The U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba (USACC) and Cuba’s Grupo Empresarial Agricola (GEA) have officially signed an agreement to re-establish the Cuban marketplace for U.S. food and agricultural products. Members of both parities will be meeting regularly to ensure a beneficial and productive relationship as the agreement moves forward.  The American Soybean Association is cheering the good news. All last week, ASA Vice President Ron Moore was in Havana with USACC to meet with Cuban farmers.

“Our Cuban partners represent a great deal of promise for the American soybean industry,” said Moore. “The agreement that USACC is signing on to this morning is something that will help to ensure both American producers and Cuban buyers have what they need as our relationship continues to grow together.”

ASA has supported trade with Cuba and hopes the future includes a full removal of the embargo.

“So much has changed since the era in which the Cuban embargo was put in place,” said Moore. “Since 1961, our countries have evolved, our industries have expanded, and our economies have matured. Cubans have an increasing opportunity to develop their economy, and Americans have an equally promising opportunity to help meet that demand. That’s why we’re here—to meet a burgeoning demand for meat protein, for cooking oil and for the array of other products that American producers can provide.”