Census API Updated with Data on Authorized U.S. Exports to Cuba

For the first time, authorized U.S. exports of goods to Cuba have crossed the $1 billion threshold—the counter has temporarily stopped at $1.09653 billion—according to U.S. Census Bureau data updated through September.

The figures show nearly 9% month-over-month growth across all products in September. The increase is even more pronounced for agricultural and food products, with a reported 62.3% rise, bringing September exports to approximately $97.6 million and the year-to-date total to $412 million.

Amid the economic strangulation policy imposed on Cuba, the United States has become the trading partner through these sales, generally channeled through the private sector, the only one with the capacity to finance imports—a dynamic, of course, welcomed in Washington.

Donations stand out at approximately $180 million for the January–September period, followed by two HS10 fuel categories: light fuel oil ($121.2 million in export value in September alone) and gasoline ($82.1 million). Among agricultural and food products, chicken remains king, with three HS10 categories in the top ten and a combined value exceeding $160 million. Solar panels and used vehicles are also noteworthy exports.

I am accessing these figures through a tool I have built with Claude. It retrieves, in real time, information published by Census.gov that is relevant to Cuba. But its added value lies elsewhere: it allows users to explore and interact with the data through several established layers of analysis. For example, chicken leg quarters were traded on an F.A.S. basis at a derived price of $1.15 per kilogram, while a dozen eggs averaged $2.27.

I am promoting access to this tool, which, again, provides powerful AI-driven analytical capabilities, as part of a short but useful training program on U.S. sanctions against Cuba—and, more importantly, on the general authorizations that make many of these transactions possible.