32766 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS September . 27, 1976 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS PROSPECTS FOR UNITED STATES­ tion of American States, a. hemispheric worth a year if trade were r'llsumed. The CUBA TRADE grouping of nations. Under the new OAS Commerce Department estimates that if full policy, individual member countries were and normal trade relations were restored, allowed to follow their own paths in Cuban U.S. exports to Cuba might total between HON. CHARLES A. MOSHER trade. Then, in August, federal rules were $300 and $350 million.· changed, permitting foreign-based sub­ Many Congressmen, however, remain un­ oF o•o sid-iaries o::: U.S. companies to trade with convinced of the desirability of opening U.S. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Cuba. trade with Castro. The Florida delegation, Monda_y, September 27, · 1976 U.S. CARS IN HAVANA whose constituency includes many anti­ As a result, American firms have begun to Castro Cuban refugees, is particularly op­ Mr. MOSHER. Mr. Speaker, I wish to conduct business with Cuba through sub­ posed. Democratic Sen. Richard B. Stone of call to the attention of the House an sidiaries in third countries such as Argentina, that state believes it would be wrong to deal article that appeared in yesterday's Canada and Mexico. The results may be seen with Cuba because of its uncompensated edition of Parade magazine. It presents clearly in the large number of American­ confiscation of U.S. business and ;;>roperty, a cogent analysis of this Nation's slowly model automobiles on the streets of Havana. its military intervention in Angola, and con­ evolving trade relations with Cuba, a sub­ In 1975 the Cubans imported 17,000 cars and ditions in Cuba's political prisons. Rep. trucks from Chevrolet, Dodge and Ford sub­ Claude B. Pepper (D., Fla.) says he still ject which should be of interest to the sidiaries in Argentina. Official government wants the U.S. to carry out the "commit­ Members of Congress and to the public cars in Havana appear to consist almost en­ ment" it undertook during the abortive Bay at large. tirely of new Ford Falcons, and the city's of Pigs invasion. Also strongly opposed is I am very pleased to note, Mr. Speaker, taxicab fleet is in the process of switching to Rep. Dante B. Fascell (D., Fla.). that the article is authored by my iegis­ Chevy Novas. The only difference between Sen. Jesse Helms (R., N.C.), a leading con­ lative assistant, Marc Rosenberg. these cars and their U.S. counterparts 1S that servative spokesman, comments: "I, too, look Marc had developed considerable ex­ their speedometers are marked in kilometers forward to the day when Cuba will rejoin perience as a journaUst before he came and they don't have seat belts that buzz. · the nations of the Western Hemisphere on To Ship goods to Cuba, U.S. subsidiaries an equal standing, but I do not look forward to work for me 3 years ago. As a former abroad are required to have trade licenses to that prospect until such basic human country editor and publisher myself, I issued by the Commerce Department. From rights as the right to free speech, to private have encouraged him to continue writing Oct. 1, 1975, to June 30, 1976, 186 such li­ property and individual freedom are respect­ and he has established himself as a rec­ censes were issued to subsidiaries tn 19 for­ ed in that nation.... Reparations for seiz­ ognized freelance writer. Of course, all eign countries. They covered a broad variety ures of American property must be prelim­ such work is done "afterhours," on ·his of items, including autos, agricultural pesti­ inary to any fair and just settlement between own free time. cides, glue, industrial boilers and X-ray the United States and Cuba." equipment, with a stipulation that no more Most observers are agreed that, even if This past summer, Marc spent most of than 20 percent of the components of any Washington ends its trade embargo, there his vacation time on a trip to Cuba. He product shipped to Cuba could be of U.S. can never be a return to the old pre-Castro paid his own way and went with t:1e manufacture. days when the United States utterly dom­ knowledge and approval of our State De­ The maximum potential values of all these inated Cuba's foreign trade. partment. Both our Government and the permits is $295 million worth of sales, and Says Alberto Betancourt Roa, head of the Cuban's recognized that he was traveling over half that sum-$177 million-is ear­ Chamber of Commerce of Cuba: ~ ·u.s. com­ in his role as a journalist. marked for what the Treasury Department panies don't know the Cuban market. They Yesterday's article in Parade, one of describes as the "sale'of third-country grains know it as it was, but they don't know it and cereals to Cuba." now." the largest circulation weekly news­ It's agricultural produce like this that the Representative Whalen feels that U.S. magazines in the country, was one of Cubans need most desperately, for their businessmen can't expect to resume their several that Marc Rosenberg has written tropical climate makes it impossible to grow old ways. "Most of them aren't used to doing after his visit to Cuba. Because of the enough cereal and grain of their own. business with Communists," he says. "Once topical nature of this piece, I commend Some authorities suspe;:-t that much of the the d9ors are opened, you just are not going it to your att~ntion. food Havana is now importing from other to have a bunch of American businessmen Is THE U.S. INCHING TOWARD CUBAN TRADE? countries actually is U.S.-grown and has running all over the island." been "laundered" by international traders He points out, moreover, that large multi­ (By Marc H. Rosenberg) before being shipped to Cuba. In this con­ national corporations already have one ad­ HAVANA.-American businessmen and nection, it is noted that the U.S. is sending vantage-their experience in dealing with farmers, always looking for major new mar­ large quantities of corn, wheat and other the Socialist economies of Eastern Europe kets overseas, may soon be finding one in a grains to the Soviet Union, which in turn and mainland China. And Alexander Izett, locale virtually unthinkable a few years is shipping large quantities of these food­ a British executive whose company has ago--Fidel Castro's Cuba. ' stuffs to Cuba. traded with Cuba for many years, notes that Despite the trade embargo imposed by Among those favoring an open res·.1mption "American companies will have to compete the U.S. in 1962, American products are al­ of trade with Castro is Rep. John Breaux with the best European fl:rms"-some of ready reaching Cuba by roundabout--though (D., La.), a staunch political · conservative which have been selling to Castro for a perfectly legal-means, and a broad easing of who represents one of the na.tion's major dec·ade. restrictions is seen by some observers as likely rice-producing areas. If and when direct So far, the official U.S. line remains that by next spring. trade is restored, rice is expected to be one the embargo will continue until Havana And though there is opposition in Con­ of the commodities most demanded hy Cu­ shows a change of attitude. Asked about the gress, the first signs of an easing U.S. trade bans. prospect of normalized trade relations, an policy toward Cuba began to appear a little FARMERS "DYING FOR AN OUTLET" official at the Commerce Department's Bu­ over a year ago. "We were just a. phone call reau of East-West Trade told Parade: "We're away from sitting down and establishing Breaux says he expects to see some move­ not willing to discuss anything like that with the Cubans an agenda for discussions," ment on trade resumption once the Presi­ until the Cubans adopt a more responsible says Rep. Charles Whalen (R., Ohio) , who dential election in November is over. "Our foreign policy." visited Cuba and talked to Castro in Janu­ policy now allows U.S. multinational com­ ary, 1975. panies to deal with Cuba through their aub­ READY TO TALK But two events effectively halted all for­ sidiaries but prevents direct sales by the Nevertheless, the Cubans indicate they're ward progress-avowed support by Castro for American farmer, who is really dying for an ready to open talks at any time and espe­ the Puerto Rican independence movement outlet. American farmers by and large are cially would welcome the opportunity to pur­ and his dispatch of Cuban troops to fight free-trade advocates." chase U.S. farm produce. They'd even accept in the Angola civil war. The Congressman, who visited Cuba last a quiet easing of the U.S. embargo without "Acceleration of their Puerto Rican January, says that the Cubans have been any public renunciation from WaShington. rhetoric kind of cooled it off," acknowledges getting most of their rice from China but "Your President can find many ways to bring Whalen. "This was before Angola became an are seeking other sources because of ideo­ an end to the blockade," says Jose Viera issue, one that would give anyone pause." logical differences with Peking and because Linares, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. Nevertheless, indirect American trade with the import supplies are inadequate. Recall­ "When it is lifted, we will know. It does not Cuba is going on right now, and in ever ing that Cuba was once this country's great­ need to be published on the front page." growing quantities.