From staff reports After many years of minimal presence in the market, U.S. red meat is gaining traction in Cuba – due in part to an expansion of private-sector buying.
To help U.S. suppliers capitalize on this opportunity, the U.S. Meat Export Federation recently held an educational seminar in Miami, Florida, bringing exporters and prospective buyers together to learn more about the procedures for conducting business in Cuba.
Paul Johnson of FocusCuba, a consulting firm that specializes in assisting U.S. companies interested in the Cuban market, says that much of the interest from Cuban buyers is for U.S. pork, due to a sharp decline in Cuba’s domestic pork production. But Johnson noted that opportunities for U.S. exporters are also expanding because they now have access to more buyers rather than having to work through Cuba’s government procurement agency.
Through September, U.S. pork exports to Cuba totaled 5,843 metric tons (mt), up 322% from the same period last year, valued at $17.2 million (up 236%).
On the beef side, Cuba currently takes mostly canned product but shipments are up sharply. January-September exports increased more than 1,500% from a year ago, reaching 3,234 mt, valued at $5.4 million (up 519%). For U.S. lamb entering Cuba, 387 mt of variety meat exports were reported through September, valued at $1.5 million (no lamb exports were reported for the same period in 2023).