The State of Virginia Is Happy to Attend Cuba's FIHAV

Basil Ivanhoe Gooden, secretary of Agriculture and Forestry for the State of Virginia (United States) is coming to Cuba for the first time and this is indeed his first international trade trip, since he started in his position in September this year.

“I’m very excited to be here at this international trade fair to represent the Commonwealth of Virginia, and promote agriculture and forestry products as well. I’m very honored to be here,” Mr. Gooden told Caribbean News Digital in an exclusive interview.

Terry McAuliffe, governor of the Commonwealth ofVirginia,who visited Cuba earlier this year, told Mr. Gooden to certainly do everything he could to promote agriculture, to open up new markets in Cuba for Virginian products, and to build and maintain relations that have already started.

“Actually the Governor of Virginia has been very vocal in supporting free trade with Cuba, in reducing the limitations, and working with Congress and the White House as well to eliminate the limitations that now prohibit us from doing trade with Cuba,” Mr. Gooden went on to say.

The state of Virginia could export soybeans and poultry -the number one commodity in Virginia- to Cuba, as well as beef and pork. So, for a farming state like this, local farmers are listening and learning about the potentials of selling their products to the Caribbean island.

“We’re trying to sell our message to our farmers in Virginia, tell them that there are opportunities here in Cuba. Our governor likes to say that around 90 to 95 percent of our customers are outside of the Commonwealth of Virginia, so we really have to focus on how to reach those markets, how to work with those markets, and also see how those markets can benefit from Virginia and how Virginia can benefit from them as well,” Mr. Gooden said.

“We come here respectfully, respecting the culture of the country, respecting the government and the independence that Cuba has. What we are interested in is in how we can build relationships and meet the needs of the Cubans, and also to introduce them to the culture of Virginia as well,” the Secretary of Agriculture added later on in this exclusive interview.

The two U.S. senators for the state of Virginia -Mark Warner and Tim M. Kaine- are very supportive of opening up relations with Cuba. Senator Kaine could become the next Vice President of the United States on January 20, 2017 as he’s the running mate of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in next week’s presidential election.

“But there are also members in the congressional delegation of Virginia who are very interested in advancing our relationships, and again, the Governor has been very instrumental and supportive of free trade with Cuba and reducing the financial limitations that prohibit that free trade,” Mr. Gooden pointed out.

Even though trade is a two-way street of exports and imports, unfortunately no U.S. state is allowed to import Cuban-made products. Nonetheless, there are commodities and goods the state of Virginia could import from Cuba.

“I think eventually when the limitations come down, this could really be a two-way street and we could benefit in Virginia from Cuban products,” Mr. Gooden concluded.