Secretary of Commerce US visit port of Mariel in Cuba

The US Commerce Secretary, Penny Pritzker, arrived on Tuesday (06) to Cuba to discuss with local authorities the application the flexibility to embargo decreed by President Barack Obama, starting your visit with a trip to the port of Mariel, He found the AFP.

Pritzker and his companions, officials from the Departments of Treasury, Commerce and State, arrived at Havana airport at 14:30 (local time) and were greeted by María de la Luz B'Hamel, North America director for the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Foreign investment.

Without making a press statement, the delegation went by car to the port of Mariel, 45 km west of Havana, one of the most important economic projects developed by the government Raúl Castro.

In addition to a modern port that can receive large ships in Mariel also develops with foreign investment, an industrial enclave in the free zone designed to produce for the Cuban domestic market and for countries in the region.

On Wednesday, Pritzker participate in a meeting of officials from the two countries "in order to discuss the scope and limitations of the measures recently adopted by the US government to modify the application of some aspects of the blockade against Cuba," said the Foreign Ministry Cuban in a brief statement announcing the visit.

According to the program given to the press, the Secretary of Commerce will meet with their local counterpart, Rodrigo Malmierca, with Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez and the vice president of the Council of Ministers, Ricardo Cabrisas.

Trade between the United States and Cuba was of 390 million dollars in 2014, according to Cuban official figures, marking a drop from 598 million in 2009.

Due to the restrictions of the embargo, in force since 1962, the island can not sell his neighbor and only since 2001 began to be able to buy food and medicines in the country.

To do the shopping, Cuba, unable to use the dollar, you must pay in advance by complicated banking transactions and use foreign vessels authorized by Member States, which discouraged imports in recent years.