Cars from the U.S. continue to enter Cuba: $91 million in seven months

U.S. exports of vehicles, motorcycles, parts, and bicycles to Cuba totaled $91 million between January and July 2026, with $17.4 million shipped in July alone, according to data from the U.S.-Cuba Economic and Trade Council (USCTEC).

Miami concentrates the majority of these shipments, and the category that moves the most volume is passenger vehicles for use, with engines over 3,000 cc: that segment alone accounted for $34.9 million in the first seven months of the year, with $7.15 million dispatched in July.

The used vehicles between 1,500 and 3,000 cc follow, with almost $25 million accumulated, and the passenger cars in the general category, which totaled $13.8 million during the period.

Among the noteworthy items is the export of electric motorcycles from Houston, Texas, accumulating $2.18 million and passenger electric vehicles for personal use, totaling $2.92 million.

A notable fact in the breakdown is the appearance of "parts for motorized combat armored vehicles" shipped from Houston for $776,131 dollars solely in July, with no prior records in the months leading up to the analyzed period.

Parallel to the flow of vehicles, Cuba increased its fuel purchases in the United States. In July, it acquired $61.1 million in gasoline, kerosene, and other derivatives, which is a 22% increase compared to June, when purchases totaled $47.9 million, according to the same report from USCTEC on fuels.

The total of Cuban hydrocarbon imports from the U.S. between January and July reached $156.8 million, making fuel one of the main items in bilateral trade.

These fuel shipments are exclusively intended for the Cuban private sector—small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and other non-state entities—and exclude the government, the Armed Forces, and state-owned companies.

The agency Reuters reported at the end of March 2026 about shipments of about 30,000 barrels in ISO tanks on board 61 container ships heading to the port of Mariel.

This trade flow occurs within a changing regulatory framework. In February, the Cuban regime suspended the importation of combustion vehicles for new contracts, but in August approved Decree 163/2026, which paved the way for the importation of electric vehicles and components for assembly.

The Resolution 104/2026 of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment (MINCEX) authorized 17 Cuban legal entities — including IMPEXPORT, CIMEX, DUNA, SASA, TRADEX, CONSTRUIMPORT, and AXESS — to import vehicles and parts for commercial purposes.

The total U.S. exports to Cuba from January to July 2026 reached $674 million, with a steady increase: from $64.9 million in January to $148.9 million in July, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, all while the Trump administration continues to enforce the sanctions of the embargo and the Trading with the Enemy Act, which was extended last August.