The Future of Cuba’s Non-Sugar Agricultural Sector

Abstract

Despite a dramatic growth in agricultural trade between the United States and Cuba, trade between these two states has been “one-way trade,” primarily due to U.S. economic sanctions. A new scenario could potentially emerge as diplomatic and trade relations between the United States and Cuba improve and are eventually normalized. These changes could facilitate the expansion of U.S. agricultural and food exports to the island, as well as Cuban exports to the United States. This chapter examines the evolution of U.S. agricultural exports to Cuba since the approval of the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act (TSRA) in 2000. The future prospects and policy implications for U.S.-Cuba agricultural trade are also discussed, taking into account the shift in U.S–Cuba relations initiated after December 17, 2014.