Navajo Nation Signs Trade Deal With Cuba

from the article Navajos, Cuba, Negotiate Trade Agreement

Navajo President Joe Shirley Jr. praised Tsosie Lewis for entering into the agreement, and described it as a trade agreement between two sovereign nations. ''We are a sovereign nation and we need to do everything we can to get back on our feet,'' Shirley said, expressing appreciation for the new source of trade.

During the New Mexico Agriculture Trade Mission to Cuba in August, NAPI signed a letter of intent with Alimport, Cuba's state food purchasing agency, to sell yellow corn, wheat, apples, onions, pinto beans and other farm products.

If finalized, the cash-only trade agreement could bring millions of dollars to the Navajo Nation, due to exceptions to the U.S. trade embargo of Cuba. Under provisions of the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000, Alimport is allowed to negotiate the purchase of agriculture products directly from U.S. suppliers on a cash-only basis paid in advance by Cuba.

Since passage of the act in 2000, 35 states have entered into agreements to sell American products to Cuba, resulting in incoming revenues of about $1.8 billion


selling to Cuba is ok, one guesses ... but buying from Cuba, or more precisely, spending tourist dollars there, is not ...

nevertheless, this was a step in the right direction by the Clinton Administration, which the Bush administration did not follow (instead, it chose to tighten the economic sanctions against Cuba).