Food trade flows between Cuba and the United States are once again attracting attention. In February 2025Agricultural and food exports from the United States reached their highest level in more than a decade. With a total volume of $47,6 million, this is the highest value since March 2014.
This increase represents a 75,1% year-over-year increase compared to February 2024, when sales reached just over 27 million. It also significantly exceeds the levels recorded in February 2023, which barely reached 24,5 million.
Top products shipped from the United States
Chicken, in its various frozen varieties, topped the list of exported products. Other key goods were added, such as pork, milk, coffee, rice, and condiments. In total, the ten best-selling products accounted for 81,7% of the export value, reflecting a pattern focused on basic and highly demanded products on the island.
These are the main exported items:
Frozen chicken leg quarters: 15.950.060 USD (33,5%)
Frozen chicken meat: 8.399.732 USD (17,6%)
Frozen chicken legs: 6.300.652 USD (13,2%)
Frozen pork: 2.580.189 USD (5,4%)
Unconcentrated, unsweetened milk: 1.584.593 USD (3,3%)
Roasted coffee without decaffeination: 1.011.605 USD (2,1%)
Prepared chicken meat paste: 965.353 USD (2,0%)
Rice: 856.836 USD (1,8%)
Mixed seasonings and condiments: 715.072 USD (1,5%)
Preparations for animal feed: 534.296 USD (1,1%)
Together, these products account for USD 38.907.388 of the total exported.
Other assets included in the transaction
In addition to food, shipments were recorded that, while not an essential part of the basic diet, do reflect a diversification of Cuban purchases: used vehicles worth USD 1.067.383, trucks (USD 46.700), motorcycles (USD 969.546), and solar cells (USD 7.468).
How these figures are explained despite the embargo
The operations are carried out under the legal protection of the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act (TSREEA) and the Cuban Democracy Act (CDA), which allow the direct sale of food, medicine, and other humanitarian goods from the United States to Cuba.
Under these regulations, Cuba must pay in cash and in advance, and no credit is allowed in the transaction. Furthermore, medical products require an additional approval process under stricter regulations. The figures reported by the Department of Agriculture do not include shipping costs or bank fees.
Evolution of Cuban purchases in the United States
So far 2025Cuba has imported a total of $93,1 million in goods from the United States, ranking the island 44th among the North American country's trading partners.
Comparison with previous years:
2025: 93.168.816 USD – 44th Place
2024: 433.662.216 USD – 49th Place
2023: 342.607.027 USD – 53th Place
2022: 328.536.988 USD – 55th Place
2021: 304.774.413 USD – 53th Place
2020: 163.354.728 USD – 61th Place
2019: 257.659.479 USD – 56th Place
2018: 224.910.413 USD – 60th Place
Despite political tensions and the limitations imposed by the embargo, the United States remains one of the main suppliers of food products to the Cuban population.
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