Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel welcomed a delegation of Chinese sugar industry executives in Havana this week, seeking joint ventures to revive the island’s collapsing sugar sector. The visit was led by Zhang Anming, deputy general manager of Guangxi State Controlled Capital Operations Group Limited, and follows agreements made during talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Díaz-Canel highlighted the Guangxi region’s expertise in sugarcane cultivation and processing, noting the importance of scientific and technical cooperation. He also praised Cuba’s research centers and universities for their role in supporting the revival of an industry that once fueled much of the nation’s economy but is now on the brink of collapse.
The Chinese delegation will tour sugar mills in central Cuba to evaluate production potential. Years of neglect, dismantling of facilities, limited investment, and mismanagement have left much of the infrastructure in critical condition.
This steep decline means Cuba can no longer meet even its own domestic sugar needs and now depends on imports to fill the gap.
Production levels are weak across the country. Villa Clara met less than half its target; Las Tunas managed only 16 percent; Camagüey produced just 4,000 tons against a target of 23,500; and Ciego de Ávila failed to start harvesting due to an unpaid electricity bill. In Guantánamo, the Argeo Martínez mill began operations more than a month late and still produced less sugar than last year.
Frequent power outages, fuel shortages, declining cane cultivation, and failing equipment have compounded the crisis. The government has yet to announce a comprehensive recovery plan, relying instead on foreign investment—particularly from China—as its main strategy to keep the sector alive.
