The Cuban regime acquired American products worth over 500 million dollars between January and July 2026, according to data from the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council.
In July alone, U.S. exports to the Island reached 148.9 million dollars, bringing the annual total to 674 million, according to the Census Bureau, which analyzes these figures.
Three categories account for this volume: food and agricultural products (254.2 million accumulated from January to July), fuels and petroleum derivatives (156.8 million), and vehicles, motorcycles, parts, and bicycles (91 million).
The fuel sector is experiencing the most remarkable change of the year. In the first seven months of 2026, it has already surpassed 156 million dollars, compared to only 311,558 dollars throughout 2025 and 938,894 dollars in 2024. Just in July, exports of gasoline, kerosene, and oils amounted to 61.1 million dollars, mainly from the ports of Houston and Miami.
This shift is explained by a guideline published on February 25, 2026, by the Bureau of Industry and Security of the U.S. Department of Commerce (BIS), under the "Support for the Cuban People" exemption, which authorizes the sale of fuels to private Cuban entities—small and medium-sized enterprises and self-employed workers—but not to the government or state-owned enterprises.
In vehicles, the total since 2022—when the first BIS license was issued to export cars to Cubans and private businesses—exceeds 318 million dollars. The growth has been steady: 89,848 dollars in 2022, 10.5 million in 2023, 67.2 million in 2024, 149.4 million in 2025, and already 91 million in the first seven months of this year.
In July, the most exported individual product within that category was used passenger vehicles with engines over 3,000 cc, amounting to 7.16 million dollars for that month and 34.9 million accumulated for the year. Miami accounts for the majority of those shipments.
Food and agricultural product exports, while still the largest component, are experiencing a decline. In July, they totaled 35.4 million dollars, compared to 42.4 million in the same month of 2025, marking a reduction of 16.4%. The cumulative total from January to July stands at 254.2 million, reflecting an 11% decrease from 285.7 million during the same period last year.
Among the agricultural products exported in July, solar panels and modules stood out, totaling 4.6 million dollars, along with liquefied propane, coin-operated washing machines, and refrigerator-freezer combos. Cuba ranked 50th among 220 destination markets for U.S. agricultural exports that month.
All this trade operates under specific regulatory frameworks: the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act (TSREEA) of 2000, the Cuban Democracy Act of 1992, and regulations from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the BIS, and the Department of State.
The Trump-Vance administration renewed in August the provisions of the Trading with the Enemy Act concerning Cuba, but keeps active these export channels to the private sector on the Island.
In parallel to trade, humanitarian donations from the U.S. to Cuba in July 2026 amounted to $26.47 million, recorded separately from commercial exports.
Since 2022, the total value of all exports authorized under these frameworks has exceeded $766 million, according to the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economy Council.
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