World Grain - February 2015 - 8

FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Easing embargo
on Cuba a world gain

A

s delighted as the grain industry
may be with the action of President
Obama in moving to ease trade restrictions on Cuba, it continues to be important to appreciate why the embargo was

grain that competed with wheat-based foods
for the favor of Cuban consumers and tour-

because the Communist regime of Fidel

Ward, who best described the embargo when

the 1960s, seized property in Cuba owned
-

as they could source rice and other products
from around the world, but rather on the rice

nesses that had operated for years based on
trade and tourist travel between the United

cut them out of one of the world's top mar-

stood at that time as the largest Caribbean
importer of food and one of the largest in

doubtful with Republican majorities in both
houses, the administration took action to
change banking and cash payment require-

came as Washington's response to Cuba's
property takeovers, which are currently es-

been exempted from the trade embargo for
some time but complicated payment rules had

and rice could reach as high as 90%, which is
the average share for most Caribbean nations

leader of the country, in taking a few steps
to release prisoners in response to President
Obama's overtures, has shown no willingness to enter into arbitration about seized

Except for spokesmen representing the
viewpoint of anti-Castro Cuban exiles in
Florida, support is widespread for this surprising action undertaken by the administra-

prompted speculation about the possibilities
of future talks by people and companies who
have formal claims, but it also is generally
agreed that such talks are going to be long

as steps toward trade liberalization are parts
of the deal undertaken by Washington, and
these are seen as steps that importantly eliminate the excuses the Castros have used to

Based on recent annual imports of wheat,
primarily from Canada and the European
Union, of more than 525,000 tonnes, Cuba's
mills have yearly milling capacity of between

threat lifted, it will no longer be possible for
Cuba to press for the sympathy of some of
its fellow Latin nations which join it in antithan these economic and diplomatic gains is
how this stands as another positive step for

per capita consumption is considerably lower

8

Charles Sosland
Dan Flavin
Adam Ungashick

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Fengcheng Wang
Ryan Alcantara

While the embargo's shutdown requires

Recalling what happened nearly 60 years
ago is powerfully countered by realizing that
the trade embargo itself has done quite literally nothing to prompt a change in Cuba

the regime's emphasis on restraining imports
and forcing the population to rely for food on
what can be produced on a Caribbean island

Chairman
Publisher
Sales

Morton I. Sosland
Editor-in-chief

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WORLD GRAIN (ISSN 0745-8991) Volume 33, issue 2,

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World Grain - February 2015

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