ADM's Ships Unloading Food For Sale In Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago

FOR FREEDOM & JUSTICE GROUP ^ | 4/30/02 | AP

[CHACHI]

Cuba has now more products to sell. Thanks to Archer Daniel Midland

HAVANA (AP) - Touring a Cuban plant where soybeans are transformed into yogurt, the head of American agribusiness giant Archer Daniels Midland said Wednesday his company now makes regular deliveries of U.S. food to this communist country, forming a strong base for long-term trade.

``Our ships are coming to Cuba from America on a regular basis,'' said G. Allen Andreas, ADM chairman and chief executive. He said that as he spoke, his company's cargo ships were unloading food at ports in Havana, the central city of Cienfuegos and the eastern city of Santiago.

ADM, a Fortune 500 company, is the world's largest processor of soybeans, corn, wheat and cocoa, and is among the biggest makers of ethanol, oil and corn syrup. The Illinois-based company has 275 processing plants across the world.

Passage of a law last year, allows U.S. companies to sell agricultural products directly to Cuba. But the transactions are complicated and each one requires special U.S. approval because of regulations associated with trade sanctions against the island.

``Cuban officials would like to see American companies like ADM help them develop their food infrastructure here,'' said Tony DeLio, corporate vice president of marketing. ``And we of course want the opportunity for the American farmer to compete on an equal footing'' in Cuba, he added.

The four-decade-old embargo against Cuba bars most all other trade between the two nations.

Group members dined with President Fidel Castro on Tuesday, and he assured them that Cuba is anxious to buy more American food.

Also on Tuesday, ADM signed another new contract with Cuba's food import agency, Alimport, to sell 5,000 metric tons of corn, Andreas said. He did not put a price tag on the sale.

Alimport President Pedro Alvarez Borrego said Cuba imports an estimated $1 billion in food annually and expects that amount to grow to $1.5 billion in several years.

``There is an important market for American growers and they can recover the market,'' Alvarez said. Cuba now imports much of its food from nations as far away as France and China, requiring Cuba to pay transportation costs.

American companies have sold or contracted to sell at least $73 million worth of agricultural products to Cuba since last year's passage of a law allowing the transactions.

The estimated 453,100 metric tons of food includes corn, rice, wheat, soy, poultry, vegetable, oil, apples, peas, eggs and pork lard and comes from at least 25 different states. Deliveries now are scheduled through June.

While American firms such as ADM and some U.S. lawmakers are pushing to make sales of food and other products to Cuba much easier, the administration of President Bush has promised to resist pressure for closer ties with the island until the Cuban people can enjoy freedom and democracy. **************************************************************************************************************** ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

[CHACHI]

COMMENTS: Once again Archer Daniels Midland is involved with the Dictator Castro to help supply the tourist trade with products that will make their stay more enjoyable, of course all at the expense of the Cuban people. ADM is taking out ethanol and smuggling it into the U.S.A and receiving tax benefits which in turns pays for the soybean, corn and other materials shipped to Cuba. Once again the U.S. Taxpayer is picking up the tab for ADM who is involved in un-American activities sanctioned by the Bush administration. Two pigs are destroying our democracy and empowering the dictator, they are Democrats and Republicans feeding at the same trough, the corporate trough. Shame shall come to all involved and may the curse of the Devil be on all of them and their loved ones. God waits long but collects with interest.

FOR FREEDOM & JUSTICE GROUP http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ForFreedomandJustice

[GaConfed]

Corporate Swine, Socialist Swine=All the same old New World Order Swine out to make serfs of us all. It's getting close to pitchfork time.

[AdA$tra]

This is a tough issue. The thing I want to know is why it is a good idea to trade with China and a bad idea to trade with Cuba. Both countries famous for violating human rights. In shear numbers China is far more heinous, yet we buy and sell from them "to bring change though capitalism." At the same time, we embargo Cuba. I know many Kansas farmers that would love to sell wheat, and within that ADM shipment, probably did sell soy beans to Cuba. The Chinese are killing and imprisoning Catholic Bishops, while "open their markets."

[AdA$tra]

Sorry, AdA$tra = bad typist tonight. Add question mark to sentence no. 2 and add we before "open...." in last sentence.

[SauronOfMordor]

Passage of a law last year, allows U.S. companies to sell agricultural products directly to Cuba. But the transactions are complicated and each one requires special U.S. approval because of regulations associated with trade sanctions against the island.

Translation: only ADM, or an outfit with a comparably-big legal staff and "connections" can trade with Cuba. The law was a payoff to ADM

[spintreebob]

ADM (D'Andreas) is the welfare queen of Illinois. More welfare than all AFDC in Chicago combined.
RINO Governor George Ryan thinks he is the ambassador to Cuba. I wish his trips there had been on a one way ticket.

Congress recently passed more welfare for ADM, which will raise the price of gasoline on the coasts as it has done for Illinois.
This welfare to ADM will also increase smog in California, as it has increased pollution in Chicago.
This welfare to ADM is untaxable and therefore reduces revenue for maintaining highways.

Oh, what a wonderful web we weave, when first we begin to subsidize.

[f.Christian]

bttt

[IronJack]

Feeding the hand that bites us.

[AdA$tra]

Hold it: Freeze: I never defended ADM (In fact, they destroy family owned farms, IMHO). I hate the idea of welfare. I live in a RINO dominated state. I do not agree with subsidies for either farmers or health care or Sam Donaldson's mohair farm. Subsidies destroy the free market controls that exist inherently. Most farmers hate them as well, regardless of the short-term consequences of losing them. I am also going to come to Chigago, regardless of your accusitory post, and spend money there during my summer vacation.

[Luis Gonzalez]

I don't quite understand why you believe that trading with China is a good idea.

[AdA$tra]

I don't quite understand why you believe that trading with China is a good idea.

I don't think I said that. In fact I avoid buying Chinese goods when practical to do so. My question was: Why is it a good idea to trade with China and a bad idea to trade with Cuba? Our objective for both countries is the same: Peace and freedom for the people of both countries. Our policy is the opposite for both countries. Maybe it is just an experiment, try both ways and see which one works faster.

[Republic]

Yes and my bet is that ADM employs the filthy lawyer, gregg craig of Williams and Connerly in DC to help in this endeavor. I hate ADM. I hate what the money to be made in Cuba enticed gregg craig and bill clinton and sick people like the Bagleys of Georgetown (the home where Elain was taken to be paraded around while he was held in captivity in the DC area-Rosedale-I think the kompound where he stayed with his family was called) who are heirs to Reynolds tobacco. They are FILTHY companies, engaged in wooing Castro and are fully responsible for the loss of freedom a certain little boy suffered at the hands of the klinton kuban loving administration.

[Luis Gonzalez]

"I don't quite understand why you believe that trading with China is a good idea."---Me

"I don't think I said that...My question was: Why is it a good idea to trade with China and a bad idea to trade with Cuba?---You

....ok, I'm confused.

You still claim that you didn't say that trading with China is a good idea?

[Luis Gonzalez]

Don't I remember reading that you had told Greg Craig off to his face?

[AdA$tra]

You still claim that you didn't say that trading with China is a good idea?

It is a retorical question. Someone, somewhere in the vast global economy conspiricy must think it is a good idea because WE DO IT. We do it a lot. Would it make you fell better if is say "I hate China", then ok: "I hate China". My question is not to you, but to the powers that be. I will rephrase my question just for you, Luis, "Why do we trade with China, but not with Cuba?...or better yet: If free trade is considered to be the way to bring about change in China by every administration since Nixon, why is a boycott by every administration since Kennedy the best way to bring down Castro and free Cuba?

[Luis Gonzalez]

The point that I was trying to make is that IT ISN'T a good idea to trade with the ChiCom, so that changes your question.

The question then becomes why are we doing the right thing as far as trading with Cuba is concerned, and the wrong thing when it comes to trading with China?

In either case, it isn't so much the "opening the market for American products" mantra that's repeated so often, but the truth rather is the fact that what we're really looking for is cheap manufacturing for our consumer goods.

A.K.A. slave labor.

One more thing that's a bunch of bunk is that if the purpose of the embargo is to affect change in Cuba, then it has failed because Fidel is still in control.

A couple of things about that:

1) The embargo was put into place largely because Castro STOLE close to two billion dollars, in 1960 dollars, in property from US companies.

2) Because of the effectiveness of the embargo, the Cuban peso is no longer the tender in Cuba, you need dollars to buy things there. Because of the embargo, Fidel's ability to export his revolution has been limited. Because of the embargo, the USSR had to subsidize Cuba, helping in bankrupting them. Because of the embargo, Fidel does not owe us billions of dollars in unpaid bills, like he owes everyone else, and because of that, he isn't defaulting on payment to us like he does everyone else, and because of that, the US taxpayer isn't supporting the totalitarian regime in Cuba.

"If free trade is considered to be the way to bring about change..."

How do you conduct free trade with a nation that outlaws private ownership of any sort of business?

Just because they call it free trade it doesn't make it that.

[AdA$tra]

Hello......Luis.....You are preaching to the choir, dude. I am merely pointing out the paradox here. I don't really think either of these methods will bring freedom to either country. The only REAL solution would probably involve an armed insurrection, followed by a Constitutional convention and the formation of a truly democratic government. A free Cuba would be a beautiful thing. A free China just isn't going to happen prior to WW III.