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Food and agriculture

· Helfen statt Blockieren editorial team

Hardly any sanctions programme bans food. Shortages arise through financing bans, costly routes and the caution of banks and shipping lines, and often at the same time through agricultural policy within the country.

What is blocked

  • Cuba: Agricultural sales from the US are allowed under the TSRA law of 2000, but only cash in advance and without private US financing1.
  • Cuba: According to information given to the Special Rapporteur, imports of food, seeds, fertiliser and livestock vaccines are limited; the country imports 70 to 80 percent of its food2.

What is expressly allowed

  • UN: Resolution 2664 of 9 December 2022 makes clear that funds and services for humanitarian aid and basic human needs are not covered by UN asset freezes. 14 states voted in favour, India abstained3.
  • US: On 20 December 2022 the Treasury issued general licenses in programmes that had no humanitarian exception, among others for agricultural commodities, medicine and medical devices4.
  • EU and Russia: On 15 July 2022 the Commission stated that EU sanctions do not target in any way the trade in agricultural products between third countries and Russia5.

What still does not arrive

  • Cuba: At the end of 2025 the food industry was operating at 22 percent of capacity, according to information given to Douhan; deliveries reportedly cost 40 to 300 percent more2.

Documented examples

  • CubaDespite the embargo, the US shipped agricultural goods worth 476.74 million US dollars to Cuba in 2025, of which 298.63 million was poultry; Cuba ranked 43rd among US agricultural markets6.
  • North KoreaIn March 2019 the UN Panel of Experts for the first time listed 22 aid programmes delayed by the exemption process; it recommended a list of low-risk goods requiring no request7.

Counterpoints: why states impose sanctions

  • Cuba: The US government justifies its measures with the policies of the Cuban government. Executive Order 14380 of 29 January 2026 cites support for hostile states and groups and the human rights record8.
  • Cuba: On 31 January 2026 the Bishops’ Conference wrote that Cuba needs changes that are ever more urgent; human dignity must not be made dependent on external conflicts9.

Figures marked “according to information given to” are not the cited body’s own measurements but information presented to it.

This page is information, not legal advice. It reports what authorities, courts, governments and organisations decide and say; the views of the side imposing measures and of the side affected stand side by side. “Helfen statt Blockieren” is non-partisan. Please report errors to info@aciel-martinez-poll.com.

Sources

  1. Congressional Research Service, Insight IN10514, “Financing U.S. Agricultural Exports to Cuba”, 24 Jun 2016. https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/IN10514.html
  2. OHCHR, Special Rapporteur Alena Douhan, Preliminary findings of the visit to Cuba, end of mission statement, 11 to 21 November 2025, 21 Nov 2025. Many figures there are marked “reportedly”, i.e. based on information presented to her. https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/2133521/20251121-eom-stm-cuba-sr-negative-impact-unilateral-en.pdf
  3. UN Security Council, press release SC/15134 (9214. meeting), Report on the adoption of Resolution 2664 (2022), 9 Dec 2022. https://press.un.org/en/node/311942
  4. US Treasury, press release JY1175, “Treasury Implements Historic Humanitarian Sanctions Exceptions”, 20 Dec 2022. https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1175
  5. European Commission, IP/22/4548, “Implementation of EU sanctions against Russia: Commission adopts proposal for “maintenance and alignment” package”, 15 Jul 2022. https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/api/files/document/print/en/ip_22_4548/IP_22_4548_EN.pdf
  6. US Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service, Cuba country page, US agricultural exports, 3 Nov 2026. https://www.fas.usda.gov/regions/cuba
  7. 38 North, “The Human Costs of UN Sanctions and Funding Shortfalls for Humanitarian Aid in North Korea”, 22 Aug 2019. https://www.38north.org/2019/08/parkkimjong082219/
  8. White House, Federal Register 91 FR 5085, “Executive Order 14380: Addressing Threats to the United States by the Government of Cuba (unterzeichnet 29.1.2026)”, 3 Feb 2026. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-02-03/html/2026-02250.htm
  9. EWTN Noticias / ACI Prensa (message of the Cuban Bishops’ Conference of 31.1.2026), “Obispos alertan que Cuba corre el riesgo de un caos social si no hay cambios urgentes”, 2 Feb 2026. https://www.ewtnnews.com/es/mundo/america/obispos-alertan-que-cuba-corre-el-riesgo-de-un-caos-social-si-no-hay-cambios-urgentes

All online sources accessed on 3 November 2026.

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