CUBA · US TRADE
Key Facts
- Total: US goods sold to Cuba came to US$1,096.5 million from January to September 2026.
- Against 2025: That is 35% more than all of 2025, when exports were US$809.6 million.
- Latest month: September sales of US$220.0 million were more than three times January’s US$64.9 million.
- Trend: Monthly sales have risen every month since February.
- Imports: Cuban goods sold to the US came to about US$0.7 million from January to August.
- Power Index Cuba ranks 14th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 22.5 points (November 2026 edition).
US exports to Cuba passed US$1 billion in the first nine months of 2026, reaching US$1,096.5 million, according to US Census Bureau trade data. That is already 35% more than all of 2025, when American companies sold US$809.6 million of goods to the island.
The latest monthly figure, for September, was published on Wednesday 4 November 2026. It shows the United States selling more to Cuba at the same time as Washington tightens its sanctions on the Cuban government.
What the Census Data Shows
Monthly sales climbed from US$64.9 million in January to US$220.0 million in September, and every month since February was higher than the one before. August alone reached US$202.5 million.
The first eight months added up to US$876.5 million, which already exceeded the whole of 2025. September lifted the nine-month total to US$1,096.5 million.
Trade the other way is tiny, because Cuban goods sold to the United States came to about US$0.7 million from January to August. The flow is therefore almost entirely one-way, from the US to Cuba.
Why Sales Are Rising
On Wednesday 25 February 2026 the US Treasury Department said it would allow US companies to sell oil to Cuba’s private sector, and that opened a new product line for American exporters. The Census figures give totals only, so they do not show how much of the rise is fuel and how much is food or vehicles.
They also do not show whether the buyers are private businesses or state companies.
Sanctions Are Tightening at the Same Time
Executive Order 14404, dated 1 May 2026, set up new US sanctions tied to repression in Cuba and threats to US national security. The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, known as OFAC, added further Cuba designations on Thursday 5 November 2026.
OFAC also published an alert titled “Expanded Sanctions Against Cuba” on 29 September 2026. Even so, the Census totals kept rising every month through September.
In Plain English, Who Is Who
The Census Bureau is the US agency that counts goods leaving the country, and it publishes the figures by destination each month. OFAC is the Treasury office that enforces US sanctions and decides which sales to Cuba need a licence.
The Cuban private sector means the small and medium businesses that operate alongside the state economy. The February fuel rule was written for them, not for the Cuban government.
What It Means for You
For US exporters, Cuba is now a market on pace for well over US$1 billion a year. Sanctions rules can change quickly, so any company selling there needs the right OFAC licence or exemption first.
Our earlier report on record US fuel exports to Cuba in July tracks the fuel side of this trade. Our report on US fuel shipments in August adds the next month.
What Is Not Known
It is not known how much of the US$1,096.5 million went to private businesses and how much to state companies. The Treasury and Commerce departments hold the licensing records that could show who the buyers are.
It is also not yet known whether sales will keep climbing after OFAC’s new designations of 5 November. The Census Bureau’s October figures, due in early December, will give the first answer.
More: Latin America news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did the United States sell to Cuba in 2026?
US goods exports to Cuba totalled US$1,096.5 million from January to September 2026. That is 35% more than the US$809.6 million sold in all of 2025.
Is the US embargo on Cuba still in force?
Yes, and it has tightened this year. Executive Order 14404 of 1 May 2026 added sanctions, and OFAC listed new Cuba designations on 5 November.
What does Cuba sell to the United States?
Very little. Cuban goods sold to the US came to about US$0.7 million from January to August 2026.
Where do these figures come from?
They come from US Census Bureau monthly trade data on goods leaving the United States. The series covers goods only, not services, and the September figure was published on 4 November 2026.
Sources: US Census Bureau, trade in goods with Cuba, monthly exports and imports 2026, updated through August 2026; US Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis, US exports of goods to Cuba (FRED series EXP2390), September 2026 value US$220.03 million, Wednesday 4 November 2026; US Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control, Cuba sanctions page (Executive Order 14404, alert of 29 September, designations of 5 November), 5 November 2026; US Treasury Department, announcement on fuel sales to Cuba’s private sector, Wednesday 25 February 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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