As was indicated above, Moscow had continued to buy Cuban sugar even after the severing of relations with Batista.

He imported high-quality exotic ingredients including Jamaican ginger, and Cuban pure refined sugar.

Their business was aided by the embargo on Cuban sugar.

The Soviet Union buys about 5.5 million tons of Cuban sugar annually.

This gave Cuban sugar a competitive edge in the American marketplace.

This was a disaster for Castro, because America bought the most Cuban sugar.

However, Russia saved the Cuban economy by buying Cuban sugar for a lot of money.

The agreement maintained a preferential price for Cuban sugar, lower than that of the previous five-year period, but higher than world prices.

They were also pressed to buy staples, such as Cuban sugar (80% of Cuba's exports), at inflated prices.

In response, the U.S. stopped buying Cuban sugar and refused to supply its former trading partner with much needed oil.