02/14/05 Craig wants more ag trade with Cuba

Senator Larry Craig says its time to clarify the congressional intent of five years ago when sanctions for agricultural and medical products to Cuba were lifted. Craig and 20 Senators are backing new legislation because Washington bureaucrats are obstructing that trade. CRAIG "Delays in the authorization of licenses to our producers. Withholding cash payments to our exporters. A whole combination of things have caused us to come together as a group in essence to clearly redefine our trade relationship with Cuba." Craig says Cuba was 226th on the list of exporters for American agriculture prior to 2000. Now the island nation is 21st on the list. CRAIG "36 states sold nearly a billion dollars in the past couple of years to the nation of Cuba. In fact Cuba is now the second largest importer of US rice and US poultry products." Craig says if Congress doesn't take action to improve trade with Cuba, the European Union, China and others will and he says the "American farmer won't tolerate foreign dominance of a willing market 90 miles off our coast." Congressman Butch Otter has led a couple of trade delegations to Cuba in recent years in an attempt to open the door to Idaho ag exports. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott