Brazilian Business Negotiations in Cuba
HAVANA TIMES — Eight Brazilian companies in the textile and footwear industries met with their Cuban counterpart on Friday in Havana for a round of business negotiations aimed at increasing trade between the two countries.
According to the Prensa Latina news agency, the meeting was organized by the Brazilian Agency for Export and Investment Promotion (Apex-Brasil) and the Cuban Chamber of Commerce.
The mission of Apex-Brasil is to promote the export of Brazilian products and services and to attract direct foreign investment.
Brazil is one of Cuba’s main international economic partners and is currently the leading investor in the island’s expansion of the Mariel Port, the development of soybean and maize, and in other projects.
why would brasil deepen and modernise mariel? duh! to get brasilian ships into cuba while gusanos obsess with helms-burton? sell brasilian cement with a loan from brasil’s export credit agency? sell brasilian port machinery with brasil’s export credit agency? will brasil have a 49% share in the profits of the port? ah, let’s see now. the interest will be low but higher than u.s. treasuries? to sell brasilian corn, soy and beef? reduce shipping costs to cuba? so brasil will be cuba’s biggest trade partner? as cuba gets richer from tourism or oil brasil can sell kit homes? Will Brasil get into cruise ship now that there is a China price?
Recent Braziliam moves such as the $800MM investment in the Port of Mariel, the modernization of the sugar business, the $200MM loan and now this bit of interesting news speaks volumes about Brazil’s belief that Cuba will turn soon toward capitalism and the US embargo will end. Why else would you deepen and modernize the Cuban port to accomodate those larger ships that today can only visit the larger US ports and are otherwise prohibited by the embargo to dock in Cuba anyway? Think about it, a brazilian shoe business? Via Uno, a brazilian shoe currently sold in Cuba is far and away the most expensive brand sold in Cuba. Prices for Via Uno start at $70 and go up. Keep in mind the monthly salary for the average Cuban is less than $20. It is generally accepted that Brazilian clothing and shoes are hardly the cheapest in the market and certainly well beyond the reach of current Cuban salaries. These businessmen are counting on the buying power of Cubans to increase. Hmmm? Despite all the Socialist claptrap published and commented on this site, no one ever says that through transformationary collectivism Cubans will be soon be able to buy $200 loafers. My guess is the Brazilians think like I do and that is before the mortar dries on the tomb, capitalism will again raise her ugly, unkempt shoe-buying head.