LUBBOCK, TEXAS (RFD NEWS) — U.S. ag and food shipments to Cuba grew in 2025, even as legal and policy risk around Cuba trade remains a moving target for exporters. Data for January through November put U.S. food and agricultural exports to Cuba at $443.9 million, up 13.2 percent from the same period a year earlier.
The product mix indicates that Cuba relies heavily on U.S. protein and dairy channels.
Poultry shipments — led by frozen chicken leg quarters and other chicken cuts — were joined by sizable pork categories, including frozen swine cuts and processed pork items. Dairy lines were also prominent, including milk and cream products, butter, yogurt, and multiple cheese categories.
Staples and ingredients include rice, wheat flour, corn-based foods, beans, vegetables, and shelf-stable prepared foods.
Farm-Level Takeaway: Cuba remains a steady, nearby buyer of U.S. poultry, pork, dairy, and staples, but legal and compliance risks could still affect shipping and payment channels.
Tony St. James, RFD NEWS Markets Specialist
Most movement ran through Southeast export lanes, particularly Miami and Tampa, reinforcing the Gulf-to-Caribbean logistics corridor. That corridor can be sensitive to financing and compliance shifts that ripple through shippers and banks.
Later this month, Supreme Court arguments in two Helms-Burton cases are being watched for signals that could raise or lower legal exposure tied to Cuba-linked property claims, adding another layer of uncertainty around trade mechanics.
Strong corn exports support prices while soybeans lag yearly pace. However, large carryover stocks limit upside despite solid yields.
February 18, 2026 12:41 PM
·
Lori Stevermer with the National Pork Producers Council reacts to the USDA’s speedline proposal, the new Farm Bill’s fix for California’s Prop-12, and other policy developments impacting the pork industry.
February 18, 2026 12:18 PM
·
Bayer’s Monsanto announces $7.25B class settlement for Roundup™ lawsuits alleging Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), covering claims over 21 years.
February 17, 2026 04:14 PM
·
Investigations are now ongoing following a massive explosion and fire at the Koch Foods poultry plant in Fairfield, Ohio, which claimed one life and injured at least three other workers at the plant.
February 17, 2026 03:52 PM
·
Weskan Grain CEO Will Bramblett discusses the antitrust lawsuit filed by grain farmers and agribusinesses, and its potential implications on rail competition and market access.
February 17, 2026 01:41 PM
·
RealAg Radio host Shaun Haney shares insight into Canada’s trade push in Mexico and what it could signal for agriculture and the USMCA moving forward.
February 17, 2026 01:23 PM
·
