Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, introduced legislation on Thursday that would lift the trade embargo against Cuba.
In a speech on the Senate floor, Moran said the record-breaking farm yields of 2016 resulted in excess grain that could be sold to Cuba if the Cuba Trade Act were passed.
“Cuba is only 90 miles off our border,” Moran said. “They offer a potential for increased exports, of all sorts of products, but especially Kansas wheat.”
Moran said wheat is Cuba’s second largest import, and other countries benefit at the expense of American farmers by the U.S. trade embargo. By comparing food imports for the Dominican Republic and Cuba, Moran estimated American farmers lost out on over $1 billion in exports between 2013 and 2015.Related:
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“It costs about $6 to $7 a ton to ship grain from the United States to Cuba,” Moran said. “It costs about $20 to $25 to ship that same grain from the European Union. This competitive advantage we lose because of the regulations that are in place that drive up the cost of Cuba consumers dealing with United States.”
“While boosting American exports remains a primary goal of lifting the embargo, I also think there’s an opportunity for us to increase the reforms, to improve the lives of the Cuban people as well,” Moran continued.
