How did the British occupation of Havana affect trade between Europe and the Americas?

The British occupation of Havana in 1762 significantly stimulated trade between the New World and Europe by disrupting the restrictive Spanish monopoly.31

Prior to the occupation, Spain enforced a rigid mercantile system that restricted legal trade to limited annual fleets, which often resulted in the starvation of colonies for necessary imports and encouraged widespread smuggling. The British occupation provided a dramatic contrast to this policy: while only 15 ships entered the port of Havana in 1762 under Spanish control, approximately 700 ships entered during the 11 months of British occupation.21

This influx of maritime traffic demonstrated the drawbacks of the Spanish monopoly to the colonists and helped Havana thrive on the sugar and slave trades. By proving that trade could flourish without the restrictive Spanish fleet system, the occupation served as a catalyst for later reforms, such as the gradual removal of commercial obstacles and the eventual opening of non-Castilian ports to direct colonial trade.31