In 2012, I had a unique opportunity to travel to Havana as a part of the Illinois Farm Bureau’s Market Study tour of Cuba. While human-rights issues, including the freedoms of religion, speech, assembly, press and enterprise, are still repressed, it is needless to say that our failed embargo has not resulted in progress on that front. Not only does trade offer hope to our neighbors who live only 90 miles away, but it offers increased market potential for all Americans but especially Illinoisans.
Illinois ranks sixth nationwide in terms of lost opportunities to our agricultural sector due to the Cuban embargo. Removal of U.S. travel and financial restrictions would increase Illinois agricultural exports to Cuba by $6.6 million annually, a 15 percent increase from Illinois exports to Cuba in 2009 ($43 million).
Currently, all U.S. exports to Cuba must be shipped under cash-in-advance terms or be financed by a non-U.S./non-Cuban institution. Under cash-in-advance, payment must be received by the U.S. exporter before title to the goods is transferred to Cuba. This is a burdensome restriction that limits Cuban interest in American products.
Cuba ranks among top 10 export markets for U.S. soybean oil, dry peas, lentils, dry beans, rice, powdered milk and poultry meat. Cuba also is a major market for U.S. corn, wheat and soybeans. An estimated $1.25 billion is lost annually in agricultural exports due to travel, trade and financial restrictions that have been in place since the Cold War — long before I was born.
Maybe after 53 years of failed policy, we can finally end this madness. Let’s move forward!
— Thomas Marten, Waggoner, Ill., secretary, Southern Illinois University Agriculture Alumni Society, FarmHouse Fraternity regional director
