Madrid/Exemptions for US trade with Cuba reached a record this February. According to the data released this Wednesday by the United States-Cuba Economic and Commercial Council (US-Cuba Trade), the second month of this year exports to the island reached 47.6 million dollars, 75% more than the same month of the previous year.
In addition, if compared to February 2023, growth is even greater, of 93.7%. Since in March 2014 American products were imported to Cuba for a total amount of 53,021,705 dollars, there had never been such a volume of money spent from the island in the neighboring country, although the difference is that the most benefited companies are now.
Throughout 2024, American companies exported food products, vehicles, solar panels and household items, among other things, worth 586 million dollars, of which 433 are for food. According to data from Miami Heraldthe new private companies – created since 2021 – are responsible for most of the recent growth of trade. To this we must add the important amount invested in the cars. Since in 2023 the Biden government granted a specific license for this sector, 76,475,523 dollars have been spent on vehicles, including new and used, gasoline and electric.
Since in 2023 the Biden government granted a specific license for this sector, 76,475,523 dollars have been spent on vehicles, including new and used, gasoline and electricity
Are American businessmen to dispense with that trade? According to Mauricio Claver Carone, special envoy from Trump for Latin America, it will only endure. “There will continue to disagree. There are always commercial interests,” said the past week at an event in Miami. “But it is not about short -term suffering to obtain long -term profits, or there will be long -term suffering without any gain. So we have to bet everything, bet big or go home.”
The new herald He takes up some of the ideas pronounced by the senior official In a note published this Thursday in which it advances some possible measures that the administration of Donald Trump debates to “promote a change in Cuba.” Among them, is the reinforcement of sanctions in two already known areas and whose success has been relative: tourism and remittances.
In his first term, the Republican already limited the trips of US citizens to the island, eliminated direct commercial flights and cruises. Although there was a certain effect, the result of the measures, the fall of the tourism sector began in 2019 and accelerated during the COVID-19, to end up leaving a turning point in 2024, the year in which the slight comeback that followed the pandemic retreated. The US is the fourth tourist market for Cuba, far behind Canada and after the Cuban community abroad – mostly appropriate, yes, of its territory – and Russia.
As for remittances, they were also prohibited by the previous Trump administration, which sought to prevent that money from going through the hands of the Gaesa military conglomerate. Although the Cuban ruling found a formula of resuming them, through the company Orbit SA – directed by testaferros of the military – the data show that the Cubans had already learned to shun the formal channels and resort to digital platforms or direct shipments through travelers.
OK With a study of Cuba XXI century95% of remittances reach the island through informal channels, so a hypothetical reinforcement of these sanctions would not be very useful to press Havana.
“Today, most of the foods exported from the United States to Cuba are sent to local private companies because the government is bankrupt and has delays with all its old suppliers”
“Today, most of the food exported from the United States to Cuba are sent to local private companies because the government is bankrupt and has delays with all its old suppliers,” he told The new herald Ricardo Herrero, executive director of Cuba Study Group, based in Washington. The specialist argues that the only one that remains, focusing on exports, “would not only harm these independent entrepreneurs, but also innumerable Cuban families that already suffer a serious food shortage.”
John Kavulich, president of the United States Commercial and Economic Council, believes that it is difficult to prohibit food exports because the law must be modified-although Trump accumulates almost all powers of the State already, with a Republican congress and a Senate and a supreme court. See the revocation of licenses easier.
He Herald He has spoken with Hugo Cancio, one of the most criticized Cuban -American businessmen by exile, who attributes ties with the regime. The businessman continues to refuse. “We have no links with the Cuban government. I do not sell the Cuban state, I have no contracts with any government entity, I pay nothing to the government beyond customs taxes,” he told the Miami Diary.
Cancio states that he buys around 20% of the food and products he sells on his platform on-line Katapulk in the United States and other countries and sends them to Cuba, where a private company manages shipments. The remaining 80%, they maintain, are suppliers of independent private companies that use their page as a sales channel, in the style of Amazon.
“Cuban families, not the government, will be harmed if the Trump administration closes the online platforms,” said the businessman
“Cuban families, not the government, will be harmed if the Trump administration closes the online platforms,” said the businessman. Claver-Carone, however, ensures that they are willing to apply unpopular policies and the discontent among many voters who are now harmed by deportation policies could justify a change, although there are many who have manifested in networks that so far everything has been useless.
A follower from Maga argued in networks against Claver’s solutions -Carone: “They always benefit and the Cuban people continue to starve and our relatives need that money that we can send them to barely eat. Tell the dictatorship, but do not kill our hunger families.”
