Trade experts: barriers stand in way of US exports to Cuba

Though a future agriculture commodity market in Cuba holds promise, it will depend on whether the industry can convince the new administration and Congress about the benefits to U.S. farmers and ranchers of normalizing trade with the communist island.  There are a number of additional barriers that will need to be removed to open agricultural trade with Cuba. Three trade experts highlighted the issues for farmers and ranchers Monday at the American Farm Bureau Federation national convention in Phoenix. David Salmonsen, AFBF senior director of congressional relations, said it is unknown what the future of trade with Cuba will be with a Trump administration and a new Congress. "You start talking agriculture in Cuba with members of Congress and they change the subject," he said. "There are an awful lot of products wrapped up in this. We're not sure of the new administration's attitude on this. We don't know if they'll go backwards."