US EXPORTS to Cuba hit one of their lowest points in a decade last year, demonstrating the longstanding barriers to trade that will hamper President Barack Obama’s recent move to expand ties, new figures revealed today.

The statistics from the US-Cuba Trade and Economic Council show that US farmers sold slightly more than $253 million (£167m) worth of food and agricultural products to Cuba in the first 10 months of 2014.

If the last two months of the year reflect similar sales levels, 2014 could be the worst year for US exports to Cuba since 2004.

US farmers say that the main barrier to sales to Cuba is Washington’s ban on providing credit to the island. That wouldn’t change under reforms proposed by President Obama last month.

His proposals do include a slight relaxation of US rules on Cuban payments to US farmers, allowing Cuba to pay for goods once they are delivered rather than before they are ordered.

However, US law still prohibits any form of credit to Cuba’s state-run import agencies, which routinely ask to spread payments for goods ordered over several years.

Those repayment terms are often granted by the Brazilian and Spanish food companies whose products fill the shelves of many Cuban supermarkets.

Washington is expected to issue detailed regulations on opening trade with Cuba this month, but granting credit would require an act of Congress that appears unlikely in the short term.

“There is nothing in what the president has announced that indicated that there are any opportunities to provide payment terms,” said trade and economic council senior policy adviser John Kavulich.

“No-one should expect a meaningful increase in exports to Cuba on the day these regulations are issued.”

US agricultural producers are launching a push this week to persuade Congress to do away with the legal restrictions that remain part of the US blockade on Cuba.

“It’s going to take Congress to end this embargo for the US to be competitive in Cuba,” said Paul Johnson, vice-chairman of the newly formed US Agriculture Coalition for Cuba.

“Our products can’t compete with Brazil, Argentina, the EU and China because of the credit issue.”