Updated 10:04 AM EDT, Fri, Mar 29, 2024

U.S.-Cuba Relations: New Allies Discuss Increasing Trade in Agricultural Products Despite U.S. Embargo Set in 1962

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Former foes Cuba and the United States have now forged ties that were torn apart back in the days of The Cold War. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack met his Cuban counterpart, Gustavo Rodriguez on Thursday in order to discuss agricultural trade.

As reported by Fox News Latino, both Vilsack and Rodriguez talked about increasing trade between the Cuba and the United State's agricultural products despite the set limitations of the 1962 U.S. embargo on Cuba. The ban has since then been prevalent since 1962, although President Barack Obama has allowed the ban to be lifted in certain areas.

To note, Vilsack is the third member of the Obama Administration to the communist country since Cuba and the U.S. resumed their diplomatic relations in July. Vilsack met with Vice President Ricardo Cabrisas in Havana.

Secretary of State John Kerry became the first member of the Obama Administration to travel to Cuba in August of this year. Kerry arrived for the raising of the U.S. flag at the embassy. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker also arrived in Havana just last month.

While food is the primary source of trade between Cuba and the United States, the existing embargo forces the communist island to set a payment in advance for the agricultural goods purchased from the United States.

To date, many politicians from the US have traveled to Cuba after the two nations had set to mend its diplomatic relations towards the end of 2014, after a long period of political unrest as well as ideological disruptions.

In line with this, the Obama administration has even relaxed the restrictions of the trade embargo that was imposed on Cuba since 1962. Some of the restrictions included the fields in telecommunications, agriculture and even travel.

A Cuban official told Reuters that both Cuba and the United States will most likely announce their agreements by the end of 2015 for reinstating flights as well as postal services that have long since been suspended between both countries.

According to the State Department, Vilsack's meeting with Rodriguez concerning the so-called Bilateral Commission, which was to be the second round of such talks since Cuba and the U.S. restored diplomatic relations, "took place in a respectful, cooperative and productive environment."

"It provided an opportunity to review progress on shared priorities, including regulatory issues, telecommunications, claims, environmental protection, human trafficking, human rights, migration and law enforcement," said the State Department in an official statement.

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