Vilsack: Cuba exports could surge to $500 million as Congress plans hearings
January 30, 2015 |07:11 AM
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said this week that U.S. agricultural exports to Cuba could rise from $300 million to $500 million, with Florida the biggest winner, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
“Today I can't use a single dollar of my trade promotion (budget) for our trade with Cuba,” Vilsack said in an interview this week.
“It's 11 million people, a $1.7 billion market, and we really ought to be dominating that market.”
Vilsack made the remarks as the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee scheduled hearings next week on normalization of relations with Cuba.
Washington Trade Daily also reported that one group of senators — Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., Jerry Moran, R-Kan., Tom Udall, D-N.M., John Boozman, R-Ark., Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Mike Enzi, R-Wyo. — is sponsoring legislation to end the travel ban, while another group of Republican senators — Moran, Boozman, Enzi, Pat Roberts of Kansas, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Susan Collins of Maine — wrote President Barack Obama a letter that they would work with him to expand trade and travel with Cuba.
▪ Tampa Bay Times — Agriculture Secretary says Cuba trade could grow by hundreds of millions
“Today I can't use a single dollar of my trade promotion (budget) for our trade with Cuba,” Vilsack said in an interview this week.
“It's 11 million people, a $1.7 billion market, and we really ought to be dominating that market.”
Vilsack made the remarks as the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee scheduled hearings next week on normalization of relations with Cuba.
Washington Trade Daily also reported that one group of senators — Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., Jerry Moran, R-Kan., Tom Udall, D-N.M., John Boozman, R-Ark., Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Mike Enzi, R-Wyo. — is sponsoring legislation to end the travel ban, while another group of Republican senators — Moran, Boozman, Enzi, Pat Roberts of Kansas, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Susan Collins of Maine — wrote President Barack Obama a letter that they would work with him to expand trade and travel with Cuba.
▪ Tampa Bay Times — Agriculture Secretary says Cuba trade could grow by hundreds of millions