Monday, 23 April 2001 20:16 (ET),
Virtual New York
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., April 23 (UPI) -- A shipper whose freighter was turned
away from Havana last weekend said Monday it was confident the ship will be
allowed in port soon -- the first time in 40 years a U.S. freighter loaded with
cargo will dock in Cuba.
"Once the incurred difficulties are resolved, Crowley intends to
resume its service between the United States and Cuba," said Mark Miller of
Crowley Maritime Services of Jacksonville.
The cargo was believed to contain only humanitarian donations and did not
include commercial food or medical supplies now authorized under a new law
approved by Congress in 2000.
Miller would not say why the MV Orso was told Friday night to continue on
to Mexico instead of making a scheduled stop Saturday.
"Some further discussions with the Cuban government will be required
prior to scheduling the next regular sailing," he said. "Crowley fully
expects to have these open issues resolved in the near future."
A source close to the situation said indications were that President Fidel
Castro's regime objected to inclusion in the shipment of some supplies for the
U.S. Interest Section in Havana.
He said the Cubans thought it was unfair because it does not have the same
opportunity to supply its representatives in Washington.
Cuba has said before it will not accept any U.S. goods, but had okayed the
voyage before the Orso left Jacksonville Thursday. It had hoped to be the first
freighter to arrive in Cuba since the U.S. trade embargo was installed four
decades ago. Cargo planes have been delivering goods to Cuba for years.
The shipment was made possible by the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export
Enhancement Act. Crowley hopes the visit to Cuba will be made every week as part
of its regular route to Mexico, but that depends on how much cargo there is
available to ship.
Rep. Ileana Ros Lehtinen, R-Fla., said there won't be much because
opponents of the act had been able to ban any trade financing that comes from
the Unites States. Most world trade is backed by trade financing.
"This is much ado about nothing. Nothing will come of this," said
Ros-Lehtinen, a prominent Castro foe.
Copyright 2001 by United Press International. All rights
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