The following product groups represent the highest dollar value in Cuba’s import purchases during 2019. Also shown is the percentage share each product category represents in terms of overall imports into Cuba.

1. Machinery including computers: US$861.7 million (16.2% of total imports)
2. Electrical machinery, equipment: $475.5 million (9%)
3. Cereals: $378.4 million (7.1%)
4. Meat: $309.4 million (5.8%)
5. Vehicles: $271.7 million (5.1%)
6. Plastics, plastic articles: $225 million (4.2%)
7. Food industry waste, animal fodder: $202.8 million (3.8%)
8. Articles of iron or steel: $187.1 million (3.5%)
9. Dairy, eggs, honey: $173.8 million (3.3%)
10. Iron, steel: $127.2 million (2.4%)

Cuba’s top 10 imports accounted for 60.5% of the overall cost of its product purchases from other countries.

Not one of these top 10 product categories increased from 2018 to 2019.

Leading the declining categories were vehicles (down -46.8%), iron and steel (down -46.6%), and cereals (down -42%) weighed down by decreasing imports of rice and corn.

Please note that information presented under other virtual folder tabs is at the more granular 4-digit level.

In 2019, Cuban importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of machinery including computers.

1. Centrifuges, filters and purifiers: US$52.7 million (down -14.3% from 2018)
2. Liquid pumps and elevators: $47 million (down -48.6%)
3. Machinery parts: $43.3 million (up 6.8%)
4. Miscellaneous machinery: $37 million (up 134%)
5. Air or vacuum pumps: $36.1 million (down -54.7%)
6. Taps, valves, similar appliances: $35.3 million (down -39.8%)
7. Sort/screen/washing machinery: $33.5 million (up 145.4%)
8. Heavy machinery (bulldozers, excavators, road rollers): $32.7 million (down -26.2%)
9. Refrigerators, freezers: $31.2 million (down -51.1%)
10. Temperature-change machines: $30.9 million (up 38.9%)

Among these import subcategories, Cuban purchases of sorting, screening or washing machinery (up 145.4%), miscellaneous machinery (up 134%) then temperature-change machines (up 38.9%) grew at the fastest pace from 2018 to 2019.

These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported machinery including computers among Cuban businesses and consumers.

In 2019, Cuban importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of electronics-related goods.

1. Phone system devices including smartphones: US$106.2 million (up 25.4% from 2018)
2. Insulated wire/cable: $47.3 million (down -19.6%)
3. Electrical/optical circuit boards, panels: $39.7 million (down -37.7%)
4. Lower-voltage switches, fuses: $29.5 million (down -30.6%)
5. Electrical converters/power units: $25.9 million (down -29.5%)
6. Electric generating sets, converters: $23.9 million (down -58.5%)
7. Electric circuit parts, fuses, switches: $20.3 million (up 159.2%)
8. Solar power diodes/semi-conductors: $19.7 million (up 17.7%)
9. TV receivers/monitors/projectors: $18.6 million (down -47%)
10. Electric water heaters, hair dryers: $15.8 million (down -53.8%)

Among these import subcategories, Cuban purchases of electric circuit parts, fuses and switches (up 159.2%), phone system devices including smartphones (up 25.4%) and solar power diodes or semi-conductors (up 17.7%) grew from 2018 to 2019.

These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported electronics-related goods among Cuban businesses and consumers.

In 2019, Cuban importers spent the most on the following subcategories of cereals.

1. Wheat: US$181.1 million (down -1.6% from 2018)
2. Corn: $145.5 million (down -24.9%)
3. Rice: $49.8 million (down -81.8%)
4. Oats: $1.9 million (up 235.5%)
5. Canary seed and quinoa: $142,000 (up 8.5%)
6. Barley: $46,000 (up 4.5%)

Among these import subcategories, Cuba’s purchases of oats (up 235.5%), canary seeds and quinoa (up 8.5%) then barley (up 4.5%) grew at the fastest pace from 2018 to 2019.

These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported cereals among Cuban businesses and consumers.

In 2019, Cuban importers spent the most on the following subcategories of meat-related products.

1. Poultry meat: US$284.7 million (down -6.6% from 2018)
2. Frozen beef: $10.3 million (down -17.4%)
3. Swine meat: $9.9 million (down -7.2%)
4. Salted/dried/smoked meat: $2.7 million (down -19.1%)
5. Red meat offal: $1.0 million (up 17.6%)
6. Sheep or goat meat: $492,000 (down -49.7%)
7. Fresh or chilled beef: $188,000 (no 2018 data)
8. Pig, poultry fat: $122,000 (down -19.7%)

Among these import subcategories, Cuban purchases of red meat offal posted the sole increase from 2018 to 2019, thanks to its 17.6% gain.

These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported meat-related products among Cuban businesses and consumers.