37 States Now Exporting Food To Cuba; $57 Million In Poultry Alone

by Matthew Borghese
Ever since a Congressional loophole allowed for the sale of food to Cuba, despite America's embargo of the communist island nation, estimates say millions, if not over a billion dollars now pour into the country through trade.

Companies from 37 separate states export food to Cuba in spite of an overall embargo which has been in place for almost five decades.

Kirby Jones of the U.S.-Cuba Trade Association, a lobbyist who represents dozens of U.S. companies in Cuba, tells CBS "The impression in the United States is that Cuba is stagnant - locked into some rigid communist ideology and structure."

"Cuba is totally different, hundreds of companies do business with Cuba."

Ron Sparks, Alabama's Commissioner of Agriculture puts some real numbers on the table, and says only three years ago Fidel Castro's Cuba bought only $1.7 million in poultry from the U.S.

"Now they are purchasing about $57 million of poultry and 40 to 50 percent of that comes out of Alabama."
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