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Venezuela discussing investments in pharmaceuticals, steel, mining
Text: During a bilateral ministerial meeting that began Sunday in Cayo Santa María, Venezuela is discussing investments in pharmaceutical and medical production, zinc and copper mining, as well as stainless steel production in Cuba, according to Agencia Venezolana de Noticias.
The ministerial meeting is the opening act of a bilateral summit through Wednesday in Villa Clara province. The summit coincides with a commemorative act in Santa Clara for the assault of the Moncada barracks in 1953, the opening salvo of the Cuban revolution.
Vice President Ricardo Cabrisas, who heads the Cuban delegation, said that 41 projects are close to being set in motion.
Discussions of the health ministers center on the creation of three joint venture companies, including one with five assembly lines to produce different types of medicine, one for surgical gloves and condoms, and one for hospital and clinic furniture.
Meanwhile, the mining and basic industries ministers are discussing details of six proposed agreements, including one that would create a joint venture company that produces stainless steel and derivatives, both in Cuba and Venezuela. The company may later expand to include partners from other ALBA countries.
Venezuela is also committed to participating in zinc and copper mining in Cuba, according to Agencia Venezolana.
Finally, Venezuela is seeking Cuban participation in expanding Venezuela’s hydroelectric power production.
Venezuelan Health Minister Eugenia Sader and Basic Industries, Mining Minister José Khan, and Energy Minister Alí Rodríguez Araque were part of the delegation at the summit, which also includes work groups on agriculture, light industry and trade, and energy.
President Hugo Chávez cancelled his participation due to tensions with Colombia.
Source: www.cubastandard.com/ During a bilateral ministerial meeting that began Sunday in Cayo Santa María, Venezuela is discussing investments in pharmaceutical and medical production, zinc and copper mining, as well as stainless steel production in Cuba, according to Agencia Venezolana de Noticias.
Old Image: a:1:{i:0;a:4:{s:3:"aid";s:2:"13";s:7:"options";s:30:"Cayo Santa María_resize_3.jpg";s:7:"caption";s:30:"Cayo Santa María_resize_3.jpg";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";}}
Venezuela discussing investments in pharmaceuticals, steel, mining
Our corn to Cuba?
The Illinois agriculture industry may have access to a market long restricted to U.S. farmers and manufacturers.
On Wednesday, the U.S. House Agriculture Committee passed legislation to expand agriculture trade with Cuba. The measure will move to the full House for consideration.The measure, H.R. 4645 known as the Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act, is a bipartisan bill introduced by committee chairman Collin Peterson, D-Minnesota.
The bill is co-sponsored by 62 members of Congress and more than 140 organizations including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Farmers Union and American Farm Bureau Federation.
The National Corn Growers Association has urged growers to show their support for the measure by contacting their representative in the House.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service data, Cuba was the 10th largest corn export market during the 2008-2009 season.
The intent of H.R. 4645 is to preserve the compeitiveness of American farmers in the market by eliminating trade provisions such as cash in advance and third party banking provisions.
David Yepsen, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, said relations with Cuba are improving but it's going take a long time before we see substantial trade.
He said the U.S. can take steps toward improving relations with Cuba, such as cultural exchanges, which could eventually lead to a better relationship.
Yepsen said there are a lot of opportunities in Cuba for business and tourism that because of the embargo are being given to Canada and European nations.
"The feeling is there are ample opportunities for Illinois by improving trade with Cuba," Yepsen said. "Illinois farmers can benefit from expanded trade, and anytime you can expand trade we're going to benefit agriculturally."
The Public Policy Institute released recommendations for improving U.S.-Cuban relations after a Feb. 22 conference. The institute recommended the federal government, as well as the Illinois government, take steps to build a positive relationship with Cuba.
The institute also recommended the university community and local citizens can participate in improving relations by exchanging ideas and information in a non-political manner.
Larry Miller, manager of the Franklin County Farm Bureau, said the discussion of opening the Cuban market has been going on for years.
Miller said he was unsure whether or not the trade embargo has been fruitful and believes it is hurting the Cuban people.
The U.S. trades with other nations opposed to American policies, the U.S. should open trade with Cuba to benefit U.S. and Illinois farmers.
"Anytime you open new markets you are going to improve demand and prices," Miller said.
Julia Wetstein, assistant dean in the College of Science at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, traveled to Cuba with Rotary International to speak with doctors about humanitarian work.
She said as she toured agricultural regions in Cuba, it became apparent how increased trade between the U.S. and Cuban would benefit people on both sides of the relationship.
Wetstein said many Cuban farmers still plow their fields with oxen and struggle with getting accurate information about amending soil, fertilizers, insecticides and fungicides.
She said information Illinois farmers have access to through agencies such as the University of Illinois Extension doesn't exist in Cuba, but with improved relations American farmers could share their knowledge with their Cuban counterparts.
She said expanding trade in Cuba would not only provide a new market for Illinois farmers, but would also provide a market for Illinois manufacturers, such as Caterpillar, who produce farm equipment.
BY STEPHEN RICKERL, THE SOUTHERN
Source: http://www.thesouthern.com/news/local/
Our corn to Cuba?
Mayor of Tampa Not Concerned with Oil Spill, Wants Flights to Cuba
Mayor Pam Iorio of Tampa sent a letter to President Obama last week asking for a little bit of help, because she wants her city to start air service to Cuba.
Specifically, she wants Tampa to get the government seal of approval to start authorized flights between the island and Tampa.
Right now only Miami, New York, and Los Angeles are authorized to fly nonstop routes to Havana, but remember that doesn’t mean that any American can just hop on board to check out Cuba.
There’s still all kinds of rules and regulations that leave most of us out of the fun, or at least force Americans to head to Canada before they can enjoy freshly rolled cigars and too many Cuba Libres.
Iorio points out that Tampa has a large Cuban population, and that the city and its residents would benefit from the availability of a new route.
The President has already loosened the rules on travel to Cuba, but we’re thinking with all the other potential issues involving Florida on his plate, that this request is going to sit in Obama's inbox for a bit.
Source: www.jaunted.com/ One Florida Mayor has more on her mind than where all that oil in the Gulf is eventually headed, but it does seem that tourism is something that she’s considering. Old Image: a:1:{i:0;a:4:{s:3:"aid";s:4:"5850";s:7:"options";s:22:"Cuba Turistasplaya.jpg";s:7:"caption";s:20:"Cuba Turistas Playa ";s:9:"copyright";s:4:"fela";}}
Mayor of Tampa Not Concerned with Oil Spill, Wants Flights to Cuba
Man's American dream started in Cuba
The award will be presented to Behar at the Summer Luncheon and Boutique, to begin at 10:30 a.m. at Miami Jewish Health Systems, 5200 NE Second Ave.
Behar is being honored because of his longtime humanitarian and philanthropic work, and because he and his wife Regina are ardent supporters of the Latin Auxiliary.
If Behar's name rings a bell, it is because he is also a world renowned shirt tailor, whose American dream started in pre-revolutionary Cuba.
His father Samuel was one of Havana's finest custom tailors, and it was from his father that Behar learned the fine art of custom shirt tailoring.
He left Havana at age 20, with only $50 and limited English skills.
He landed in New York and got a job in a factory working for a small custom shirt maker earning $32 week.
He left that job to serve two years in the U.S. Army in the Korean War.
After his discharge, Behar went back to the same factory. This time he bought the business and started what was to become one of the great names in American apparel manufacturing and design, with 400 employees and more than 350 points of sale
throughout the Americas.
BY BEA HINES
Source: www.miamiherald.com/ Warm congratulations to Isaac ``Ike'' Behar who will be honored on June 17, with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, bestowed on him by the Latin Auxiliary of Douglas Gardens. Old Image: a:1:{i:0;a:4:{s:3:"aid";s:4:"2817";s:7:"options";s:20:"guayabera cubana.jpg";s:7:"caption";s:20:"guayabera cubana.jpg";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";}}
Man's American dream started in Cuba
Rice leaders to Cuba
Members of the USA Rice Federation will be traveling to Havana next week to assess the potential rice market in Cuba.
USA Rice Merchants’ Association Chairman Brian King, of Ritter Grain Services in Marked Tree will lead the delegation.
"Our goal with this trip is to start the dialogue with Cuban trade officials about the potential for future U.S. rice purchases and reiterate our support for legislation currently in Congress that would remove barriers to U.S. agricultural trade with Cuba," King said.
The group will hold talks with trade officials from Cuba's import agency ALIMPORT, the ministries of agriculture, foreign trade and foreign affairs, and meet with other rice industry businesses.
In addition to King, the group will include members of the U.S. rice industry from Arkansas and a Louisiana-based journalist.
The Arkansas delegation members are William Carwell and Randy and Joseph McNeil of Poinsett Rice and Grain in Cherry Valley, Ronald Miller of Bayou Grain in Wilmot, Gerald Morris of Farmers Granery in Pocahontas and Paul Whittingham of Ritter Grain Services in Harrisburg. Journalist Don Molino of the Louisiana Agri-News Network will also accompany the group.
Cuba imports about 600,000 metric tons of rice annually, mostly from Vietnam because of price considerations and favorable credit terms. U.S. policy requires Cuba to pay in advance for agricultural shipments.
USA Rice has been the leading advocate supporting legislation in Congress to remove the cash payment in advance requirement and allow expanded U.S. agricultural trade and travel with Cuba.
A bill currently under consideration by the U.S. House of Representatives, H.R. 4645, the Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act, would return the current "payment of cash in advance" stipulation to terms as intended by Congress and would eliminate the need for Cuba to go through third-country banks to pay for agricultural products from the United States.
The bill would also remove restrictions on U.S. citizen travel to Cuba.
Eliminating the travel restrictions on U.S. citizens will have a direct and beneficial impact on U.S. agricultural sales — particularly rice.
Cuba was once the largest export market for U.S. rice, however, the country has imported just 10,991
metric tons of U.S rice in the past five years because of price considerations and the payment in advance requirement.
By Leigh Kreimeier
Source: www.stuttgartdailyleader.com
Rice leaders to Cuba
Mayor Iorio asks Pres. Obama to bring Cuba flights to Tampa
"The Tampa Bay area is home to many Cuban-Americans and their access to direct charter flights out of Tampa Internationational Airport would be of great convenience to them," she wrote.
"There is community support for this decision." Iorio serves on the board of the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority, which oversees the airport. Currently, only New York, Los Angeles and Miami offer the flights.
Rep. Kathy Castor first started making the pitch for the direct flights more than a year ago, shortly after Obama lifted travel restrictions for Cuban-Americans who want to visit their families in the island nation.
Spokeswoman Ellen Gedalius said Castor is working on the request with U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, who chairs the House Financial Services Committee, and Rep. Bill Delahunt, chairman of House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee. Gedalius said Castor hopes to meet soon with the National Security Council, which will make the final decision. Janet Zink, Times Staff Writer
Posted by tampabaycom at 05:09:48 PM on June 16, 2010
Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio today sent a letter to President Obama asking him to support direct charter flights to Cuba from Tampa International Airport. Old Image: a:1:{i:0;a:4:{s:3:"aid";s:4:"4035";s:7:"options";s:29:"avion de pasajeros_resize.jpg";s:7:"caption";s:8:"Airplane";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";}}
Mayor Iorio asks Pres. Obama to bring Cuba flights to Tampa
Oil spill: a boon for Cuba?
The Gulf oil spill could mean more drilling off Cuban coast.
It's an environmental threat that also comes with a potential economic opportunity.
Cuba's untapped offshore reserves are growing increasingly attractive to U.S. oil companies with every gushing barrel into the Gulf,some experts say.
Cuba has 4.6 billion barrels of oil and 9.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in undersea deposits off its northwest coast, according to U.S.Geological Survey estimates, enough to put the country on par with major regional exporters like Colombia and Ecuador.
Cuban geologists say there may be four times that amount in vast hydrocarbon pools under Cuban-controlled waters farther out into the Gulf.
The Castro government has already signed deals with nearly a dozen foreign oil companies interested in drilling those waters, including Brazil's Petrobras, Norway's Statoil and a unit of India's ONGC.
It has also extended invitations to U.S. oil companies, which are currently barred from doing business with Cuba under the half-century-old trade embargo.
The restrictions have been enforced so zealously that when American oil executives attempted to meet with Cuban officials at a 2006 energy summit in Mexico, the U.S. Treasury Department had the Cuban delegation kicked out of the conference hotel.
But several events in the past few weeks have brought the U.S. oil industry closer to Cuba. For the first time, Treasury officials have given American oil industry representatives permission to travel to Cuba, having denied previous travel requests.
Executives from the International Association of Drilling Contractors say they're now preparing a three-day visit to the island to discuss safety and environmental standards with their Cuban counterparts.
At the same time, Cuba and its foreign partners are moving forward with their own offshore agenda. According to Reuters, Spain's oil giant REPSOL has contracted for a Chinese-built rig that could begin drilling in Cuban waters later this year.
That plan raises new concerns about the possibility of environmental damage to Florida if an accident were to occur on a rig in nearby Cuban waters.
Because of the embargo's trade restrictions, Cuba would have no access to the U.S.-based companies that respond to oil spill disasters and conduct cleanup operations, according to a recent white paper authored by the drilling contractors association.
"This island nation continues to gear up for serious offshore drilling - including in eep waters in relative proximity to Florida's coastlines, beaches and marine habitats," the document warns.
By Nick Miroff Published: June 4, 2010 06:44 ET
http://www.globalpost.com/
Oil spill: a boon for Cuba?
Market Commentary and Intraday News
(AP:HAVANA) Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue says Cuban officials made it clear the island's purchasing power has been reduced by the global financial crisis, but his trip here helps ensure his state is well positioned for a post-embargo world.
Georgia ranks third so far this year among the 29 U.S. states exporting to Cuba, shipping nearly $16.3 million in goods, including poultry, soybeans, pork, sausage and margarine, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Perdue said top Cuban trade officials told him the island's usually weak economy has been battered even further by world economic woes, making it still harder to afford pricey foreign imports.
The Republican governor spoke of a day when the U.S. embargo against Cuba may no longer exist, but stopped short of urging Washington to lift its 48-year-old trade restrictions.
"If and when our government and the Cuban government decide on relaxed trade, we think Georgia will be poised to take advantage of that to meet the needs the Cuban people have," Perdue told reporters Tuesday, wrapping up his two-day visit to
Havana.
The embargo, which took its current form in 1962, prohibits most travel to and trade with Cuba. But sales of American food and farm items to the island have been allowed since 2000, and the U.S. is the island's top source of agricultural products.
Perdue said he preferred not to publicly disclose his personal views on the embargo, but added: "I will say that there are better opportunities for better jobs and prosperity in the U.S. as a result of trade with Cuba."
He was the first state governor to come to Cuba since New Mexico Democrat Bill Richardson in August. Among Republican governors, the last visit was by Nebraska's Dave Heineman and Idaho's C.L. "Butch" Otter in 2007.
Perdue said that his trip to the island drew almost no criticism back home and that most in his state feel international trade is a key way to promote peace and understanding.
"I'm a business guy who happen(s) to be governor, and I'm going to be a business guy after I'm governor," said Perdue, who leaves office at the end of the year and was once an agricultural and transportation small business owner. "I think business cures a lot of ills."
The governor said he discussed his state's interest in sending chicken, wheat, grains, oil seeds and lumber to the island _ though he did not emerge with any new export agreements Tuesday. Georgia is America's leading exporter of chicken.
"Our goal was not to sign contacts," he said. "It was, again, to build the relationships of business, of mutual trust and respect."
Perdue and his 43-member delegation also discussed possible future tourism possibilities.
"Anecdotally, I talked to a lot of Georgians who, I think, would love to come to this beautiful island and explore," he said.
By WILL WEISSERT
Associated Press Writer
Source: news.ino.com/
Georgia gov.: Free trade can cure US-Cuba ills Old Image: a:1:{i:0;a:4:{s:3:"aid";s:4:"5850";s:7:"options";s:22:"Cuba Turistasplaya.jpg";s:7:"caption";s:20:"Cuba Turistas Playa ";s:9:"copyright";s:4:"fela";}}
Market Commentary and Intraday News
Boost agricultural trade with Cuba
When Gov. Sonny Perdue, a free-trade Republican, heads a Georgia agriculture trade delegation to Cuba next week, what should he expect to accomplish? Until Washington gets out of the way, probably not much.
The Cuba embargo and its intended target, Fidel Castro, have now survived 11 U.S. presidents. Though Barack Obama relaxed nearly all restrictions on travel and remittances for Cuban Americans last fall, he has so far done little for U.S. agriculture interests looking to expand the Cuban market.
In 2000, Congress authorized food and medicine sales to Cuba, and since then, U.S. exporters sold an average of $350 million a year in food to the island. U.S. food sales to Cuba peaked in 2008 at about $700 million.
But then they fell to $528 million in 2009, and fell another 60 percent in the first quarter of 2010.
This drop can largely be attributed to Cuba’s liquidity crunch during the worldwide economic downturn. But there are other important factors at play, and they emanate from Washington, not Havana.
The embargo prohibits U.S. government or private institutions from providing any credits for these food sales, and so Cuba must pay either by “cash in advance” or get a foreign bank letter of credit to transact payment.
The embargo also requires Cuban payments to be routed through a third country bank. In 2005, Washington made these strict conditions even tougher when they redefined “in advance” so narrowly as to kill all the cash-based sales.
Each of these restrictions makes U.S. exporters less competitive in what should be a natural market for the United States.
Just as the governor heads to Cuba, the House Agriculture Committee is expected to consider a bill to ease these restrictions, though it would not allow any credit for Cuba, and lift the broad restrictions still in place against most Americans’ travel to Cuba. While easing restrictions on agricultural exports is an easy sell in Congress, some have asked,
why do agriculture interests want to lift the Cuba travel ban?
As John Block, President Ronald Reagan’s secretary of agriculture, told Congress last month, travel will boost demand for U.S. food not just in tourism but also for average Cubans, as their income increases. And, naturally, it’s hard to expect your buyer to pay you in cash when you’re working to limit what cash they can have.
Texas A&M University estimates that lifting these restrictions would boost U.S. exports by $365 million, and spur an additional $1.1 billion in related economic activity. But if Congress fails to act, the U.S. will continue to lose market share to competitors in Brazil, Vietnam and elsewhere, who offer Cuba generous credit terms.
Supporters of America’s last travel ban — we can travel to Iran and North Korea — consider it a kind of leverage over the Castros that shouldn’t be relinquished without first extracting concessions from their regime.
After all, they argue, giving Americans their freedom to travel to Cuba would enrich a regime that is now, truly, finally on the edge of collapse. Except that it’s not.
Setting aside the obvious inappropriateness of bargaining American citizens’ rights with foreign countries, what leverage do we have over Cuba when 2 million other tourists from around the world already visit the island, and when our own government now allows nearly unlimited travel by hundreds of thousands of Cuban-Americans?
For Congress to continue a policy of trying to bankrupt a nation of 11 million people 90 miles off our shores ignores America’s own best interests — more jobs and exports — and what’s really best for the Cuban people.
As Perdue is about to discover, the Cuban people are facing serious economic difficulties, and working in tourism helps many average Cubans to make ends meet. Cuban dissidents on the island and respected human-rights watchdogs have called on Washington to lift the U.S. travel ban.
That’s because American travelers could offer the Cuban people increased access to hard currency, valuable cultural connections and, finally, the hope that not all governments stay the same for 50 years.
If Sonny Perdue hopes to gain more Cuba trade for Georgia, he might have better luck traveling to Washington this summer than to Havana.
Anya Landau French of Athens is director of the U.S.-Cuba Policy Initiative at the new America Foundation in Washington.
Source: www.ajc.com/
When Gov. Sonny Perdue, a free-trade Republican, heads a Georgia agriculture trade delegation to Cuba next week, what should he expect to accomplish? Old Image: a:1:{i:0;a:4:{s:3:"aid";s:4:"2387";s:7:"options";s:25:"agricultura-productos.jpg";s:7:"caption";s:25:"agricultura-productos.jpg";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";}}Boost agricultural trade with Cuba
Cuban Tourism Boosts Development
Cuba's recreational industry is consolidated nowadays, and grows,notwithstanding the world economic and financial crisis, Marrero asserted, uponopening in Havana the XXX International Tourism Fair FITCUBA 2010 (May 3-8), in front of some two thousand participants from 30 countries.
In his report, entitled Tendencies and prospects of tourism development in Cuba destination, he stood out a growing support of the world investment community when May 10 will mark the 20th anniversary since Sol Palmera Hotel was opened under the management of Spanish group Sol Meliá.
At that time, foreign investment related to this sector started in Cuba and there are already 66 hotels with 27 thousand 909 rooms managed and commercialized by 13 international chains, he said.
Plus, he stated, there are five thousand 500 rooms in operation with international economic associations, while new projects and investments under this modality are getting ready.
The spirals keeps on going up
The minister pointed out that this Island, because of its values, is a place where staying turns into pleasant memories due to the conversion of what is colonial and modern into contrasting nature, excellent beaches and capes,seabeds and syncretic culture.
However, he stressed as one of the main causes for foreigners to spend vacations in Cuba the values of a charismatic and hospitable people.
He said that although Cuba does not have access to 50 percent of the Caribbean tourism market (in reference to the United States), it has registered development in this industry in the last 20 years, and has become one of the most important and dynamic markets in the Americas and the Caribbean itself.
He affirmed that, in 1990, the country held place 23 in the region regarding the number of foreign visitors received; whereas, at present, it appears in the ninth position.
Twenty years ago, 340 thousand foreign tourists arrived in the country, and for the last six years, consecutively, the figure has outdone two million.
Moreover,the number of tourists coming from more than 70 countries has reached 29 million in the last two decades.
Canada keeps on being the first sender of travelers to this country with nearly one million people a year, and, concerning the other markets, Spain is the only one showing growth.
Argentina shows a significant growing trend, while Colombia, Chile and Peru are growing at a time, though the minister deemed Brazil, Venezuela and Mexico important and still not fully exploited.
He mentioned Cuban émigrés as a segment growing in importance and said that strategies for all these markets are under preparation.
By Roberto F. Campos
Source: http://tinyurl.com/2bhktqf Havana, (Prensa Latina) Detailed information by Cuban Minister of Tourism,Manuel Marrero, disclosed why tourism is the growing spiral of this industry in the Island,despite the hard impact of the global economic crisis. Old Image: a:1:{i:0;a:4:{s:3:"aid";s:4:"5868";s:7:"options";s:23:"Cuba Turismo Afiche.jpg";s:7:"caption";s:19:"Cuba turismo Afiche";s:9:"copyright";s:5:"fela ";}}