Food and agricultural product purchases made by Cuba from the United States between January and July 2026 totaled 254.18 million dollars, compared to 285.71 million in the same period the previous year.
This figure represents a year-on-year decline of 11% according to data published this Wednesday by the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council (USCTEC).
Only in July, the decline was even more pronounced: U.S. agricultural and food exports to the island totaled $35.41 million, a decrease of 16.4% from the $42.35 million recorded in July 2025, although above the $31.46 million from July 2024.
Despite the contraction in food items, total trade between both countries in 2026 presents a more complex landscape and, in some sectors, surprising developments.
U.S. exports of fuels and oils to Cuba reached 156.88 million dollars between January and July 2026, an unprecedented jump compared to just 311,558 dollars for the entire year of 2025 and 938,894 dollars for 2024, driven by authorizations from the Trump-Vance administration to the Cuban private sector to import fuel.
During that same period, exports of vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, and spare parts totaled 91.02 million dollars, consolidating a trend that since 2022 has accumulated more than 766 million dollars in sales to the Cuban private sector under various U.S. administrations.
Among the highlighted products in July were solar cells, modules, and photovoltaic panels, which totaled $4.69 million, along with coin-operated washers for $117,905 and refrigerator-freezer combos for $85,190, all intended for the emerging private sector on the island.
Cuba ranks 50th among the 220 agricultural export markets of the U.S. in July 2026, and 51st in the annual total, a position that reflects both the extent of its food dependency and the structural limitations of its economy.
The island imports between 70% and 80% of the food it consumes, with an estimated annual foreign bill of around 2.4 billion dollars, a direct consequence of decades of failed agricultural policies under the dictatorship.
The decline in food purchases contrasts with the historic record set by total trade between the two countries in the first half of 2026: $525.1 million in U.S. exports to Cuba, the highest level for that period since 1992, with June being the record month, exceeding $117.5 million.
In July, no exports of sanitary products were recorded under the Cuban Democracy Act, while humanitarian donations totaled 26.47 million dollars, a figure that underscores the magnitude of the crisis facing the Cuban population.
The reduction in food purchases from the U.S. occurs within a context where the Cuban regime is facing a chronic food shortage, lacking sufficient internal production capacity and foreign currency to sustain the level of imports that the island needs to feed its population.
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