Anne Roberts Brody
Cuba, a nation of approximately 11 million people, is a food-insecure country, importing up to 80 percent of its food. The nation’s primary imports in 2015 included rice (14 percent), poultry (13 percent), dairy (12 percent), soy products (12 percent) and wheat (12 percent).
Agricultural exports to Cuba were authorized under the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000. Given Cuba’s economic and geographic position, Southern states have become leaders in agricultural exports to Cuba, comprising nine of the top 10 exporting states in 2015.
Reinforcing their dominant position, Southern states also are leaders in overall exports of Cuba’s most-imported agricultural products: rice and poultry. In 2014, four Southern states were among the top five rice-exporting states (Arkansas, at $809.3 million; California, at $644 million; Louisiana, at $258.9 million; Missouri, at $96.6 million; and Texas, at $92.8 million). Similarly, Southern states constituted all five of the top broiler-exporting states in 2014 (Georgia, at $596.3 million; Alabama, at $478 million; North Carolina, at $477.5 million; Arkansas, at $475 million; Mississippi, at $356.2 million; and Texas, at $280.5 million).
Top 20 States for Agricultural Exports to Cuba (2006-2015)
(ranking based on total agricultural exports in 2015)
| U.S. State | 2006 | 2009 | Percent Change | 2012 | Percent Change | 2015 | Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 25,916 | 56,941 | 119.7% | 65,613 | 15.2% | 41,629 | -36.6% |
| Georgia | 16,767 | 42,528 | 153.6% | 36,412 | -14.4% | 30,924 | -15.1% |
| Florida | 24,911 | 28,151 | 13.0% | 68,358 | 142.8% | 29,874 | -56.3% |
| Alabama | 3,528 | 5,917 | 67.7% | 41,861 | 607.5% | 26,677 | -36.3% |
| Louisiana | 146,363 | 180,873 | 23.6% | 176,452 | -2.4% | 11,319 | -93.6% |
| North Carolina | 1,202 | 14,327 | 1091.9% | 12,859 | -10.2% | 5,375 | -58.2% |
| South Carolina | 142 | 507 | 257.0% | 1,644 | 224.3% | 2,738 | 66.5% |
| Mississippi | 236 | 47,414 | 19990.7% | 21,855 | -53.9% | 535 | -97.6% |
| California | 223 | 594 | 166.4% | 551 | -7.2% | 228 | -58.6% |
| Tennessee | 225 | 482 | 114.2% | 1,119 | 132.2% | 64 | -94.3% |
| Minnesota | 11,492 | 5,298 | -53.9% | – | -100.0% | 60 | – |
| Texas | 61,545 | 54,340 | -11.7% | 120 | -99.8% | 44 | -63.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 603 | – | -100.0% | – | – | 43 | – |
| Arkansas | 1,402 | 4,751 | 238.9% | – | -100.0% | – | – |
| Connecticut | – | 67,201 | – | – | -100.0% | – | – |
| Delaware | – | – | – | 1,343 | – | – | -100.0% |
| Iowa | 2,485 | 1,079 | -56.6% | 26,314 | 2338.7% | – | -100.0% |
| Idaho | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Illinois | 1,303 | 9,222 | 607.8% | 2,660 | -71.2% | – | -100.0% |
| Kansas | 155 | – | -100.0% | – | – | – | – |
| Grand Total | 304,478 | 525,971 | 72.7% | 459,479 | -12.6% | 149,510 | -67.5% |
Notes:
1. Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau Trade Data, U.S. State Export Data
2. Product Group : BICO-HS6