Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, on a trade mission to Peru and Chile this week, will travel to Havana next Monday and Tuesday as part of President Obama’s trip to the island, the first U.S. president to visit in nearly 90 years.
Obama announced a normalization of diplomatic relations with Cuba in December 2014 and his trip could make the thaw irreversible. Food and ag exports are exempt under a 2000 law from the overall U.S. embargo on trade with Cuba. “Throughout history, agriculture has served as a bridge to foster cooperation, and I have no doubt that agriculture will continue to play a powerful role as we expand our relationship with the Cuban people in the coming years,” Vilsack said in statement.
Vilsack intends to use the trip to discuss opportunities for collaboration in agriculture by the two countries and to help U.S. businesses interested in exporting to Cuba to build and strengthen ties with Cuba.
“As President Obama prepares to visit Cuba this month, the lack of trade with the former foe threatens to sap momentum from the process of building relations,” said the New York Times, noting “only a handful” of business deals have been agreed. One challenge is that U.S. businesses often must deal with state-owned companies rather than business operators or small farmers. And Cuban officials often want to talk about the U.S. embargo rather than negotiate business transactions.
U.S. food and agriculture exports to Cuba fell 41 percent during 2015, said the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council, which monitors trade between the nations. Cuban and U.S. officials have authorized Cleber LLC to assemble small utility tractors, for farm and construction use, near Mariel. The council’s list of what each nation did and did not do since December 2104 is available here.
While U.S. ag exports to Cuba have declined in recent years, America still is a leading supplier of food.