September 22, 1999

By Charles Abbott. 09/22

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Cuba, the target of a four-decade-old U.S. embargo, was omitted from a proposal by congressional Republicans on Tuesday to exempt food and medicine exports from unilateral embargoes.

The language was offered as a compromise that would speedily resolve disagreements over a major change in U.S. policy on trade sanctions.

Senators voted 70-28 last month for a blanket exemption for food and medicine sales to all nations while refusing to allow U.S. export credits to nations suspected of supporting terrorism and requiring annual licenses for those sales.

Under pressure from House Republican leaders, who oppose any change in the Cuba embargo, the proposal was rewritten for the start of House-Senate negotiations on farm aid.

``The House insisted on some conditions,'' said Senator Thad Cochran, Mississippi Republican in charge of the negotiations.

The revisions were a disappointment to farm groups, who believe Cuba could quickly become a lucrative, nearby market for U.S. agricultural exports. They have focused on Cuba following recent Clinton administration decisions to ease restrictions on trade with North Korea, Iran, Libya and Sudan.

Sales to Cuba would become possible if Cuba took major steps toward democracy, including freeing all political prisoners, legalizing political parties and scheduling internationally supervised elections.

At least two senators were expected to try to return to the original language on Cuba. A farm lobbyist said there might also be an attempt to remove the restrictions on sales to authoritarian nations if no change was allowed on Cuba.

``I feel very strongly we need to retain the Senate position,'' said North Dakota Democrat Byron Dorgan, who contended the U.S. embargo hurt U.S. farmers but had not dislodged Fidel Castro as Cuba's leader.

``When you do that for 40 years, that's like aiming at your foot (with a gun) and gloating you hit it,'' Dorgan said.

Missouri Republican Jo Ann Emerson, one of the House negotiators, said she supported an easing of sanctions on Cuba.

``You can't have Freedom to Farm and sanctions simultaneously,'' said Emerson, referring to the 1996 law that encouraged U.S. farmers to pursue profits in the marketplace.

00:50 09-22-99

Copyright 1999 Reuters Limited

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