A Vietnamese company will start producing disposable diapers and sanitary pads in Cuba’s Mariel Special Development Zone (ZEDM) beginning in the first half of next year, the largest project on the island dedicated to attracting foreign investors.

The Director General of Thai Binh Investment Trading Corporation, Vi Nguyen Phuong, said the project, which is currently under construction, represents a more than $9 million dollar investment and is expected to produce 40 million diapers and 150 million sanitary pads annually.

The Vietnamese company has had a presence in Cuba for nearly 20 years and  approved the investment in 2016 with the aim of  “offering the consumers local, high quality items made in Cuba,” according to the representative, cited by Island media.

There is currently no disposable diaper production in Cuba, despite high demand for the products, but a Cuban Italian company is reportedly building a plant in the ZEDM, which is the business center and merchant port located about 45 kilometers west of Havana.

Thai Binh also plans to construct a plant capable of making 50,000 tons of detergent per year in the Mariel zone. This new project will be done in partnership with the Cuban trade company “Industrias Nexus S.A.” They intend to present the Mariel office with the proposal in April with plans of starting in 2020.