HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba is considering halting purchases of American =
farm products worth $400 million a year because of new Bush =
administration rules demanding payment before shipment to the island, =
Cuban officials said on Wednesday.=20
One official said the payment rules announced by the U.S. Treasury's =
Office of Foreign Assets Control on Tuesday made Cuban shipments =
vulnerable to confiscation by Cuban exiles with legal claims against =
President Fidel Castro (news - web sites)'s government.=20
The new rules, opposed by farm-state legislators, take effect in one =
month. They will oblige Havana to pay for goods before shipment from =
U.S. ports instead of on delivery in Cuba.=20
"If they manage to obstruct trade, Cuba will find alternative =
suppliers," the president of Cuba's National Assembly or legislature, =
Ricardo Alarcon, told Reuters.=20
He said the measure would hurt U.S. agricultural producers, who have =
sold $790 million in food -- chiefly rice, corn, chicken, wheat, =
soybeans and dry milk-- to communist-ruled Cuba since December 2001 =
under an exception to trade sanctions dating from 1963.=20
"They are shooting themselves in the foot," Alarcon said.=20
Pedro Alvarez, head of the Cuban food import agency Alimport, said Cuba =
would honor its commitments with American suppliers, though trade will =
inevitably decline if conditions become more difficult, like paid in =
advance .=20
Cuba can buy food from the United States, but on a cash-only basis, and =
payments must be made through a third country due to the absence of =
financial ties with the United States. U.S. exporters currently ship =
their cargo and await payment before handing it over to Alimport in =
Cuba. They hope to collect from US Government if Castro fails payments.=20
Cuban officials saw the new payment procedures as part of President Bush =
(news - web sites)'s policy of tightening sanctions to undermine =
Castro's government.=20
"Of course, we are not going to continue buying. The shipments could be =
seized once Cuba has paid for them," said one Cuban official who asked =
not to be named.=20
The official said anti-Castro exiles in Miami who have won legal claims =
in U.S. courts against the Cuban government, could attempt to have =
cargoes impounded.=20
The measure could backfire by strengthening support for sanction-free =
trade with Cuba in the United States, he said. "We are delighted, =
because this will galvanize opposition to the embargo."=20
U.S. farm-state legislators have questioned the change in policy, =
warning that it will choke off lucrative sales.=20
Sen. Max Baucus (news, bio, voting record), a Montana Democrat, =
threatened to block approval of Treasury nominees in retaliation for the =
new rules, while Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, an =
Iowa Republican, said it would likely lead to a drop in agricultural =
exports.=20
The Bush administration toughened restrictions on trade and travel to =
Cuba last year to press for democratic change. Some observers say the =
goal is to inconvenience Havana and force Cuba to spend more of its =
scarce foreign exchange.=20
lavozdecubalibre.com
LE DEBE A LAS ONCE MIL VIRGENES...MAS DE 13,000 MILLONES A VARIOS =
PAISES...
El Departamento del Tesoro de EEUU informo nuevamente hoy que Castro =
debe pagar por adelantado y al contado cualquier compra de productos =
agr=EDcolas estadounidenses a la isla.=20
El reglamento final sobre la pol=EDtica de pagos adelantados fue =
anunciado en el "Federal Register" (diario oficial del Gobierno similar =
a la "Gaceta Oficial" de Cuba) y entra en vigor a partir de hoy.=20
Este cambio significa que Castro tiene que desembolsar quince millones =
de d=F3lares para recibir las recientes compras hechas a representantes =
agricolas de Estados Unidos. =20
La Oficina para el Control de Bienes Extranjeros (OFAC) de la =
dependencia federal indic=F3 en un comunicado que esta norma obedece "al =
entendimiento com=FAn" de la terminolog=EDa de "pagos al contado" en las =
finanzas del comercio internacional.=20
Adem=E1s, es un "equilibrio" entre la responsabilidad de la OFAC de =
vigilar el cumplimiento de las sanciones contra Castro y el derecho de =
los exportadores estadounidenses de enviar alimentos y medicamentos a la =
isla caribe=F1a.=20
Una ley emitida por la Admiistracion Clinton en el a=F1o 2000 permite =
que los empresarios estadounidenses env=EDen productos agr=EDcolas, =
medicinas y suministros m=E9dicos a Cuba siempre y cuando Cuba pague por =
adelantado a trav=E9s de bancos en terceros pa=EDses. Pero en el fondo =
los exportadores agricolas tenian sus ojos en los fondos billonarios de =
subsidios por perdidas a los agriculturos, en caso de que Castro no =
pagara, como es su costumbre.
Seg=FAn la OFAC, fueron las instituciones financieras de EEUU las que =
pidieron una aclaraci=F3n sobre la venta de estos productos a Cuba, la =
cual fue elaborada tras consultas con los sectores p=FAblico y privado, =
indic=F3 el comunicado.=20
El reglamento de la OFAC exige a los exportadores estadounidenses una =
licencia del Departamento de Comercio para el env=EDo de productos a =
Cuba y establece un per=EDodo de 30 d=EDas para que se complete =
cualquier transacci=F3n financiera.=20
Algunos senadores expresaron su oposicion a estas sanciones y =
restricciones comerciales contra Castro, alegando que son vestigios de =
la Guerra Fr=EDa a lo que respondieron los que apoyan dichas sanciones =
que quizas ellos prefieran una Guerra Caliente. Hasta ahora, los =
vendedores estadounidenses y los compradores castristas han estado =
realizando sus transacciones financieras a trav=E9s de bancos europeos, =
que, en algunos casos, cobran hasta el cinco por ciento de comisi=F3n.=20
Tras la promulgaci=F3n de la ley del a=F1o 2000, Castro ha comprado =
productos agr=EDcolas a EEUU por un valor de 1.000 millones de =
d=F3lares, cuyo pago ha sido cubierto facilmente con los 1,200 millones =
de dolares anuales que envian los cubanos en el extranjero al gobierno =
de la isla a traves de sus familiares..=20
=20
lavozdecubalibre.com
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