Cuba: history, politics, and culture

¶ … trade with Cuba. There are four references used for this paper.

The relationship between the United States and Cuba has been strained for several decades.

It is important to look at the trade relationship between the two countries after many years of discord.

Trade Relations

Both countries belong to the Organization of American States (OAS), which was created in 1948, and "designed to work with the United Nations to promote peace, justice, hemispheric solidarity and to foster economic development (unknown, 2004)."

In 1962, the United States placed a trade embargo on Cuba with Proclamation 3447, which has resulted in severe Cuban economic difficulties. Cuba was expelled from the OAS the same year "on charges of subversion, and though a trade boycott was imposed, by the 1990s most of the nations of OAS have resumed trade and diplomatic relations with Cuba except the United States (unknown, 2004)."

The United States has a policy which seeks a "free, democratic Cuba that respects human rights and the rule of law (unknown, 2003)." Cuba has failed to follow this policy, thus affecting trade relations between the two countries. There have been three acts implemented in the past decade concerning trade with Cuba. Both the "Cuban Democracy Act of 1992 (the CDA) and the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act of 1996 (the 'Libertad Act') increased the restrictions on trade with Cuba. In January 1999, the U.S. Government initiated case-by-case licensing of sales of food to non-government organizations in Cuba. Congress expanded this in late 2000, with the passage of the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act (TSRA) (unknown, 2003)."

To assist hurricane savaged Cuba, in December 2001, for the "first time in nearly 40 years, ships carrying tons of food from the United States arrived in Havana's harbor -- a move some American farmers and exporters hoped would help open Cuban markets (www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/americas/12/16/cuban.us.food/index.html)." Cuban importers feel the embargo is ridiculous, stating "American companies are being blocked by their own laws, which don't allow them to participate in the Cuban market (www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/americas/12/16/cuban.us.food/index.html)."