April 15, 2009
Obama Cuba policy: A step to improving agricultural trade
President Barack Obama's decision to ease some travel and finance restrictions on Cuba bodes well for improving agriculture trade between the countries, the largest US farm group said Tuesday (April 14).
The policy shift, American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman said, brings the US "one step closer to easing all trade restrictions with (Cuba)."
US farmers can and do sell their commodities to Cuba, but trade restrictions hamper the flow.
"US agricultural sales to Cuba have been on average US$400 million annually since 2000, with top commodity sales including poultry, wheat, soy, rice and dairy," Stallman said in a prepared statement. "With expanded trade to the country, we expect agriculture sales to increase to more than US$1 billion annually."
Current US restrictions unnecessarily complicate the way Cuban importers pay for US commodities, and US exporters that visit Cuba need special licenses that further burden trade, according to the Farm Bureau.
US farmers may not have to wait long to see an improvement in trade policy.
Legislation now being considered by Congress, would allow "travel on a general license for those making agricultural sales to Cuba rather than the specific license currently needed," Stallman said. "This would ease delays that significantly impact the ability to transact commercial sales with Cuba, which in some cases, have been lost to US competitors because of the restriction."
