Cuba is buckling under a severe economic crisis. Years of economic mismanagement, turbocharged by hyperinflation and population decline, have left the nearly seven-decade-old communist government weaker than at any point in years. Now, the Trump administration has promised maximum pressure, with President Trump openly vowing to bring the regime to its knees.
We've focused on Trump's blockade of oil deliveries to Cuba, the worsening power grid blackouts, and even the tourism collapse, as flight disruptions have erupted in recent weeks amid a fuel crisis. But one area that remains off the radar for many is that the current crisis has likely spread into the Caribbean nation's agricultural sector.
Cuba's annual cigar festival in Havana, hosted by Habanos S.A., the state-run entity that holds a monopoly on global Cuban cigar sales, has been "postponed."
Habanos posted a message on its website last week detailing the postponement of the cigar festival, explaining, "The priority of the Habano Festival is to offer its participants a comprehensive experience at the height of the relevance and prestige that this event represents internationally. The postponement of its celebration is a measure aimed at protecting this experience and guaranteeing its excellence."
The festival features 1,000 guests from around the world, participating in auctions for Cuban premium cigars, conferences, tastings and pairings, as well as factory and plantation visits.
"Agriculture is not spared by the current oil situation, which is very serious," Hector Luis Prieto, a producer from the western Vuelta Abajo region, told AFP.
International sales of Cuban cigars remain the Caribbean island's flagship export, but near-term availability could tighten as the Trump administration ramps up its maximum pressure campaign.
The key question for all those cigar aficionados is whether supply will dwindle in the months ahead, particularly after the annual festival was canceled. This could disrupt distribution lines and send prices for Cohiba, Montecristo, Partagás, and Romeo y Julieta even higher.
One cigar aficionado by the name of Matt Delovino on YouTube asked the simple question, "Is the era of the "everyday" Cuban cigar officially over?"
"Before we dive into the market data, I want to acknowledge that the situation in Cuba right now is incredibly complex. However, for the purpose of this video, I am speaking strictly from a cigar industry and consumer perspective," Delovino wrote in the description of the video.
Representatives from Colombian cigar retailer La Cava del Puro, which specializes in selling Habanos, Colombian cigars, and other premium tobacco products and has been in business for 25 years, told us in recent days that a looming Cuban cigar supply crunch will likely push prices higher.
They said supplies are set to dwindle in the coming months.
Is a Cuban cigar supply crunch imminent? If so, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website has a "Knowledge Article" that explains the maximum number of cigars you can bring into the U.S. before you must declare them.
