U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council, Inc. New York, New York Telephone (917) 453-6726 • E-mail:
[email protected] Internet: http://www.cubatrade.org • Twitter: @CubaCouncil Facebook: www.facebook.com/uscubatradeandeconomiccouncil LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/u-s--cuba-trade-and-economic-council-inc- The Charlotte Observer Charlotte, North Carolina 21 November 2017 Nation & World US business leaders say Cuba is still open, at least to them By Franco Ordoñez WASHINGTON When the Trump administration unveiled new Cuba regulations, it sparked a fresh round of hand-wringing in Washington over the return to a posture not seen since the Cold War. But now, behind closed doors, the American business community is quietly spreading the word that things are not so different afterall. Indeed, what Trump seems to have accomplished is to make it harder for everyday Americans to meet to everyday Cubans, while leaving the doors open for corporate interests to make money on the island. “The U.S. government has actually made it easier for U.S. companies to engage directly with the Cuban private sector,” the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s U.S.-Cuba Business Council wrote in a private note to council members that was reviewed by McClatchy. “Specifically, the rule simplifies and expands the ability for U.S. companies to export directly to the Cuban private sector, private sector agricultural cooperatives and private sector entrepreneurs.” Many Republicans, including some who wanted Trump to tighten restrictions on engagement with Cuba, agree. Much of Florida’s Cuban-American congressional delegation, including Sen. Marco Rubio and Reps.