Top 10 Amazon Buys Latino Families Send to Cuba

Every week, Latino families in Montreal ask us the same thing: "What's actually worth buying online to send to my family in Cuba?" After 500+ shipments and hundreds of Amazon and Walmart orders bought on behalf of our clients, we've seen the patterns. These are the items that make the trip worth it.

Why buy in Canada and ship, instead of sending money?

Sending money sounds simple, but in practice it often means your family pays inflated local prices — when the product is even available. Buying from a Canadian or U.S. retailer and shipping through EasyCargo Express means you know exactly what arrives, in what condition, and in what quantity.

With our Buy and Ship service, we purchase from Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Costco, Canadian Tire, and Sephora on your behalf, consolidate everything into a single cheaper shipment, and deliver door-to-door to Cuba. You don't need a North American address. You just tell us what to order.

Consolidation is the trick. Three separate packages become one shipment — one customs declaration, one shipping fee, one delivery photo.

The rule you need to know first

Before we get to the list, remember: Cuba's non-commercial courier limit is $200 USD and 20 kg per shipment. Go over either number and the package is treated as commercial — meaning it can be seized or returned. Good news: food, medicine, hygiene, and medical supplies fall under a special duty-free regime, so those don't eat into the same cap when packed and labeled correctly.

Now, the 10 items that actually show up in our warehouse over and over again.

1. Multivitamins and over-the-counter medicine

Ibuprofen, acetaminophen, prenatal vitamins, blood pressure supplements. Original sealed packaging with commercial labels is required — and finished medicines are exempt from duties. As the only Montreal service authorized to legally ship medicines to Cuba, this is our most-requested category.

2. Baby formula and diapers

Parents and grandparents send these in almost every shipment. Diapers are light for their volume, so pack them tight. Formula qualifies under the food/hygiene special regime — sealed, labeled, and separate from other items.

3. Running shoes and durable footwear

A quality pair of shoes from Amazon or Walmart lasts years. They're compact, useful for every age group, and easy to justify at customs as personal effects. Two or three pairs per shipment is normal.

4. Solar-powered chargers and lamps

Given Cuba's ongoing energy situation, portable solar chargers, headlamps, and rechargeable LED lanterns are gold. Small ones fit in with everything else; larger complete photovoltaic systems now qualify for a duty-free exemption when presented together as a full kit.

5. Kitchen basics and small appliances

Think blenders, hand mixers, and pressure cookers. Check the customs valuation before buying big: microwaves up to 2000 W are valued around $50 USD by Cuban customs, and induction cooktops around $50 USD (max 2 per shipment). Anything over 1,500 W on an induction plate is restricted.

6. Personal hygiene sets

Shampoo, soap, toothpaste, deodorant, razors, feminine hygiene products. Under Resolution 139/2025, hygiene products are exempt up to 20 kg / $200 USD by courier when packed as a separate, sealed, commercially labeled parcel. This is the easiest category to send in bulk.

7. Children's clothing

Kids grow fast, and abuela always wants to see her grandkids in something new. Amazon and Walmart clearance sections make this affordable, and clothing is straightforward at customs. Just avoid packing it in the same parcel as the food/hygiene exempt items.

8. Smartphones and accessories

Cuban customs allows up to 5 smartphones per import, valued at $80 USD each for duty purposes. Chargers, cables, and power banks travel easily alongside them. Skip anything with satellite or GPS functionality — those are prohibited.

9. Coffee makers, thermoses, and food storage

Practical, long-lasting, and appreciated daily. A good stainless-steel thermos or a moka pot from Amazon costs a fraction of what similar quality would in Cuba, if available at all.

10. Specialty foods and non-perishable staples

Powdered milk, cooking oil, canned proteins, spices, chocolate, protein bars. All qualify under the food special regime when sealed, labeled, and packed separately. This is often the largest single category by weight in our consolidated shipments.

How to make one shipment do more

• Consolidate before you ship. Order everything over one or two weeks. We hold your purchases and combine them into one shipment.
• Separate the exempt goods. Food, medicine, and hygiene items go in their own sealed, labeled parcel to keep the duty-free exemption.
• Watch the $200 USD / 20 kg cap. A quick WhatsApp check with us before you order can save you from an over-limit situation.
• Buy in Canadian dollars. Our fixed CAD price is the final price — no fuel surcharges, no surprise duties, and your family in Cuba pays nothing on arrival.

Ready to send your first Buy and Ship order?

Message us on WhatsApp at +1 (438) 873-3589 with your Amazon or Walmart wish list and the destination address in Cuba. We'll quote you a fixed CAD price, purchase the items on your behalf, consolidate them, handle every piece of customs paperwork, and send you a delivery confirmation photo when your family opens the box. Real humans reply in Spanish, French, or English — usually in under 10 minutes, seven days a week. Start your shipment here.