The House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade this week held a hearing on the benefits of increased trade between the United States and Cuba.
Lawmakers weighed opening Cuba to U.S. agriculture as trade experts testified that American companies are losing ground to foreign competitors. Witnesses included:
- C. Parr Rosson – Head of Department for Agricultural Economics at Texas A&M University
- Jason Marczak – Director of Latin American Growth Initiative Atlantic Council
- Ray Stroesser – President of Texas Rice Council
- Mauricio Claver-Carone Executive Director of Cuba Democracy Advocates
- Richard Feinberg – Professor of Global Policy and Strategy, University of California San Diego.
Despite the 56-year-old trade embargo against Cuba, some goods are allowed to be exported but continues to provide many hurdles for agricultural products. In order to fully restore large-scale business operations and facilitate increased trade, Congress will need to lift the embargo on Cuba. Given the proximity to the island nation, United States agriculture has a distinct competitive advantage with foreign competitors, and expert witnesses argued that the United States should act quickly in repealing the embargo and capitalizing on this opportunity.
While many committee members showed interest in increasing agricultural exports to Cuba, some members have reservations regarding increasing trade with the Cuban regime until it takes steps to further democratize.
President Obama on Monday acknowledged that it is unlikely Congress will lift the embargo under his term, but predicted it would happen under his successor, regardless of which party occupies the White House, according to a report from The Hill.
President Obama is traveling to Cuba on Sunday, where he will deliver a speech to the Cuban people. The president said he will make it clear “that the United States is not a hostile nation seeking regime change, that in fact we can’t be blamed for challenges in Cuba, and that we are there as a source of support for the Cuban People.” Obama will be the first U.S. president to set foot in Cuba in more than 80 years.
He will meet with Cuban President Raoul Castro to discuss commercial opportunities and press the Cuban government to move more quickly to take advantage of trade and other openings that have been brought through regulatory changes in U.S. law. The president will also meet with political dissidents, entrepreneurs and attend a U.S.-Cuba baseball game. He will be accompanied by three Cabinet secretary, several members of Congress, and a large business delegation.
