Mexico Explores New Investments to Expand Presence in Cuba

• Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said her government is assessing new investments and trade deals with Cuba after Havana opened its economy to more private sector participation, potentially allowing Mexican private and mixed-capital firms to expand on the island.
• Mexico is evaluating whether private companies can be involved in reselling Pemex crude to Cuba, framing fuel supply as part of its humanitarian cooperation with the island amid Cuba's prolonged economic and energy crisis.
• Bilateral trade remains modest despite close political ties. In 2025, Mexico exported $758Mn to Cuba (mostly oil and minerals) against just $14Mn in imports.
• Cuba's March structural reform introduces an "investor migration status" letting Cubans abroad invest in private businesses and strategic sectors without losing residency, and President Díaz-Canel has called for immediate changes to the economic model to give private firms and joint ventures a larger role.
• The opening is still partial and tightly regulated, with analysts pointing to continued state controls, chronic foreign currency shortages, and a fragile power grid as lingering drags on Cuba's outlook.
• As at early 2026, the U.S. threat to impose tariffs on countries trading with Cuba, particularly oil suppliers, acts as an economic blockade, pressuring nations like Mexico, Russia, and Venezuela to cease energy shipments. This forces other countries to choose between trading with Cuba or facing severe U.S. trade penalties, creating diplomatic friction, threatening regional energy security, and risking a humanitarian crisis in Cuba

(Source: Yahoo Finance)