US Business Coalition Wants Congress to End Embargo on Cuba
HAVANA TIMES – A coalition of US agribusiness interests and legislators will present their campaign to life the US embargo on Cuba today at the National Press Club in Washington D.C.
The following is a press release from the newly formed agricultural coalition:
U.S. Agricultural coalition launches push to lift Cuban embargo
Washington, D.C. – More than 30 prominent U.S. food and agriculture companies and associations have formed a coalition that seeks the end of the U.S. embargo on Cuba and to advance trade relations between both nations. The U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba (USACC), founded in early 2014, is united around the opportunity presented by a deeper U.S.-Cuba relationship and committed to ending the embargo and allowing open trade and investment to occur.
What: Public Launch of the U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba (USACC)
Featuring: The Honorable Tom Vilsack, U.S. Secretary Agriculture (confirmed)
The Honorable Jay Nixon, Governor of Missouri (confirmed)
The Honorable Amy Klobuchar, U.S. Senate (confirmed)
The Honorable Jerry Moran, U.S. Senate (invited)
The Honorable Sam Farr, U.S. House of Representatives (confirmed)
The Honorable Kevin Cramer, U.S. House of Representatives (confirmed)
The Honorable Rodney Davis, U.S. House of Representatives (confirmed)
When: Thursday, January 8, 2015
2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Where: National Press Club
529 14th St. NW, 13th Floor
Washington, DC 20045
USACC Members: American Farm Bureau Federation, American Soybean Association, Corn Refiners Association, Illinois Cuba Working Group, Illinois Soybean Growers, Illinois Farm Bureau, International Dairy Foods Association, National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Barley Growers Association, National Chicken Council, National Corn Growers Association, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, National Farmers Union, National Grain and Feed Association, National Sorghum Producers, National Milk Producers Federation, National Oilseed Processors Association, National Turkey Federation, North American Export Grain Association, North American Meat Institute, Soyfoods Association of North America, United Soybean Export Council, US Canola Association, US Dairy Export Council, US Dry Bean Council, US Wheat Associates, USA Rice Federation, Chicago Foods International, Cargill and CoBank.
I’m surprised at you Circles. …Right or wrong, he is only expressing his opinion.
Mr. know-it-all. Let the US corprations speak for themselves they probably know their business better than someone with nothing to do with the trade. Otherwise the only conclusion is that Griffin knows all and the dozens of corporate and business CEOs demanding open trade with Cuba are all dupes.
US agricultural producers are already allowed to sell food to Cuba. They don’t need the embargo to be dropped to continue selling to Cuba. So what is the point of their campaign?
Is it to get rid of the current US ban on selling to Cuba on credit? Currently, the Cuban government must pay cash for US food purchases. If the US companies are allowed to sell food to Cuba on credit, the Cubans will do what they have long done to European and Canadian suppliers: run up their tab, stretch out their payments, and eventually default on their debt.
Do these US companies really want to lose money on a proven bad credit risk?
Again….what is your “point”
President Calvin Coolidge, in 1925, said “the business of American is business”. It should come as no surprise to anyone who understands the nature of US economic prowess is that business is amoral, neither good or bad, only profitable or non-profitable. These agricultural organizations are paid to find new markets for their member businesses or expand existing ones. They would open negotiations with the Devil himself if there was money to be made. By no means are these agricultural concerns interested in giving food to Cuba for free or at a loss of profit. Cuba is pressed to spend almost $2 billion this year to provide 80% of the food that Cubans consume. That $2 billion is a drop in the bucket for this coalition. Nonetheless, it is a new market for American producers and therefore worth chasing. I just don’t see these groups putting too much effort in trying to selling cornflakes to Cuba. Time will tell.