U.S. Boosts Fuel Exports to Cuba's Private Sector

The United States has dispatched nearly 30,000 barrels of fuel to Cuba's private sector since early February 2026, as per shipping records and data reviewed by Reuters.

This move aligns with the Trump administration's strategy to support private entrepreneurs on the island while maintaining an energy embargo against Miguel Díaz-Canel's government.

The shipments predominantly arrive in ISO tanks with a capacity of about 21,600 liters, transported via container ships, with 99% of the fuel being diesel.

Since January 2026, 61 container ships carrying imports for private enterprises have unloaded in Cuba, mainly at the port of Mariel, located west of Havana. In total, approximately 200 ISO tanks have been offloaded.

The 30,000 barrels represent just over a tenth of the capacity of a medium-sized tanker, a minor fraction compared to the 100,000 barrels per day that Cuba historically needed to power its electric plants and meet normal demand. However, this figure marks a tangible step in Washington's strategy against the Cuban regime.

Policy Objectives and Implementation

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been clear about the policy's goal. The strategy is "entirely designed to put the private sector and private Cubans—not affiliated with the government, not affiliated with the military—in a privileged position," he stated in February. Rubio also cautioned that licenses will be revoked if the fuel is found to be diverted to the regime or the military.

In February, the Commerce Department issued guidelines authorizing exports and re-exports of gas and petroleum products to eligible private Cuban entities. OFAC spokesperson Emily Mendrala clarified that "these exports support Cuba's private entrepreneurs without benefiting military-linked entities."

Beneficiaries and Economic Impact

Among the identified beneficiaries are private bakeries, wholesalers supplying small urban markets, and online stores. María López, owner of Pan Habana, mentioned that "U.S. diesel has been a game-changer for our bakery operations. It runs cleaner and more efficiently than what we get locally."

The online store Supermarket23, which had halted orders in February due to the fuel crisis, resumed them after importing diesel like other Cuban private SMEs.

The Cuban government authorized SMEs to import fuel on February 7, but only through mandatory state intermediaries like QUIMIMPORT or MAPRINTER, with a CUPET fee of $0.12 per liter and an estimated final cost exceeding $2.50 per liter. The energy crisis impacts 96.4% of the 8,904 registered SMEs in Cuba.

Energy Crisis and Political Debate

The backdrop is an energy collapse for the Cuban state: Venezuela cut its shipments of 26,000 to 35,000 barrels per day following Nicolás Maduro's capture in January; Mexico halted its supplies on January 27 due to tariff threats from Washington; and OFAC barred Russian oil shipments to Cuba.

Díaz-Canel himself stated last week that the island hadn't received fuel in three months, without mentioning the supplies to the private sector. Cuba experienced its sixth nationwide blackout on March 16, with only 1,140 MW available compared to the 2,347 MW demanded.

Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) opposes the policy and criticizes the use of SMEs to import fuel, warning that "fueling the Cuban private sector indirectly props up the regime," arguing that the fuel ends up benefiting the ruling elite through proxies in the SMEs and that "nothing enters Cuba without the dictatorship taking its cut."