U.S. Secretary Of Agriculture Discusses Changing Payment Terms For Exports To Cuba
/Ag Secretary Purdue visits Illinois; talks trade, immigration, regulation
By Tim Landis Tribune News Service
The State Journal-Register
Springfield, Illinois
8 August 2017
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue met with farmers and local ag officials in Springfield on Monday during a stop on his five-state, Midwest listening tour.
"Q. What’s the future of trade relations with Cuba?
A. The problem with Cuba is their inability to pay for it. Some people would support the ability to go to the private market for capital. That would be helpful to agriculture.
I support the president in not rewarding a nation that’s oppressed the people like the Cuban people have been oppressed over the years. I do not favor using taxpayer-funded credits for Cuba. I think that would be very selfish on our part in agriculture in the U.S. While we think it’s a good market, actually there are better markets to go after in Southeast Asia, in Europe, South Korea, Japan, and developing markets in other places."
A reason why legislation to permit private sector payment terms for agricultural exports from the United States to the Republic of Cuba continues to fail?
