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 just in July, 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 that of used passenger vehicles with engines larger than 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.

Next are the used vehicles ranging from 1,500 to 3,000 cc, with nearly $25 million accumulated, followed by 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, amounting to $2.18 million, along with used electric passenger vehicles totaling $2.92 million.

A notable detail 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 previous records in the preceding months of 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, a 22% increase from June, when purchases totaled $47.9 million, according to the same USCTEC report on fuels.

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

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

The agency Reuters documented at the end of March 2026 shipments of about 30,000 barrels in ISO tank containers aboard 61 container ships heading to the port of Mariel.

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

The Resolution 104/2026 from 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 between January and July 2026 amounted to $674 million, showing a steady acceleration: 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 uphold the sanctions of the embargo and the Trading with the Enemy Act, which was extended in August 2026.