What We Need To Understand About Cuba Essay

Reviewing the information available for this topic includes looking into the policies affected by relations with Cuba. The works chosen for this study came from the UCF One Search database. The works selected using the search terms Cuba, revolution, and policy change. The search contained filters in order to produce results for peer reviewed articles only.

“Raw sugar accounts for one quarter of Cuba’s export less than half a billion dollars” (The Economic Impact of Better US-Cuba Relations, 2015). Ending the embargo “Cuban exports can go from $0 to 5.8 billion” (US Cuba Embargo Pros and Cons: Renewed Relations Sets Caps and Limited Success for Businesses). Both economics can benefit massively from lifting the trade embargo this is because one of the most imperative exports of the Cuban economy is nickel. Nickel a mineral used in many industrial processes such as the creation of stainless steel, it can be a major use to the United States economy because it imports around 43% of nickel from the rest of the world therefore Cuba could benefit by entering the United States market. Cuba’s major import is refined petroleum which the United States is one of the largest producers of, the Cuban economy also imports wheat corn, meat, milk and soybeans which the United States also produces. Additionally, Cuba also exports rum and tobacco(cigars) which are said to be legendary in the United States. With the lifting of the embargo these products can be exported to the United States because Americans loves these clichés also, these exports can lead to a major enhancement in the Cuban economy because trade increases sales and profits, strengthen local competitiveness and diversification. Together the countries will be able to trade mutually and exchange

Canadian companies have committed with business in Cuba, and it was successful. It is a relief due to the fact that Canada did not have to compete with U.S. counterparts. Two-way trade amounts come up to more than $1 billion each year, while Canadian companies still have a sizeable presence in the island country’s mining, oil and gas, agricultural and tourism industries. But Canada might not have had any role at all if it weren’t for its unique relationship with the two adversaries, particularly Cuba.

The foreign policy of the United States toward Cuba over the past fifty years has caused many problems for the Cuban society and its people, and relations between the two nations have been at odds for decades due to the harsh foreign policy stance of the United States toward Cuba. The United States has considered Cuba as its enemy ever since July 1960 when Fidel Castro’s new revolutionary government changed everything. Castro seized privately owned land in Cuba, nationalized several privately owned companies (most of which were subsidiaries of U.S. businesses), and heavily taxed American products which led to U.S. exports being reduced greatly,

In 1960 the United States, under President Eisenhower, established a partial embargo on the tiny island nation of Cuba (Rampersand, 402). That partial embargo became a complete embargo under President Kennedy in 1962. The United States established the embargo on Cuba to alter Cuba’s political clime. Looking back through the last 55 years, that goal has not been achieved. It is time to end the embargo on the island nation of Cuba re-establishing economic, scientific and cultural exchanges.

Adjustments have been since then so that independent businesses in Cuba may trade with the United States, resulting in, “the United States [becoming] Cuba’s fifth largest trading partner since 2007,” (Lee and Renwick 5). Even though Obama came into office in 2008, and a year later reversed more of the restrictions set forth in the Helms-Burton Act, the actual lift of the embargo and Helms-Burton seems to not be as close as the media makes it seem. Since Raul Castro has come into office, also in 2008, he has claimed he would work towards normalizing relations with the United States, and further stated that he would leave office in 2018. Castro leaving office marks the end of the period the Castros have been in power, and leaves question to how the state of Cuba could potentially thrive. In my opinion, after reading many articles that bought forward the many problems Cuba is to overcome, I feel that Cuba has a long way to go in terms of achieving economic prosperity. However, I also deeply believe that the leaders of both Cuba and the United States are paving the roads needed to reach that level of prosperity. Journalists who have visited Cuba have come back claiming, “private businesses have blossomed due to the relaxation of limits of remittances from Cuban Americans to the island,” (O’Neil 2). This statement, and others like it, leaves me to feel

Trade and doing business with Cuba could cause legal issues due to the issues that they may have with certain products, due to their culture and government rulings. Since the government in Cuba is Communist, most of the decisions are made by the government. Culture plays a big role in the products that people use in other countries, and this could cause future issues with doing business in Cuba for the U.S.

A controversial subject,yet not spoken about enough,the warming of relations between Cuba and the U.S exists only due to the two countries having a rough past with each other. This “rough past” consists of aspects such as the protectorate status the U.S had previously put onto Cuba, which severely limited their independence and the U.S had, ironically, just helped them achieve. Some take a stance that we as countries should stay distant from each other due to our vast governmental and cultural differences,and that reparations,due to this rough past between the two, render repairs impossible. Though this believed for valid reasons, good relations between the two countries harbors a number of benefits including, but not limited to: improved trade with Cuba,as well as other countries outside of Cuba, improving government for Cuba, and opening of jobs in both Cuba and the United States. For these reasons, the good immensely outweighs the possible bad in improving relations between the two, and both should continue efforts to achieve this goal.

In the long and turbulent history between Cuba and the United States, it can well be argued that Cuba did not turn out quite like its other Latin American peers. Things seemed to be on the right track in the early 1900’s, when it appeared that Cuba was destined for a future of “independence”, like its neighbour Puerto Rico and it was yet another South American nation rife with the now atypical blend of affluent American investors and poor workers usually native to the land herself. However, following a coup d’état that saw the fall of the American-backed Fulgencio Batista in favour of his social antithesis in communist Fidel Castro, the situation rapidly turned sour. The American government, finding themselves

Cubans cannot be provided with many essential American resources that would be critical in the aid of the lives of their people. Doctors in Cuba have access to less than 50% of the drugs on the global market. Treatment for many life threatening illnesses in Cuba are not available because they are commercialized under US patents. Fewer than 25% of Cubans can access the internet. US companies like Microsoft and Google have to comply with the sanctions and therefore cannot provide the Cuban people with access to information. US trade and business in Cuba is the key to exposing the Cuban people to the realities of freedom and opportunity in America thus weakening the Cuban government’s intentions of limiting its citizens to access to the outside

Recently, the relationship between Cuba and the United States has been a leading story in the news. It has been reported that the U.S. government is heading towards normalization with the tiny island country. This is in contrast to the history of the two countries. Beginning directly after the communist revolution in Cuba, which began in the late 1950’s, the two countries halted all diplomatic relations. Additionally, the conditions in Cuba worsened, and the economy crashed. Since 1980, hundreds of thousands have left due to the horrible circumstances. Led by Fidel Castro, the communist revolution in Cuba has been a failure because the standard of living collapsed and continues to fall behind other countries.

Recently, current President of the United States Donald Trump has decided to reverse the Obama Administrations changes in loosening the relationship between the United States and Cuba. Trump has said that the embargo will stay in place, but businesses will still be able to conduct business in Cuba (Boccagno, 2017). In conclusion, there is potential in Cuba to have a great business, but there are lots of obstacles to overcome, and rules and regulations to follow to conduct business with

Some of their main exports are cigars, thyroid extract, nickel, cement, and sugar canes. However, the economy has not been looking good for Cuba lately, “Raul Castro told Cubans to prepare for tough times ahead, as the Communist country must cut spending and energy supply as it delt with a cash crunch and reduced oil imports from ally Venezuela” (Castro, Raul 2015). The country is also controlled by state run businesses, and most of its employment comes from the state. The government encourages self-employment, which has made many people become entrepreneurs. Another big factor that affects Cuba's economy is tourism. From the start of the 21st century, there has been a growth in tourism and it be an important part of its economy, and it is now easier to visit the country. Just a few months back the first commercial flight from the United States made a journey to Cuba, which has not happened in over 50 years, so this was monumental. In 2010, “Fidel Castro, in agreement with Raúl Castro's reformist sentiment, admitted that the Cuban model based on the old Soviet model of centralized planning was no longer sustainable” (World Heritage Encyclopedia). This meant that the state would not be so heavily involved in the economy of the country and also in the creation of enterprises that started from

Cuba was dependent on the Soviets for trade “At the beginning of 1989, virtually all of Cuba’s foreign trade, 85% of it was with the Soviet Union and other socialist countries of the CMEA.” Cuba began program to increase the tourism industry and within 5 years “tourism revenues grew to 850 million US dollars, as successful foreign investments in new facilities attracted from Europe and Latin America. In the 90s The U.S kept implemented “Helms-Burton legislation and the Torricelli bill” Policies that consolidated the embargo against Cuba, this time Washington punished firms who opted to make investments on the island, the legislations were impediment to Cuba’s integration into the world economy. Cuba adopted a series of structural economic reforms which helped it tremendously “reintroduction of framers markets, transformation of most state farms into cooperatives, legalization of self employment, reduction of subisides to state enterprises” . Cuba depended on Venezuela for inexpensive

The paper will discuss the economic point of view of maintaining the hardline towards Cuba, the effects of the embargo on Cuban life and the general ineffectiveness of the embargo. The United States should choose to disassemble the embargo due to the fact that it is doing more harm than good to both countries.