Cuba’s Surprising Sugar Purchases in the US
In a surprising turn of events, the Cuban government has been making purchases of sugar in the United States, despite its historic enmity with the North American country.
The Island of Cuba was once famous in the world for its sugar production, but today the situation has changed dramatically.
The production of sugar on the island has declined so much that the Cuban government is forced to import this product to meet domestic needs.
According to data from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Cuba’s imports of food and agricultural products in the United States grew by 60.8% in June 2023.
Sugar purchases in particular amounted to $30,241. In the same period, total US exports to the island reached $37,071,007, an increase of 11.1% compared to May, when there were $26,476,991 in exports.
Cuba Doesn’t Stop Buying in the US
In addition to sugar, the Cuban government has been buying a variety of other products in the United States, including chicken meat, bacon, butter, olive oil, sunflower oil, and rapeseed oil, as well as waffles and wafers.
Despite the Cuban government’s denial of purchasing health products in the United States, acquisitions of that nature amounted to $57,167 in June 2023.
Humanitarian donations sent to Cuba from the United States totaled $3,296,330 in products in June 2023.
In the first half of the year, Havana’s imports totaled $160,259,463. Since the beginning of these sales, in December 2001, the total sum has reached $7,063,985,829.
Exports Are Authorized Despite the Embargo
Despite the embargo, these exports are authorized under the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act (TSREEA) of 2000, approved by the George W. Bush Administration.
Havana has been resorting to this law continuously since December 2001.
Interestingly, neither the authorities nor the official Cuban press mention this volume of trade.
Instead, they claim that the powerful northern neighbor seeks to drown Cubans in suffering.
However, despite Havana’s propaganda, today Cuba ranks 57th among US food and agricultural export markets.
