel production, biotechnology, healthcare, transportation, agriculture and education.

Bilateral trade reached $1.8 billion in 2010.