Could the US oil blockade snuff out the Cuban cigar? | International Trade News
New pressures on a straining industry Still, tobacco remains Cuba’s top export, and in 2024, its government reported record revenue from its sale: nearly $827m. Lloyd Smith explained that the demand is linked to prestige. Around the globe, Habanos are considered a symbol of luxury. “A lot of people, when they think of the cigar, they automatically think of Cuban cigars,” he said. That reputation for exclusivity has been bolstered, in part, by the fact that Cuban cigars are illegal in the US due to a longstanding embargo. The trade restrictions were largely a response to the 1959 Cuban Revolution, which ushered in the island’s communist government. The new regime quickly nationalised the island’s industries, much to the ire of US authorities. Traditional tobacco brands like Montecristo and Romeo y Julieta fell under state control, and new products were launched. They included the premium cigar brand Cohiba, a favourite of the late Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro. A Havana resident smokes a cigar while fishing on the Malecon, the Havana seawall [Euan Wallace/Al Jazeera] But experts …
