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For Immediate Release — June 11, 2010
Contacts: Jim Guinn, (703) 236-1474,
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Stacy Fitzgerald-Redd, 703-236-1458,
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Merchant members of the USA Rice Federation will travel to Havana June 21-24 to assess the rice market potential in Cuba. 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. The delegation will be led by USA Rice Merchants’ Association Chairman Brian King.
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, Ronald Miller of Bayou Grain, Gerald Morris of Farmers Granery, and Paul Whittingham of Ritter Grain Services. Journalist Don Molino of the Louisiana Agri-News Network will also accompany the group.
“Our goal with this trip is to open 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.
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 under consideration by the U.S. House of Representatives, H.R. 4645, the Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act, would return the “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. |
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