37 States Now
Exporting Food To Cuba; $57 Million In Poultry Alone
By
Matthew
Borghese
All Headline News Staff Writer
Havana, Cuba (AHN).— Ever since a Congressional
loophole allowed for the sale of food to Cuba,
despite America's embargo of the communist island
nation, estimates say millions, if not over a
billion dollars now pour into the country through
trade.
Companies from 37 separate states export food to
Cuba in spite of an overall embargo which has been
in place for almost five decades.
Kirby Jones of the U.S.-Cuba Trade Association, a
lobbyist who represents dozens of U.S. companies in
Cuba, tells CBS "The impression in the United States
is that Cuba is stagnant - locked into some rigid
communist ideology and structure."
"Cuba is totally different, hundreds of companies
do business with Cuba."
Ron Sparks, Alabama's Commissioner of Agriculture
puts some real numbers on the table, and says only
three years ago Fidel Castro's Cuba bought only $1.7
million in poultry from the U.S.
"Now they are purchasing about $57 million of
poultry and 40 to 50 percent of that comes out of
Alabama."
The reason behind the massive imports from a
starch opponent of the regime in Cuba? Florida
Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart explains, "The Cuban
dictator has spent a considerable amount of money
making agricultural purchases to try to influence
the Congress to get what he really wants, which is
mass U.S. tourism."
