LatinNews Daily - 19 May 2011

Cuba: Recent figures by Cuba's National Statistics Office show that in 2007 the US has become the island's fifth-largest trading partner. Imports from the US have risen to US$582m, up from US$484m in 2006. Imports consist solely of agricultural products due to a 2002 amendment to the decades-long trade embargo that allows the export of US agricultural produce to Cuba. High global food prices account for much of the US$100m jump in imports. With the price of corn, wheat, soya and chicken still at record levels, US food trade to Cuba is set to increase even further in 2008. US census bureau statistics indicate that US exports to Cuba for the first six months of 2008 stood at US$359m, a 150% increase on the figure recorded for the same period in 2008.