Cuba, worse than Haiti in export projection according to CEPAL

Cuba ranks among the three countries in Latin America and the Caribbean with no growth in the value of goods exports for 2025, according to the latest report from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

The Cuban economist Pedro Monreal warned on his X account (formerly Twitter) that the results of the document titled “Prospects for International Trade in Latin America and the Caribbean 2025,” rank the island below Haiti in terms of export performance, although slightly better than Venezuela, highlighting the structural deterioration of the Cuban economy under the regime of Miguel Díaz-Canel.

“Cuba es uno de los tres países sin crecimiento en el valor de las exportaciones proyectadas de bienes, peor que Haití aunque mejor que Venezuela”, escribió Monreal al comentar los resultados del informe de la CEPAL.

According to the economist, the reduction in the estimated value of Cuban exports for this year can be attributed to the poor sugar harvest and the decline in international nickel prices, two of the most important —and also most affected— sectors of the national production.

Monreal also pointed out that the data for the first half of 2025 reflect a simultaneous decline in exports and imports, which exacerbates the already critical economic situation in the country.

"Due to Cuba's high dependence on imports, the contraction in imports must have negatively impacted economic growth," he warned.

The report from CEPAL also confirms the increase in the trade deficit in Cuba's goods balance, while the government has not reported its corresponding figures for service trade, one of the few sectors where the island still generates revenue, mainly from sending doctors to other countries.

Consulted analysts indicate that Cuba's poor performance in the report reflects the lack of real economic reforms, the collapse of the state productive sector, and the impact of the mismanagement of the communist regime, which continues to obstruct private initiative and restrict independent imports.

In contrast, countries like Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Costa Rica showed positive projections for export growth, driven by tourism, manufacturing, and trade integration with North America.

Cuba's economic situation remains one of the most severe in the region, with uncontrolled inflation, shortages of food and energy, and a national currency that is virtually worthless in the informal market, all while the government continues to blame the U.S. embargo for a crisis created by its own failed model.