Governor of Nebraska
favors normalization of relations
REPRESENTATIVES from more than a dozen companies in the state of Nebraska and the Cuban enterprise Alimport have begun negotiations in Havana for the potential sale of agricultural products to Cuba.
The U.S. delegation, led by the governor of Nebraska,
Dave Heineman, includes representatives from the wheat, corn, bean and other industries.
Shortly after his arrival in Havana, Heineman spoke in favor of normalizing relations with Cuba and expanding bilateral trade ties.
The U.S. businessmen are also exploring business opportunities in other sectors of the
Cuban economy.
On this occasion, Pedro Alvarez, director of Alimport, emphasized that in spite of the U.S. blockade, 34 states in that nation are seeking trade ties with Cuba, where there is a growing presence of U.S. businesspeople and other individuals.
Just a few days before the Nebraska group’s arrival,
a delegation from the state of Vermont paid a visit. At the time, Alvarez stated that the Bush government measures had created an obstacle to purchases this year. In 2004, Cuba bought almost $474 million worth of foodstuffs.
Cuba has bought almost $1.4 billion from U.S. companies since 2001 – when those
sales first began – in cash, without the option of credit, (PL)
