Despite the Cuban Government’s multiple attempts to blame the food shortage on the Island on the economic embargo that the United States maintains on the regime, it imported almost 40 million dollars in food and agricultural products during the month of August.
According to data shared by the US-Cuba Economic and Trade Council (USTEC), the exact amount was 39 million 913,983 dollars, which represented an increase of almost 10 million compared to August of last year.
The report indicates that the products most imported by the regime were chicken leg quarters, chicken meat, chicken thighs, pork, all of the above frozen, canned chicken meat, rice, puddings, grapes, coffee, extract of coffee, cookies, beer, palm oil, corn chips, yeasts, soft drinks, sugar, compressors and immersion heaters.
In total, imports from the US have had a cost of 232 million 248,283 dollars between the months of January and August, about 35 million more than the same period in 2022.
Likewise, the amount of food imported during August represents a considerable increase compared to the previous month, when only 32 million dollars in food were purchased.
It is important to mention that 2023 has been the month of July with the highest amount of imports in the last two years, a transaction that also included the shipment of other specialized items such as washing machines and microwaves.
July thus marked an increase compared to May, when a decrease in the amount of imports from the US was recorded.
Official figures indicate that Cuba bought 328 and a half million dollars in products from the United States during 2022, a new record for commercial operations between both countries in the last decade.
In recent years, the Island has used imports from the United States to deal with the shortage of various products. Last year, the main products obtained were hygiene products, due to the marked shortage of toiletries and basic necessities in pharmacies and state stores.
During that year, almost 10 million dollars worth of products such as detergents, deodorants, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, disinfectants, dermatological products and beauty and skin care preparations were imported, something that has been missing in the United States for years. Cuban shelves.
