Virginia officials on marketing mission to Cuba Jan. 3-6

Governor Terry McAuliffe will lead a historic marketing and collaboration mission mission to Cuba from January 3-6, 2016.  The Governor will be accompanied by First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe and a number of state officials.

These include Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Todd Haymore, Secretary of Health and Human Resources William Hazel, Secretary of Technology Karen Jackson and representatives from Virginia Commonwealth University, the Port of Virginia, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, and the Virginia Museum of Fine Art. 

The McAuliffe administration, working in collaboration with the Cuban Embassy and other officials in Havana, has arranged meetings with prospective customers and partners for ten Virginia companies and institutions participating in the mission. 

Company participants include representatives from Smithfield Foods, Perdue Agribusiness, T. Parker Host, Mountain Lumber Company, Virginia Natural Beef, Forever Oceans, and Onduline North America.

McAuliffe was quoted in a news release as saying, “Virginia has been a leader in the development of relations with Cuba since federal law allowed for the export of foods and agricultural commodities to the country.  As relations between our nations continue to normalize, this mission will further enhance Virginia’s position by expanding current agricultural export business, achieving new agricultural exports, and opening the doors to future collaboration into additional sectors that are key to our efforts to build a new Virginia economy.”

Since the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (TSRA) was passed, limited sales of food and agricultural products have been allowed to Cuba.  Recently, the U.S. reestablished official diplomatic ties with Cuba.  As bilateral relations continue to improve, Governor McAuliffe tasked Virginia state agencies to explore new commercial opportunities with Cuba, covering a variety of sectors in preparation for the embargo to be fully lifted.

“The Commonwealth’s work with Cuba and our agribusinesses and producers has led to approximately $400 million in agricultural exports to the country over the past decade, including approximately $25 million last year,” commented Secretary Haymore.

During the mission, the Governor will meet with senior Cuban procurement executives and government representatives to bolster the export of Virginia agricultural goods and to promote closer ties in maritime transportation, higher education and the fine arts. 

In addition to one-on-one business meetings, the Governor will host a business reception with Virginia companies and Cuban officials at the residence of United States Ambassador Jeffery DeLaurentis in Havana, Cuba. 

Although U.S. food and agriculture companies can legally export to Cuba under current sanctions, financing restrictions imposed by the embargo, which went into effect in 1962, still limit the ability of Virginia companies to competitively serve the Cuban market to the fullest extent possible.