Cuba turns to US for durum wheat as trade expands

Cuba bought its first US durum wheat in more than three decades, the US Agriculture Department reported on Thursday, a sign of Cuba's growing commercial food ties to the United States.
Cuba has become a significant buyer of US farm goods even as the Bush administration moves to further distance itself from the communist-ruled island.
The USDA's weekly export report showed Cuba bought 5,300 tonnes of US durum wheat - used in pasta products - during the week ended June 17. It was the first such purchase since federal reporting began in 1973, according to the USDA.
"Obviously with the US proximity to Cuba, it's much cheaper to purchase product from the United States," said Chris Garza, trade expert with the American Farm Bureau.
Historically, Cuba has turned to the European Union, Canada and Argentina for much of its wheat supply.
But since 2001, Cuba has spent about $300 million on US grains, meat, and other farm goods, the USDA says. The US-Cuba Trade and Economic Council, which tracks American business with Cuba, says US sales have totalled $573 million.
US farm groups have unsuccessfully pushed the Bush administration to relax economic sanctions against Cuba and allow government-backed financing of commodity sales.
"If you open free market forces, Cuba has the potential to be a billion dollar market for US agriculture products," said Bill Kost, Cuba expert with USDA's Economic Research Service.
The Bush administration will begin next week to enforce new measures that will make it harder to travel to Cuba and spend money there. The regulations include allowing Cuban-Americans to visit immediate relatives on the island only once every three years, instead of once a year.
Opponents of the sanctions say the White House steps pander to anti-Castro Cuban-American voters in Florida - a key state in November's presidential election - and hurt ordinary Cubans instead of the Cuban government.
Despite strained relations, US industry officials remain optimistic Cuba will continue to buy more US farm goods.
Some experts believe the primary reason behind Cuba's purchases is to win political allies in Washington. The American Farm Bureau Federation, the largest US farm group, has lobbied lawmakers for years to lift sanctions against Cuba.