...Case Study U.S.-Cuban Trade a cold war Strategy became a cold war relic? Case Facts- The U.S. Embargo of Cuba-a resilient foreign trade policy-which encompasses a variety of political leaders, economic events, and historical eras what is the meaning of ‘Embargo ’? A specific type of quota that prohibits all forms of trade Embargoes can be placed on either imports or exports, on whole categories of products regardless of origin, on specific products with specific countries or on all products with given countries. It is imposed in an effort to use economic means to achieve political goals. After the Revolution- After the Revolution: In the 1950, over 2/3 of Cuban foreign trade took place with the U.S. Fidel Castro- prime Minister Of Cuba from 1959-1976 and then president from1976-2008 overthrew Batista government in 1959 Castro is a controversial and highly divisive world figure, being lauded as a champion of anti-imperialism, but alternately his critics have accused him of being a dictator whose authoritarian administration has overseen multiple human rights abuses. Nonetheless, he has had a significant influence on the politics of a number of other world leaders, namely Nelson Mandela, Hugo Chavez and Evo Morales, and he is widely idolized by many leftists, socialists and anti-imperialists across the world In turn, U.S. –cancelled agreements to buy Cuban sugar Cuba retaliated by seizing U.S. oil Refineries Oil companies refused to supply Cuba with crude oil. The...
Words: 1002 - Pages: 5
...is to clarify my opinion on why the U.S. should not lift the embargo on Cuba. Many critics have expressed their opinion as to why, the embargo should be lifted. This paper will explain why united States order a trade embargo against Cuba? What are the results for both countries? [What was the effect of the embargo on the citizens of Cuba and what was the result of the embargo on the US?], and what did the Cuban Government do to retaliate against the Trade Embargo? Finally, look at the strategic results and necessity for trade embargo in a globally interconnected economy. When the United States defeated Spain in the Spanish American war of 1898, Cuba along with Puerto Rico and Guam were signed over to the United States by Spain. The United States had the right to involve in the affairs of Cuba at any time. When Castro overthrew the existing government, run by President Batista, the United States supported this action by imposing arms embargo against the Batista government in 1958. Then in or about 1960, Castro not only seized private lands and companies of Cuban citizens, but also subsidiaries of the United States of America. This is when the Eisenhower administration imposed trade restriction with the exception of food and medical supplies. Not only was Castro started trading with the Soviet Union; but the Soviet Union also building missile bases in Cuba; the United States severed all ties and imposed a permanent embargo on Cuba at the direction of President Kennedy...
Words: 2121 - Pages: 9
...The United States – Cuba Relations: Lifting the Economic Embargo The United States and Cuba had a long history of trade and investment going back to the 1800s. During this time the U.S. was Cuba’s largest trade partner in the export and import of goods. The U.S. exported fuel, cereals, vegetable oils, meats, condensed milk, cheese, and manufactured goods. In return, Cuba exported sugar, nuts, tobacco, cacao, coffee, and tropical fruits (Copeland pdf3). This all changed when Fidel Castro seized power in 1959 and nationalized American assets in Cuba (Smith). He denounced capitalism and signed a trade agreement with the Soviet Union. The U.S. then imposed an embargo on Cuba in 1962 restricting trade and travel, cutting all diplomatic ties....
Words: 1094 - Pages: 5
...TRADE EMBARGO AGAINST CUBA It’s hard to believe that 55 years ago U.S. imposed its first trade embargo, which still stands up to today. Both sides suffer from it. And the whole thing about the embargo has recently been really criticised by everyone. So the question remains – why on Earth don’t you lift it? So presumably the same question appeared in the mind of the President Obama. And lately, he has announced that he wants to re-establish diplomatic relations with Cuba. “To the Cuban people, America extends a hand of friendship ”, he said. ‘Since the President took office in 2009, he has taken steps to support the ability of the Cuban people to gain greater control over their own lives and determine their country’s future. Now, the President is taking the next steps to renew our leadership in the Americas, end our outdated approach on Cuba, and promote more effective change that supports the Cuban people and our national security interests.’( "President Obama Delivered a Statement on Cuba." The WHITE HOUSE. 17 Dec. 2014. Web. 1 May 2015. <https://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/foreign-policy/cuba>.) It seems to me as if this would be an especially good time for a change in America’s relations with Cuba and that the moment has finally come to put an end to this mess that not only economy of both countries suffers from but the real people too, and to admit that the embargo has to be lifted. The U.S. trade embargo on Cuba was placed after World War II by the President Eisenhower...
Words: 885 - Pages: 4
...No, it is prescribed that U.S. should not try to tighten their economic grip on Cuba for the most part in light of the fact that it would more probable hurt their economy than accomplish its foreign policy objectives, which have turned out to be unattainable for almost forty years. Cuba is an extremely potential business sector for U.S. commercial enterprises and organizations. Likewise the workforce is proficient, so there is a plausibility of effective work at lower expense for U.S. commercial enterprises (Daniels, 1998). Also, US may look to log jam the stream of dollars to Cuba to debilitate Castro's positions and pace his destruction; it may affect American economy for the most part influencing aviation organizations and money exchanges...
Words: 779 - Pages: 4
...In Cuba from 1900 through 1906 many events occurred that changed how the Island is today. In the early 1900's the island had a breakout of yellow fever that affected hundreds of people throughout the country. After multiple years of research an American military doctor, Dr. Walter Reed led a commission that determined that the disease was caused by mosquitos. During this same time period The United States and Cuba both agreed and signed the Platt amendment which was put in place after the Spanish-American war. In the year 1900 the yellow fever disease had an outbreak and began to spread throughout Cuba. In 1901 U.S. Army doctor Walter Reed who at the time had recently studied a case of malaria in Washington Dc, went to Cuba and led a 4-team commission that started in May of 1901 and it eventually led to the verification that Yellow Fever was caused by Mosquitos. Also during the same time period in the early...
Words: 679 - Pages: 3
...think that the case was about Sherritt Corporation. When in fact it’s a larger economic issue affecting U.S. companies versus all non-U.S. companies around the world. (Except those from Israel & Uzbekistan) Sherritt was just the first company to be affected by the Helms-Burton law. It was later pointed out in the case that Sherritt had no U.S. business relations. Essentially the law only inconvenienced the members of the board and their families. The real issue is around the thirty plus years of, and now tightening, sanctions by the U.S. against Cuba. As a result not only have U.S. companies lost assets in Cuba from 30 years ago, they and others are in a worsening position to conducting business in the country when the sanctions are finally lifted. We believe there is another economic issue under the surface faced by the U.S. in this situation. While U.S. companies unable to conduct business with Cuba there is no subsequent GDP benefit for our country. Meanwhile, we continue to take large numbers of Cuban citizens as immigrants. The increased population negatively affects unemployment, and is amplified by the fact that our companies can’t conduct business with their country of origin. Another words if allowing our businesses to conduct trade with Cuba would create more job opportunities, essentially offsetting the immigration effect on unemployment. Analysis The U.S. sanctions were having some desired result, which is to force the country to deploy more diplomacy and improve...
Words: 1124 - Pages: 5
...island (Roy, 2000). This information to the U.S under the leadership of President Kennedy was one of the worst news America could ever expect from Cuba. The US released photos of Soviet nuclear missile silos in Cuba - triggering a crisis that took the two superpowers to the brink of nuclear war (Morley & McGillion, 2005). It was subsequently resolved when the USSR agreed to remove the missiles in return for the withdrawal of US nuclear missiles from Turkey (Lopez-Levy, 2016). This followed a series of negotiations...
Words: 930 - Pages: 4
...For over 50 years the United States of America and Cuba have had a negative relationship. In 1959, Fidel Castro and a group of revolutionists overthrew the Cuban government, changing it to a Communist country, which then created a strong relationship between Cuba and Soviet Union. During this time, the United States was at a stalemate war with the Soviet Union, now known as the Cold War. As Cuba’s relationship grew with the Soviet Union, their relationship with the United States quickly faded. As communism grew it began to ruin the United States’ idea of containment, which caused havoc within the economy. Cuba then became an enemy of the United States. Since that pivotal moment in history, the relationship between the United States and Cuba have experienced turmoil, which the current U.S. president Barack Obama, and the Cuban leader Raul Castro, have been trying to end the disorder between the two countries. In 1953 Fidel Castro and a group of 130 revolutionaries attempted to overthrow the dictatorship of Cuba but ended in a failure and later led to Castro’s imprisonment. The current dictator of Cuba, Fulgencio Batista, pardoned Castro, which was a major mistake. In 1956 Castro lead another revolt and promised the people of Cuba that he would replace Batista’s dictatorship with free elections and also promised that he would end the corruption in the Cuban government. (Dowling) Castro wanted to overthrow Batista because of his corruption and violence. Batista was known as a cruel...
Words: 1542 - Pages: 7
...because they felt that it violated international rules dealing with trade. The EU had a dispute with the U.S. regarding testing agriculture, trade and investments and biotechnology issues which were brought to the attention of the WTO found the following: The EU, concerned about the effect of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), proposed a Transatlantic Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA) in 1994, and the U.S.-somewhat reluctantly-went along. There was to be no TAFTA to complement NAFTA, however: only a renewed political gesture in the form of the 1995 New Transatlantic Agenda (NTA) ("EU/US Summit,”). Its main lasting effect was the Transatlantic Business Dialogue (TABD), the first transatlantic lobby, which brought about agreements on testing and certification as a step toward defining a new trade agenda. It also envisioned the creation of a New Transatlantic Marketplace (NTM) within which trade barriers between the U.S. and EU would be largely dismantled.(Padgett,2009) Continuously diluted, in 1998 the NTM became today's Transatlantic Economic Partnership (TEP), a limited agreement slighting key issues, particularly agriculture, audiovisual services, and culture. This failure to develop substantive transatlantic regulations means reliance on the World Trade Organization's (WTO) dispute settlement process for airing differences. As the cold war settled down in 1990, the U.S. rebuffed EU calls for a formalization of relations through a transatlantic treaty, preferring a network...
Words: 1282 - Pages: 6
...After the U.S. battleship Maine exploded and sank in Havana harbor under mysterious circumstances on February 15, 1898, U.S. military intervention in Cuba became likely. struggle of Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines for independence against Spanish rule. Cuba was then made an independent country. Pre- In the late 1800’s, A wildly popular character “The Yellow Kid” was featured in almost every newspaper for making fun or mocking events. The artist R.F Outcalt created the comic which then flooded the newspapers all across New York. The sensational comic is what led to the exaggerated style of reporting called “Yellow...
Words: 1237 - Pages: 5
...America’s Cuban Conundrum 1. Analyze the key issue that prompted the EU to take the Helms-Burton dispute to the WTO The 1963 U.S. embargo was reinforced in October 1992 by the Cuban Democracy Act (the "Torricelli Law") and in 1996 by the Cuban Liberty and Democracy Solidarity Act (known as the Helms-Burton Act) which penalizes foreign companies that do business in Cuba by preventing them from doing business in the U.S. Justification provided for these restrictions was that these companies were trafficking in stolen U.S. properties, and should, thus, be excluded from the United States (Longmire, 2009). According to the Department of State (2000), Helms-Burton Act is the latest incarnation of U.S. efforts to internationalize it embargo of Cuba. Both the 1992 Cuba Democracy Act and Helms-Burton target foreign investment in Cuba, seeking to undermine Cuba’s international access to capital. The European Union (EU), Canada and Mexico have taken steps to challenge the law in the WTO and under NAFTA, seeking the nullification of the law on the grounds that it violates international trade law. The EU resented the Helms Burton Act because it felt that the US was dictating how other nations ought to conduct their trade and challenged it on that basis. The EU eventually dropped its challenge in favor of negotiating a solution. Many nations have enacted antidote legislation that bars their nationals from complying with Helms-Burton, under the threat of fines. They also argue that Helms-Burton...
Words: 1594 - Pages: 7
...Cuba Country Profile International Business Cuba is an island in the Caribbean. (Discuss it's culture) The island is located only 90 miles from Florida and is alligator-shaped. It's the biggest island in the Caribbean. The total population is 11,061.886. It's official language is Spanish, and 95% Cubans are Roman Catholic. The major ethnic groups include mulattos, which consist of 51% of the population. The remaining groups include 37% of white or European decent, 11% black, and 1% Chinese (Aguirrie, 2007). In 1492, Christopher Columbus discovered the island, and conquered it for Spain. Spain ruled the island until 1902, when it became independent. Cuba's independence was short lived. In 1940, Fulgencio Batista was elected as President. Under Batista's rule, Cuba was a Republic. It had a political system similar to the U.S. It consisted of “three branches, a President, a cabinent, and a Supreme Court.” In 1959, Communist dictator, Fidel Castor, and 11 members of his group, including Ernesto “Che” Guevara, overthrew Cuba's government, resulting in the Cuban Revolution (Crooker, 2002 p. 69) Prior to this revolution, things weren't much better in Cuba's economy. Under Batistas's rule, “Cuba had become like a vacation resort” for many affluent Americans, many of whom would “pass their time doing illegal things like gambling and prostitution” (Crooker, 2002 p. 10). It was a place where organized crime bosses invested...
Words: 1204 - Pages: 5
...planes showed that nuclear missile sites were being built in Cuba. Bypassing private, diplomatic procedures, Kennedy went on national television on October 22 and revealed to the public that nuclear missiles had been found in Cuba and were within range of the continental United States. Kennedy also announced in his speech that the United States would enact a naval blockade on Cuba by putting a ring of ships around Cuba. Kennedy placed this "quarantine," as he called it, to...
Words: 1150 - Pages: 5
...U.S. Embargo Against Cuba Needs to End Park University The sixties have been described as “America’s most historically and culturally complex decade” (The Sixties: Timeline, 2005). It was the decade of many changes and events that helped shape our culture and our country into what it is today. The 1960’s was the decade that saw the likes of famous people like John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr., as well as historical events like the first Woodstock and the race to space. It was the decade of the Vietnam War and Soviet Spies, and it was the decade that saw the end of the relationship between the United States and the small island nation just 90 miles off its coast: Cuba. On February 7th, 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a Proclamation that ended and blocked all trade with Cuba. In it he wrote, “[I] Hereby prohibit…the importation into the United States of all goods of Cuban origin and all goods imported from or through Cuba” (Proclamation 3447 – Embargo All Trade With Cuba, 1962). What exactly is an embargo? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary describes an embargo as an order of a government prohibiting the departure of commercial ships from its ports and a legal prohibition on commerce. One of the main purposes of the embargo against Cuba was simply to deny hard currency to the Cuban government. However, it seems that purpose was one that did not really work. Even with the embargo in place, American dollars, still to this day, make its way into the hands...
Words: 2037 - Pages: 9