Cuba Trade & Investment News

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Vol. VI, No. 4 April 2004 Embargo Updatet Economyt ALIMPORT STAGES NEXT U.S. DEAL FEST ... WHILE WOOING BRAZIL, ARGENTINA Helping U.S. companies circumvent the Bush Cuba is planning to increase food purchases this year from administration’s refusal to grant a license for a U.S. agricultural Latin American countries through its importer Alimport S.A. fair in Cuba, Cuban food importer Alimport S.A. will be On Alimport’s wish list are cereal, soy, dairy products, cattle holding a sales meeting exclusively for U.S. companies. This and canned food, mainly from Brazil and Argentina. is the second such meeting in less than half a year. The announcement by Alimport President Pedro Álvarez Alimport President Pedro Álvarez said he comes after a recent political honeymoon with hoped talks at the event, set for April 13-16 in those two South American powers. Cuba is Havana, would result in contracts for $150 formally applying to become associated with million in U.S. agricultural products. the Mercosur trade bloc. “I assure you we will be cutting good deals Alimport bought Argentinean wheat for $9 for both sides,” Álvarez said in a message to million in November, which it paid in cash, as potential attendants. The $150 million would it does in purchases from U.S. sellers. Alimport top a previous event in December, which again bought Argentinean wheat for $8 million celebrated the second anniversary of U.S.- in February. Cuba trade. That event attracted 257 U.S. An Argentinean business delegation will be executives who closed a little more than $100 touring Cuba in April. Alimport is seeking million worth of deals. Álvarez: Open arms for U.S. meat products, mainly chicken and sausages, Meanwhile, the 10th International and South American sellers from the group. Agribusiness Fair March 20-28 in Rancho Still, Alimport is forecasting that U.S. Boyeros, a suburb of Havana, saw the high-profile participation purchases will rise from 28 percent of its total to 30 percent of Florida cattle broker J.P. Wright & Co. (see Sales this year. The state import agency is planning to carry out $1 Department, p. 7). Also, U.S. companies are expected to attend billion of Cuba’s expected $1.2 billion in food purchases the Alimexpo food fair April 20-24. abroad in 2004.

JUDGE RULES IN FAVOR OF CUBAN TRADEMARK CUBA IMPOSING MORE CURRENCY CONTROLS In a second ruling upholding the legitimacy of Cuban Cuba’s Ministry of Economy and Planning has been sending trademarks within just two a memo to state companies that tells them to, as of April 1, months, a New York judge stop charging dollars for goods and services that are not part canceled General Cigar Co.’s of their core business, Reuters reports. trademark for the Cohiba brand. The move comes after the Central Bank in July prohibited For two decades New York- state companies from using dollars in domestic transactions. based General Cigar, which is Over the past decade, state companies have developed a host owned by Swedish Match AB, has been selling Dominican of secondary activities to tap the dollar stream. The memo cigars in the United States under the same name as the famous mentions 87 examples of secondary services, ranging from cigars produced by Cuba’s state-owned Cubatabaco S.A. flower sales to construction work. General Cigar said it would appeal. The company first received a U.S. trademark in 1981; it was last renewed in 1995. I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E Cubatabaco filed suit in 1997. Successive Cuba trade group forming in Florida Page 3 settlement talks failed, and the Cuban state company renewed its lawsuit in 2000. Embargo opponents to hold strategy session ...... 2 Jan. 29, the U.S. Patent Office denied a motion by Bacardi Bacardi files trademark suit...... 5 U.S.A. to cancel the Havana Club rum trademark of Sherritt eager to boost nickel production...... 8 Cubaexport S.A. More embargo news on page 2 M o r e E m b a r g o N e w s M o r e o n C u b a’ s E c o n o m y

ROVE: ‘NEW WAYS’ TO LIMIT MONEY FLOW BANCOMEXT CLOSES HAVANA OFFICE Karl Rove, Bush’s key political strategist, got a standing Mexican officials said they will close the Havana office of ovation from Cuban exiles when he promised Republican the state Banco de Comercio Exterior (Bancomext) on April activists March 19 in Miami tougher sanctions against Cuba. 16. The closure comes after on-off negotiations last year Rove wasn’t specific. He only said the White House would regarding Cuba’s $380 million debt with Mexico, and it seems find “new and creative ways” to contrary to recent statements by Mexican President Vicente limit the flow of money to the Fox to work on improving relations with Cuba. Bancomext island, punish companies that do finances and guarantees trade deals by Mexican exporters. business there and crack down on In April 2002, at the height of political clashes with Mexico, travel. He didn’t mention U.S. Cuba withdrew its guarantee of using cash flow from Etecsa, agricultural sales. a Cuban-Italian telecom joint venture, in case of default. The The message to Miami from the withdrawal prompted Bancomext to file suit in Italy, where a White House came after recent polls court ordered two Etecsa accounts blocked. Cuba hasn’t served in South Florida showed that Bush its debt with Mexico since, Bancomext hasn’t provided any may only get between 60 and 70 new loans, and the Etecsa accounts in Italy remain blocked. percent of the Cuban American vote during the presidential elections in DROUGHT LIKELY TO INCREASE FOOD IMPORTS November. In the 2000 elections, The drought affecting eastern Cuba is expected to last at Rove makes Bush Republicans secured nearly 90 least through the end of April, severely affecting agricultural presidential in Miami percent of the Cuban exile vote, production. Observers believe that Cuba will have to import crucial to winning Florida. more meat and dairy products as eastern water reservoirs have The Bush administration has talked tough and performed fallen to their lowest known levels, and some 2,000 water dramatic gestures against Cuba, but the substance of U.S.- sources in the Camagüey and Las Tunas provinces have dried Cuban relations hasn’t changed. What’s more, Cuban purchases up. Water has to be trucked to cattle, and feed has become from U.S. companies are continuing to increase. scarce and dryer than usual. Camagüey province is the center During the first two months of 2004, Cuba purchased U.S. of Cuba’s dairy goods equivalent to $88.3 million, including shipping costs, industry. up considerably from the same period last year.

EMBARGO FOES TO HOLD STRATEGY SESSION The Latin America Working Group, the Washington Office on Latin America, and other members of the Cuba Steering Committee are again organizing a Cuba Consultation Day in Washington, D.C. The event, on April ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS TO TEACH ENGLISH 19-20, is expected to bring together a broad spectrum of Cuban elementary school students from third to sixth grade Cuba activists from the United States to discuss strategies will start studying English this year, according to Prensa for the coming year. Latina. The classes will be taught in 45-minute TV sessions. On the agenda are the legislative outlook, congressional Until now, English has only been taught in secondary schools and other strategies, challenges, and learning about other and universities. Fidel Castro has emphasized the importance organizations’ work. of Cubans’ foreign language skills for the tourism industry. More embargo news on page 5 More economy news on page 6

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2 Cuba Trade associations on the Hill Florida trade group a Go A group of businessmen has “While the current Governor appears launched the Florida-Cuba Business ideologically opposed to increased Council (FCBC) to push for open trade liberalization of trade with Cuba, and direct investment with Cuba in consistent with the philosophy being Florida — the state where the U.S. espoused by the present administration in embargo has its political roots. What’s Washington, the vast majority of state more, the idea for the council was legislators and state senators represent hatched in Miami, the hotbed of anti- districts where agriculture is a major Castro activism in the United States. economic factor,” the FCBC Web site By Dan Waltz The organization’s first president is states. “Over time, the state legislature has Pierre Galoppi, owner of Hialeah- proved to be very responsive to farmers The crackdown continues based La Estrella de Cuba/PWG and other agribusiness interests. We Trading Corp., a licensed travel service believe that by demonstrating that There is little new to report from Washington this month regarding Cuba. What we have is more of the same — a continuing crackdown by the Bush administration on all things relating to Cuba. At the end of February, President Bush issued a notice continuing the national emergency relating to Cuba and expanding the emergency authority relating to the regulation of vessels leaving the United States for Cuba. Presently, a little known U.S. regulation requires that vessels provider. He previously was chief Florida’s agribusiness community is leaving for Cuba from Florida first operating officer of Fort Lauderdale- being short-changed by the present notify the Coast Guard and Customs based Gulfstream International attitude of the state government towards Service. Few boaters even know Airlines, one of the major U.S. charter increased trade with Cuba, the Council about this requirement. So, if they operators for Cuba. can effect change.” are caught upon their return from Cuba, in addition to violating the Hiring lobbyists U.S. embargo regulations, they can Ambitious goals now be tagged with having failed to Among the main goals of FCBC is a Tactically, the group plans to hire file the requisite notices as well. (At change in the political discourse lobbyists and continuously work with the same time, it seems that boaters regarding Cuba in Florida. media. One of the issues the Council plans who try to comply with the “Since the restraints on trade are to tackle is the inclusion of agricultural requirement by filing the requisite principally political, the Council will inputs in the U.S. list of goods allowed notices are invariably charged with target its efforts at affecting political for sale to Cuba, and allowing Florida violating the U.S. embargo, thus change,” the group says in its Web site. food processors to buy Cuban agricultural creating a real catch-22.) FCBC intends to lobby the Florida products. Apparently, under the newly legislature as well as Florida’s Campaign contributions will play a expanded authority, notices will be Congressional delegation. crucial role in changing politics, FCBC required from vessels leaving, not says. “The Council firmly believes that only from Florida, but from any Working on agribusiness the business people who make the largest contributions to political election efforts point in the United States. Since Strategically, the Council wants to are in the best position to force a policy unlicensed travel to Cuba is illegal leverage the political power of change,” the Web site states. anyway, it is unclear what the agribusiness in the state, the business Council associate Raul Llorente visited group the Council describes as the most Tallahassee March 25 to talk to state short-changed by the trade embargo. Continued on page 4 agriculture officials and lobbyists in the Continued on page 4

3 Trade associations The Mental File Continued from page 3 Internal migration state capital. Agriculture officials have responded “favorably” Cuba’s migration patterns generally are east-west, from to the idea of trade, Llorente said before the trip. rural eastern provinces such as Granma, Santiago de Cuba To link up Florida officials and businesspeople with their and Guantánamo, to Havana, which now is home to 2 Cuban counterparts, the Council plans to host a Florida-Cuba million of Cuba’s population of 11 million. Business Development Conference this September in Cancún, However, due to low fertility and emigration to the U.S., Mexico. The event is expected to become an annual event. Havana’s growth has been moderate compared to other The Council also offers its members hands-on help. The metropolises in Latin America, with 4.6 per thousand in group plans to assist members with compliance of U.S. travel 2001. Nearby Matanzas province and the tourism center and trade rules, and provide them with Cuban partners. of Varadero have also experienced moderate growth lately. One of the driving forces behind the creation of the Council Due to stresses on the capital’s infrastructure during was Antonio Zamora, a Miami lawyer and Bay of Pigs veteran the past decade, the Cuban government has imposed who is now advocating normalized relations with Cuba. restrictions, slowing the influx to near-zero today. Aside Zamora and Galoppi, the board of directors includes However, recent drastic cutbacks in the sugar industry Miami Beach realtor Carlos Justo; Andrew Goddard, publisher are expected to reinforce migration from rural areas. of this newsletter and owner of a Tampa-based trade consulting There are exceptions to the east-west rule. The tobacco- firm; and Bernardo Benes, a Miami banker who raised the ire growing province of Pinar del Río at Cuba’s western tip of hardliners by negotiating with Cuba the release of prisoners, is shrinking. Also, there’s growth in rural areas and near on behalf of the Carter administration. the new resort of Cayo Coco in central Ciego de Ávila For more information, look at http://www.fcbconline.org/ province.

Cuba on the Hill (contd.) and death held in Cuba. This was the fourth such conference, and no problems had been experienced with Americans introduction of this additional layer of regulation will do, attending the last three. OFAC’s published regulations would other than perhaps increase the total fines or penalties to certainly seem to indicate that a medical professor or doctor which travelers could be subject. could lawfully travel to Cuba for purposes of attending such The rationale for the increased regulation is even more a conference. Indeed, two separate “general licenses” are bizarre. A proclamation that accompanied the president’s applicable. The first allows a professional to travel to Cuba notice states “the entry of any U.S.-registered vessels into for purposes of participating in a seminar or a conference Cuban territorial waters could result in injury to, or loss of provided that the conference has been organized by a non- life of, persons engaged in that conduct, due to the potential Cuban international organization that routinely organizes use of excessive force, including deadly force, against them such conferences around the world. The conference in by the Cuban military.” Huh?! Pleasure craft from the United question had been organized by the Cubans, but received States have been calling at Cuba for years. Press reports the endorsement of both the World Federation of Neurology indicate that they are welcomed by Cuban authorities. The and the International Federation for Clinical Hemingway Marina outside of Havana is reportedly full of Neurophysiology. OFAC apparently reasoned that, because U.S. sailboats and other vessels belonging to Americans all of the past conferences had been held in Cuba and been whose experiences in Cuba are generally reported in glowing organized primarily by the Cubans, the conference did not terms. It is therefore a little unclear just what level of fulfill the criteria specified under this first general license. protection these boaters really need. Nor is it clear what, if A separate license allows U.S. professionals to travel to any, practical impact this supposed new restriction on travel Cuba for purposes of conducting professional research in to Cuba will have. Boaters will continue to sail to Cuba and their field. Certainly, on its face, this general license would be welcomed there. Few will be caught. But I suppose the appear to apply. Apparently, OFAC has taken the position authors of the new rule can claim that this latest move that attending a conference cannot be the same as conducting demonstrates this administration’s new-found determination research. If so, this conclusion can only be characterized as to get tough with Castro. highly questionable. Approximately 200 scientists from On the wider travel front, the Treasury Department’s around the world were scheduled to participate. Several of Office of Foreign Assets Control continues to do what it the U.S. participants planned to deliver papers at the can to limit or prohibit travel to Cuba. The most striking conference. For medical professionals working in specialized example in the last month was a group of about 70 medical areas, this type of conference is perhaps the most efficient school professors, doctors and other scientists who were and effective way to gain insight and knowledge with respect barred from attending an international symposium on coma Continued on next page

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IT’S NOT OVER: BACARDI FILES SUIT IN D.C. PLEA KEEPS EXTRATERRITORIAL CLAIM ALIVE Patrick Ricard, president of Pernod Ricard SA, said that a The high-profile case of Canadian businessman James January ruling of the U.S. Patent Office over the Havana Club Sabzali, who was accused with violating the U.S. embargo rum brand means the French liquor giant won a battle, but not against Cuba, ended quietly March 19 with the war with competitor Bacardi over access to the U.S. market. a plea agreement. Sabzali received a year’s Pernod Ricard must renew the U.S. trademark in 2006. probation in exchange for pleading guilty to Indeed, Bacardi U.S.A., the U.S. subsidiary of Bermuda- a single charge of ‘smuggling’ water based Bacardi-Martini Ltd., in March filed a lawsuit in federal purification supplies to Cuba. He was also court in Washington, D.C. against fined $10,000. state-owned Cubaexport, asking the Sabzali’s guilty plea keeps alive the U.S. court to grant it exclusive rights to the claim to enforce U.S. laws beyond the Havana Club rum brand in the United borders. In the plea deal, the Canadian Sabzali States. The suit comes after a Jan. 29 salesman admits guilt for a 1994 transaction that occurred while ruling by the Trademark Trial and he lived in Canada and was a self-employed Canadian Appeal Board of the U.S. Patent businessman. Sabzali later moved to Phialdelphia. Office, which rejected Bacardi’s The conviction via Sabzali’s guilty plea demonstrates that efforts to cancel Cubaexport’s “you’re not allowed to violate the laws of this country just trademark registration. because you live outside it,” assistant U.S. attorney Joseph Pernod Ricard is selling Cuban- Poluka told Canadian Press. made Havana Club rum worldwide, except the United States The Canadian government reacted with a diplomatic note which comes up for nearly half of all rum sales. International expressing concern. Havana Club sales have risen an average annual 17 percent since they began in 1994. HOUSTON WANTS CUBA CRUISES The Port of Houston signed a memorandum of understanding U.S. DENIES VISA TO SHOW TRIAL PARTICIPANTS with Cuba’s Alimport S.A. which should increase the flow of The U.S. Department of State announced it would deny visa U.S. farm goods to Cuba via the Texan port. to the hundreds of Cuban court officials, judges, prosecutors, The agreement also positions Houston to become the first to attorneys and witnesses who were involved in the trials against offer cruises to the island once the U.S. travel prohibition falls. 75 dissidents last year. The influence of the food importer on Cuba’s cruise business, though, isn’t clear. Also, due to the shorter distance, major U.S. Cuba on the Hill, from previous page cruise corporations such as Carnival Corp. or Royal Caribbean to new developments and current thinking, both from Ltd. likely are more interested in offering Cuba cruises from formal presentations and from information dialogue with home ports in Florida. Currently, only Norwegian Cruises is peers. It is thus hard to understand how attendance at such active in Houston. a conference could not be characterized as professional Houston is the second-largest U.S. port. Sales of agricultural research. Despite the seeming availability of this general goods and food from Texas to Cuba have been minimal, but license, OFAC informed the U.S. delegation, shortly before many Midwest states trade with Cuba via Texan ports. the conference, that they could not go. Is this a greater The agreement gives Cuba business ties to a politically blow to Castro or to the academic freedoms of American important U.S. state. The port is located in the district of House professors and medical professionals? Majority Leader Tom DeLay, a staunch embargo supporter. Finally, White House strategist Karl Rove told a receptive audience in Miami last week that the Bush OFAC ACTIONS TARGET SCIENCE administration will find “new and creative ways” to tighten OFAC’s recently announced opinion that editing Cuban texts the U.S. embargo of Cuba. If recent experience is any represents an embargo violation could affect U.S.-Cuban guide, look for more largely symbolic moves which are scientific exchanges considerably. According to Granma, 35 ignored by most, cheered by South Florida Cuban percent of all scientific articles authored by Cubans are Americans, and disrupt the lives of some Americans who published in U.S. journals. are aware of, and trying to comply with, U.S. law. Meanwhile, the Treasury Department’s embargo enforcement agency OFAC denied a group of 70 medical school professors, Dan Waltz is a partner at the Washington DC-based law doctors and other scientists a travel license to attend an firm Patton Boggs LLP. He practices in the area of inter- international conference, the Symposium on Coma and Death, national trade with a focus on imports and exports gener- in Havana, March 9-12. ally, and embargoed countries such as Cuba more par- The American Association for the Advancement of Science ticularly. said it was “alarmed” about both developments.

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CUBA MAY TAKE PART IN ‘WORLD CUP’ VISA DENIAL CANCELS MIAMI CONCERT Cuba’s national baseball team may play U.S. major league The U.S. State Department denied a players in a proposed “World visa to Cuban singer-songwriter Carlos Cup” tournament for eight to Varela, 40, canceling a tour that would 16 teams, a top Cuban baseball have included a stop at Miami’s official said. Cuba, however, Gusman Theater (we reported in the demanded that American March issue) . players be tested for The United States has denied visa to performance-enhancing drugs. all Cuban musicians in the past three The tournament, planned for March 2005, has been months, including Grammy nominees proposed by MLB. Cuba has dominated amateur baseball for and winners of Buena Vista Social Club the past two decades. The only encounters with major league fame. Varela baseball were two games with the Baltimore Orioles in 1999. HOUSE SPEAKER HOLDS PEP TALK IN MIAMI FLORIDA TERROR TAX BILL PASSES COMMITTEE House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tx.), in a speech A Florida House committee approved a bill sponsored by before Cuban exiles in Miami in late February, accused Cuba David Rivera (R-Miami) that would tax charter companies of supporting terrorism and suggested the need of more drastic offering trips to nations on the U.S. State action by the United States. Department list of terrorism-sponsoring “Freedom and terrorism can’t coexist, and evil won’t be countries. Cuba is on that list. permitted,” DeLay said. “And if it won’t be permitted in The amount of the tax would depend Baghdad, Kabul, Tehran or Ramallah, then it won’t be on the size of the aircraft or boat. Charter permitted in Havana either. If we want to win the War against airlines would have to pay an extra Terror, we must first win it in this hemisphere. Therefore, $4,000 to fly a Boeing 727 to Cuba. Castro must go.” He added that while he is Majority Leader, The bill would also force Florida the Cuban embargo won’t be lifted (he may have to vacate schools planning educational trips to his post if he is indicted by a Texas jury investigating campaign those nations to submit itineraries and a Rivera finance fraud). DeLay was the driving force behind the unusual list of participants to the state Department of Education. behind-closed-doors elimination of an embargo-easing amendment last fall. SENATE CANDIDATE WANTS TOURIST-SPIES DeLay, who has received campaign contributions from Republican Senate candidate Bill McCollum is suggesting Bacardi U.S.A., previously expressed his commitment to to send U.S. spies to Cuba disguised as foreign tourists. maintaining Section 211. The obscure law, which blocks the McCollum is running for the Senate seat vacated by Bob recognition of many Cuban trademarks in the United States, Graham (D-Florida). has led to a ruling against the United States by the WTO.

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SPANISH VOTE MAY IMPROVE CUBA-EU LINKS TOURISM MEET FOCUSING ON NEW RESORT Thanks to the defeat of Spain’s conservative candidate for Cuba’s annual Tourism Convention, May 3-6 in the resort the presidency, the strained relations between Cuba and Spain of Varadero, is dedicated to the new resort of Jardines del are set to improve considerably after eight years of conflict. Rey, on the northern keys of Cuba. The relatively large Spain is Cuba’s largest source of foreign investment and its capacities in that resort take into account future U.S. tourism; second-largest trade partner. The efforts of President José María hotel owners are expected to have a hard time filling their Aznar to seek a harder European Union line against Cuba had rooms with European, Canadian and Latin American tourists. led to a series of diplomatic and political clashes. So far, things are going well. In February, the number of Cuba’s state TV interrupted regular programming to foreign visitors in Jardines del Rey peaked at 6,205 during announce the victory of Socialist candidate TK Rodríguez one day. Zapatero. Jardines del Rey now has 3,629 hotel rooms, after the Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Felipe Pérez Roque opening of the 12th hotel in early March. The new hotel, Playa conditioned reinitiating a dialogue with the European Union Coco, has 308 rooms and is under management of a Cuban upon EU diplomats’ stopping to invite “mercenaries” to their company, Gaviota S.A. embassies in Havana. With the statement, Pérez alluded to the The target market for this year’s conference is the UK. The so-called Cocktail Wars, during which EU embassies have event is aiming at tour operators, travel agents, airline invited dissidents to official functions. representatives, hoteliers, entrepreneurs and tourism experts.•

6 C O N F E R E N C E S & E V E N T S NewsNews fromfrom thethe •3rd Intl. Meeting on Contract Law, Havana, April 1-4 •2nd International Conference on Arbitration and Mediation, SalesSales DepartmentDepartment Havana, April 5-7 ++The Port of Houston signed a memorandum of •Intl. Construction Fair (FECONS), Havana, April 6-10 understanding with Cuba’s Alimport S.A. which should •Cuba Consultation Day, Washington, D.C., April 19-20 •International Salon of Technologies and Products for Tourism increase the flow of U.S. farm goods to Cuba via the Texan (TECNOTUR), Havana, April 20-23 port. The agreement also positions Houston to become the first •National Food Exhibition (Alimexpo), Havana, April 20-24 to offer cruises to the island once the U.S. travel prohibition •Marcas (Trademarks), 3rd intl. meeting on intellectual falls. The agreement was signed by James T. Edmonds, property, Havana, April 26-28 chairman of the Houston Port Authority.++ •6th Annual Caribbean Conference on Sustainable Tourism ++Naples, Fl.-based cattle broker J.P. Wright & Co. secured Development, Havana, April 27-30 another sale of 50 cows to Cuba, adding to an existing 250- th •Water Symposium 2004, 5 International Event on Water head deal. The 50 cattle will be provided by Baldwin Angus Technology and Science, Havana, May 1-9 Ranch in Ocala, Fl. J.P. Wright CEO John Parke Wright •24th Cuban Tourism Convention, Varadero, May 3-6 •3rd International Workshop on Architecture and Engineering announced the additional commitment from Alimport S.A. at th at the Service of the Environment (Arinsema), Camagüey, the 10 International Agribusiness Fair in Boyeros March May 13-15 26 in a suburb of Havana. Delivery is to begin in the second •Music industry fair CUBADISCO, Havana, May 26-30 quarter. The shipment of the 250 animals, via Port Manatee in •Nation and Emigration Conference, Havana, May 27-29 Southwest Florida, was originally planned to begin in March. •International Rum Festival, Havana, June 6-9 A case of Mad Cow Disease in Washington State has delayed •Expocaribe, Santiago de Cuba, June 13-18 the delivery. Alimport, though, has said it would begin taking •Gregorio Fuentes International Fishing Tournament, Hicacos deliveries again as soon as United States authorities can assure Peninsula (near Varadero), July 22-28 it’s safe. Wright & Co. exhibited Holstein and Jersey cattle at •International Transportation Fair (FIT), Havana, Sept. 22- 25 the fair.++ •3rd Intl. Conference of the Society of Orthopedic and ++As of late March, Alimport was negotiating the purchase Traumatological Surgery, Havana, Sept. 23-29 of 100 heads of cattle with Montana and Minnesota farmers.++ •22nd Intl. Havana Fair (FIHAV), Havana, Oct. 31-Nov. 7 ++Gregory Estevane, president of consulting firm Global •International Jazz Plaza 2004 Festival, Havana, Dec. 13-19 Strategies Trading, said he plans to take representatives of about 20 California companies to Cuba April 13-16 to Call (941) 330-0303 or send an e-mail to [email protected] participate in Alimport’s U.S. trade event in Havana. Alimport for more information on events is seeking dried nuts, fruit and dairy products from California.++

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U.S. PRESSING BERMUDA PIZZA KING FORMS EXILE GROUP IN U.S. The U.S. consul general to Bermuda warned that the small Miami car dealer Gus Machado and Leopoldo Fernández island nation’s growing economic ties with Cuba could affect Pujals, a Cuban exile who built a pizza relations with the United States. Denis Coleman said in a TV empire in Spain, have formed Cuba interview that business and airline links to Cuba could amount Democracy Advocates, a group to the right to “aiding and abetting” American citizens to break the law. of the established Cuban American National U.S. Customs agents at Bermuda’s airport have recently been Foundation (CANF) that intends to press trained to detect U.S. travelers to Cuba. the U.S. government for more intervention Opposition politicians seized the opportunity to hammer in Cuba. away at the Bermudan government, saying that Bermuda is The group has retained Washington too dependent on the United States to take a risk with Cuba. lawyer Mauricio Claver-Carone to lobby Fernández Pujals Community Affairs Minister Dale Butler said that the Congress full-time. government couldn’t stop individuals doing business with Fernández Pujals formed a similar group in Spain before. Cuba. However, Prime Minister Alex Scott promised to hold talks with Coleman to “get to the bottom” of problems. CANADIAN TV AIRS ORIGINAL ‘COMANDANTE’ Bermuda allowed regular charter flights and signed a Canada’s CBC Newsworld aired Oliver Stone’s memorandum of cultural understanding last year. Bermuda has “Comandante” documentary in prime time March 28. spent large amounts on lobbyists in Washington trying to tone Meanwhile, HBO has scheduled airing a new Stone down the anti-offshore company rhetoric. One of those documentary about Fidel Castro on April 14. HBO insisted Bermuda-based offshore companies is Bacardi-Martini Ltd., Stone make an entirely new documentary, called “Looking a major contributor to anti-Castro causes in the United States. for Fidel,” after a crackdown on Cuban dissidents. •

7 C o m p a n y B r i e f s

Dennis Maschmeyer, CEO of Sherritt International, said Britain’s second-largest long-haul carrier, Virgin Atlantic company executives are negotiating with Cuban partners to Airways, announced new routes to Cuba and increased flights expand its nickel production on the island. The talk are aiming to other destinations as part of an ambitious expansion project. “to define the terms that are satisfactory to both parties,” The airline, 51-percent owned by Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Maschmeyer said. The Canadian company, which is Cuba’s Group and 49 percent by Singapore Airlines Ltd., will launch largest foreign investor, needs to “make something happen” twice-a-week services from London-Gatwick to Havana in July within half a year to take advantage of the recent strength in 2005 and has ordered two more Airbus A340-600 as it prepares nickel prices, he told analysts. to increase frequencies on American, Caribbean, Asian and Far In 2003, Sherritt’s Moa mining and processing facilities in East routes. In October 2005, Virgin will also add an extra daily Cuba produced 32,042 metric tons of nickel and cobalt, down service between Gatwick and Orlando, Florida. more than 1,000 tons from 2002. Sherritt blamed the drop on *** lower-grade ore and maintenance issues. Mexicana de Aviación S.A. will start flying from Mexico Nevertheless, Sherritt International announced it earned City to Varadero international airport. Mexico’s second-largest CDN $115.8 million in profits last year, nearly twice as much airline will use 100-passenger Airbus A318 for the route. as in the previous year. According to the airline, 83,000 passengers used Mexicana to The rise in nickel prices is driven by rising demand in China. fly to Havana in 2003, in 365 round trip operations. Nickel is used in stainless steel production. *** *** A hip new city magazine for Havana published by Barcelona, German operator Maritim Spain-based Verdmell S.A., is hitting newsstands in September. Hotelgesellschaft GmbH took over The glossy, called “The H,” is trying to convey that Havana’s the management of three hotels in Cuba culture is going beyond the managed by LTI International Hotels, touristic stereotypes. The a former subsidiary of German charter magazine appears in Spanish airline LTU. The properties are the and English, and comes with Hotel Panorama in Havana (317 slick photos. rooms), the Varadero Beach Resort The first number includes (391 rooms), and the Costa Verde three articles by Cuban author Beach Resort in Holguín province (309 Pedro Juan Gutiérrez (“La Panorama Havana rooms). All three are owned by Cuba’s Trilogía Sucia de La Habana”) Gaviota S.A. LTI’s relationship with Gaviota reportedly had as well as a guide for galleries, been mixed, due to lower-than-expected results of at least one museums, restaurants, bars of its hotels. and night clubs. The cover is Maritim, which created an international division for the dedicated to Cuban singer takeover, operates 44 hotels; before the move to Cuba only Vannia. The magazine will be three were located outside Germany. available via subscription and at airports with flights to Cuba.

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