HAVANA, CUBA -- Today, the U.S. flag was raised over the newly established U.S. embassy here. Secretary of State John Kerry attended the ceremony heralding further diplomatic engagement with Cuba. The flag-raising follows a similar event in Washington, DC last month, where the Cuban flag now flies over their corresponding embassy.
Despite the symbolic nature of these two ceremonies, relations between the United States and Cuba have not been normalized, and while ending the embargo has the biggest potential to transform the relationship, it requires Congress to change the laws that put the embargo in place.
There has been a strong push by the U.S. agricultural community to normalize trade relations with Cuba, and give producers and businesses access to what is naturally a key export market. The U.S. rice industry is poised to benefit from re-engaging trade with Cuba, and USA Rice has joined a coalition of other agricultural organizations to urge congressional action on this front.
USA Rice is a founding member of the U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba (USACC), and CEO Betsy Ward spoke at the public launch of the group in January of this year. The coalition formed prior to the December 17, 2014, announcement by President Obama of a change in U.S. policy towards Cuba after half a century. Since that time, USA Rice and USACC have promoted the coalition's key goal: a return to normal commercial relations between the United States and Cuba.
"We are encouraged by this news and the Secretary's remarks at the flag-raising today in Havana," said Ward. "We will continue to engage with Congress and actively support the bills in both chambers, which take steps to normalize relations with Cuba.