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Sep 11, 2014
Prominent members of the U.S. food and agriculture community, including ASA, agreed to officially form a national coalition to address liberalizing trade between the United States and Cuba. The members of the coalition believe that it is time to end the embargo and allow open trade and investment to happen.
Under current sanctions, U.S. food and agriculture companies can legally export to Cuba under provisions providing for humanitarian exemptions. However, financing restrictions limit the ability of the U.S. industry to competitively serve the market. Foreign competitors such as Brazil and Argentina are increasingly taking market share from U.S. industry because those countries do not face the same restrictions on financing.
ASA will be actively involved in working towards the end of the embargo against Cuba and normalizing trade relations between the two countries that are only 90 miles apart and are natural trading partners. The coalition plans to actively engage in constructive dialogue with stakeholders through lobbying efforts, strategic communications, and a variety of other efforts to build momentum and drive historical change.
In 2013, the U.S. exported over 100 million dollars in whole soybeans and soybean meal to Cuba.
