William Pentland
Forbes, September 4, 2011
The island nation of Cuba is scrambling to secure access to what it believe to be about 5 billion barrels of oil lying deep under the ocean off its northern coast. A massive drilling rig is en route to Cuba and plans to start drilling in a matter of months. Meanwhile, the United States government is sufficiently concerned about the risks of another oil spill that is dispatching a group of quasi-diplomats to Cuba on a fact-finding mission as early as tomorrow, according to reports in Dow Jones. U.S. officials believe Cuba’s waters could contain more than 5 billion barrels of undiscovered oil. Cuba will begin a plan to tap its offshore oil later this year, when a consortium led by Spanish company Repsol YPF S.A. plans to start drilling a well in more than 5,500 feet of water off the country’s northern coast, which will likely trigger a race to set up production in Cuban waters, presuming Repsol finds oil.
If oil is discovered, Cuba will reduce its reliance on Venezuela for its energy needs. In 2009, Cuba produced roughly 50,000 barrels of oil a day from onshore and coastal wells and relied on imports from Venezuela to supply an additional 130,000 barrels to meet consumption levels, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Repsol will be drilling in waters that are deeper than those in which the Deepwater Horizon rig operated at the time it exploded last year. Repsol will be using a Chinese-built drilling rig that only recently left Singapore for Cuban waters. The rig, known as Scarabeo 9, is expected to arrive in November or December. Scarabeo 9 is a semi-submersible drilling vessel recently built by Yantai Raffles, which will be on contract by Repsol YPF for deepwater exploratory drilling off Cuba.
In response to Cuba’s drilling plans, the U.S. is sending a delegation led by Bill Reilly, co-chief of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill commission, to Cuba next week to help evaluate that country’s plans for developing its oil resources, according to reports by Dow Jones. The delegation will be on a fact-finding mission to determine the country’s long-term plans for pursuing its oil resources and identify steps to ensure safety and environmental protection.
Showing posts with label Commerce. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Commerce. Show all posts
Monday, September 5, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Ex presidente de Alimport habría desertado de Cuba
Por JUAN CARLOS CHAVEZ
jcchavez@elnuevoherald.com
Pedro Alvarez Borrego, ex presidente de Alimport, la empresa cubana que monopoliza el comercio con Estados Unidos, y quien el año pasado fue destituido bajo cargos de corrupción, escapó de la isla en circunstancias no aclaradas y se encuentra en este país, informaron el jueves medios de prensa y activistas. Alvarez, quien también presidió la Cámara de Comercio de Cuba, es uno de los funcionarios cubanos de mayor rango que haya escapado hacia Estados Unidos.
Según el periodista Oscar Suárez, quien dio a conocer la noticia en su blog www.universoincreible.com, la fuga de Alvarez ha desatado un intenso operativo de seguridad en Cuba. Las circunstancias de la fuga no están aclaradas, pero algunas versiones apuntan que escapó disfrazado de mujer por vía aérea. "Alvarez es un tipo de mucho interés para las autoridades cubanas y por esa razón la Seguridad del Estado quiere saber cómo logró salir y quiénes lo ayudaron'', dijo Suárez a El Nuevo Herald. Suárez aseguró que recibió la información de una fuente en Centroamérica. La fuga habría ocurrido entre el 27 y el 29 de diciembre, precisó. Alvarez habría llamado por teléfono a su suegra desde un punto no determinado para decirle que no regresaría más a Cuba. La esposa de Alvarez, Olga de la Cruz, murió en el accidente de un avión de Aerocaribbean ocurrido el 4 de noviembre cerca del pueblo de Guasimal, a unas 200 millas al este de La Habana. No hubo sobrevivientes.
Alvarez era investigado por supuestos actos de corrupción y actividades en perjuicio de la actividad económica cometidos durante su gestión en Alimport. El pasado año, parientes y amigos suyos fuera de Cuba dijeron a El Nuevo Herald que había sido interrogado por lo menos dos veces. Tanto su destitución de Alimport como de la Cámara de Comercio no fueron dadas a conocer oficialmente en la isla al momento de producirse.
Frank Calzón, director del Centro para una Cuba Libre, en Washington, D.C., indicó que un funcionario del gobierno estadounidense en esa capital le confirmó que Alvarez estaba en este país.
Mauricio Claver-Carone, director del grupo de cabildeo US-Cuba Democracy, señaló que la deserción de Alvarez tiene una extraordinaria importancia, puesto que controló por largo tiempo todas las negociaciones con exportadores estadounidenses.
"El conoce como pocos los negocios del régimen, la estrategia de lobby en Washington y las intimidades de los políticos durante sus viajes a Cuba'', indicó Claver-Carone. ‘‘Debe haber varios políticos norteamericanos preocupados sobre lo que pueda revelar Alvarez sobre sus viajes a Cuba''.
Bajo la dirección de Alimport por parte de Alvarez, de 1998 al 2009, Estados Unidos se convirtió en el quinto socio comercial de la isla. En el 2008, las importaciones alcanzaron un récord de $711.5 millones. Sin embargo, en el 2009, las importaciones descendieron un 27 por ciento a causa de la crisis de liquidez y créditos en la isla.
Alex Cruz, portavoz de la oficina de la congresista republicana por la Florida, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, indicó que ésta no haría comentarios sobre el tema. Los departamentos de Estado y Justicia no respondieron preguntas en relación al caso.
Alvarez nació en Alquízar el 8 de agosto de 1943. Ingresó a las filas del Ministerio de Comercio Exterior (MINCEX) a inicios de la década de 1960. Entre 1967 y 1982 fungió como consejero comercial en las embajadas de Cuba en la ex Unión Soviética y Bulgaria.
A su regreso al MINCEX sirvió como director de envíos y seguros internacionales. En 1990 fue nombrado viceministro, puesto que ocupó hasta 1998.
Read more: http://www.elnuevoherald.com/2011/01/06/865048/presidente-de-alimport-habria.html#ixzz1AZbTETX2
jcchavez@elnuevoherald.com
Pedro Alvarez Borrego, ex presidente de Alimport, la empresa cubana que monopoliza el comercio con Estados Unidos, y quien el año pasado fue destituido bajo cargos de corrupción, escapó de la isla en circunstancias no aclaradas y se encuentra en este país, informaron el jueves medios de prensa y activistas. Alvarez, quien también presidió la Cámara de Comercio de Cuba, es uno de los funcionarios cubanos de mayor rango que haya escapado hacia Estados Unidos.
Según el periodista Oscar Suárez, quien dio a conocer la noticia en su blog www.universoincreible.com, la fuga de Alvarez ha desatado un intenso operativo de seguridad en Cuba. Las circunstancias de la fuga no están aclaradas, pero algunas versiones apuntan que escapó disfrazado de mujer por vía aérea. "Alvarez es un tipo de mucho interés para las autoridades cubanas y por esa razón la Seguridad del Estado quiere saber cómo logró salir y quiénes lo ayudaron'', dijo Suárez a El Nuevo Herald. Suárez aseguró que recibió la información de una fuente en Centroamérica. La fuga habría ocurrido entre el 27 y el 29 de diciembre, precisó. Alvarez habría llamado por teléfono a su suegra desde un punto no determinado para decirle que no regresaría más a Cuba. La esposa de Alvarez, Olga de la Cruz, murió en el accidente de un avión de Aerocaribbean ocurrido el 4 de noviembre cerca del pueblo de Guasimal, a unas 200 millas al este de La Habana. No hubo sobrevivientes.
Alvarez era investigado por supuestos actos de corrupción y actividades en perjuicio de la actividad económica cometidos durante su gestión en Alimport. El pasado año, parientes y amigos suyos fuera de Cuba dijeron a El Nuevo Herald que había sido interrogado por lo menos dos veces. Tanto su destitución de Alimport como de la Cámara de Comercio no fueron dadas a conocer oficialmente en la isla al momento de producirse.
Frank Calzón, director del Centro para una Cuba Libre, en Washington, D.C., indicó que un funcionario del gobierno estadounidense en esa capital le confirmó que Alvarez estaba en este país.
Mauricio Claver-Carone, director del grupo de cabildeo US-Cuba Democracy, señaló que la deserción de Alvarez tiene una extraordinaria importancia, puesto que controló por largo tiempo todas las negociaciones con exportadores estadounidenses.
"El conoce como pocos los negocios del régimen, la estrategia de lobby en Washington y las intimidades de los políticos durante sus viajes a Cuba'', indicó Claver-Carone. ‘‘Debe haber varios políticos norteamericanos preocupados sobre lo que pueda revelar Alvarez sobre sus viajes a Cuba''.
Bajo la dirección de Alimport por parte de Alvarez, de 1998 al 2009, Estados Unidos se convirtió en el quinto socio comercial de la isla. En el 2008, las importaciones alcanzaron un récord de $711.5 millones. Sin embargo, en el 2009, las importaciones descendieron un 27 por ciento a causa de la crisis de liquidez y créditos en la isla.
Alex Cruz, portavoz de la oficina de la congresista republicana por la Florida, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, indicó que ésta no haría comentarios sobre el tema. Los departamentos de Estado y Justicia no respondieron preguntas en relación al caso.
Alvarez nació en Alquízar el 8 de agosto de 1943. Ingresó a las filas del Ministerio de Comercio Exterior (MINCEX) a inicios de la década de 1960. Entre 1967 y 1982 fungió como consejero comercial en las embajadas de Cuba en la ex Unión Soviética y Bulgaria.
A su regreso al MINCEX sirvió como director de envíos y seguros internacionales. En 1990 fue nombrado viceministro, puesto que ocupó hasta 1998.
Read more: http://www.elnuevoherald.com/2011/01/06/865048/presidente-de-alimport-habria.html#ixzz1AZbTETX2
Cuba expects to receive 2.5 million tourists in 2010
Xinhua, December 22, 2010
Cuban authorities plan to conclude 2010 with a total of 2.5 million tourists, with an expected growth of 10 percent in the number of tourists for 2011, a senior official of the Ministry of Tourism (Mintur) said on Tuesday.
Commercial Director of Mintur Jose Manuel Bisbe said that a total of 2.4 million tourists have visited the nation this year by Tuesday, and the number is expected to reach 2.5 million by the end of 2010. He considered the figure satisfactory given the situation in other countries. The official stated that Cuba hopes to welcome 2.7 million visitors in 2011. He described the goal as "ambitious" but not unattainable considering the current conditions in local tourism. "We are not so far away from the goal of 3 million visitors to Cuba per year," Bisbe said. Cuba has over 56,000 hotel rooms, most of them in the capital and in Varadero. According to Bisbe, visitors are mainly from Canada, Italy, Germany, Spain, France, Russia, Argentina and Mexico.
"Cuba is currently developing cruises, recreational boating and eco-tourism. It is also building a new golf courses for 2012," Bisbe added. Tourism is currently the second source of income for Cuban's economy. The National Statistics Office said tourism represented a 2.2 billion U.S.dollar income for the country in 2009. It is also one of the strategic sectors in the economic reform plan promoted by leader Raul Castro. Castro has proposed to expand the range of services offered in the industry, which he described as one of the most effective ways to inject currency to the weak Cuban economy affected by the global financial crisis.
Cuban authorities plan to conclude 2010 with a total of 2.5 million tourists, with an expected growth of 10 percent in the number of tourists for 2011, a senior official of the Ministry of Tourism (Mintur) said on Tuesday.
Commercial Director of Mintur Jose Manuel Bisbe said that a total of 2.4 million tourists have visited the nation this year by Tuesday, and the number is expected to reach 2.5 million by the end of 2010. He considered the figure satisfactory given the situation in other countries. The official stated that Cuba hopes to welcome 2.7 million visitors in 2011. He described the goal as "ambitious" but not unattainable considering the current conditions in local tourism. "We are not so far away from the goal of 3 million visitors to Cuba per year," Bisbe said. Cuba has over 56,000 hotel rooms, most of them in the capital and in Varadero. According to Bisbe, visitors are mainly from Canada, Italy, Germany, Spain, France, Russia, Argentina and Mexico.
"Cuba is currently developing cruises, recreational boating and eco-tourism. It is also building a new golf courses for 2012," Bisbe added. Tourism is currently the second source of income for Cuban's economy. The National Statistics Office said tourism represented a 2.2 billion U.S.dollar income for the country in 2009. It is also one of the strategic sectors in the economic reform plan promoted by leader Raul Castro. Castro has proposed to expand the range of services offered in the industry, which he described as one of the most effective ways to inject currency to the weak Cuban economy affected by the global financial crisis.
Cuba: High-Ranking Official Is Missing
By REUTERS
January 8, 2011
The State Department has no information about the whereabouts of a leading Cuban government trade expert who Miami news reports said had fled, an American official said Friday. The newspaper El Nuevo Herald and several Cuban-American Web sites reported that Pedro Álvarez, 67, the former head of Cuba’s state food importing company, and a crucial figure in legal Cuban purchases of American farm products, had defected to the United States. Cuban authorities and state-run media made no mention of the reports from Miami, which said Mr. Álvarez had escaped last week and had been under investigation for corruption.
January 8, 2011
The State Department has no information about the whereabouts of a leading Cuban government trade expert who Miami news reports said had fled, an American official said Friday. The newspaper El Nuevo Herald and several Cuban-American Web sites reported that Pedro Álvarez, 67, the former head of Cuba’s state food importing company, and a crucial figure in legal Cuban purchases of American farm products, had defected to the United States. Cuban authorities and state-run media made no mention of the reports from Miami, which said Mr. Álvarez had escaped last week and had been under investigation for corruption.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Cuba eyes foreign investment to halt sugar decline
Reuters
Thu Mar 25, 2010 9:54am EDT
* Talks with foreign investors advancing: sourcesBonds
* Joint administration of mills on the table
* U.S. embargo, national pride seen as obstacles
* First such projects since 1959 revolution
By Marc Frank
HAVANA, March 25 (Reuters) - Cuba may open sugar production to foreign investors for the first time since the 1959 revolution as it seeks to reverse the once proud industry's relentless decline, business sources said this week. Talks between investors and the government have come and gone with little result for years, but what is shaping up as perhaps the island's worst harvest in a century has increased interest in bringing foreign partners, the sources said.
Their money and management know-how could help revive a sugar industry that has collapsed from neglect and the decapitalization of mills and plantations, local experts and foreign traders said. President Raul Castro, who took over from ailing brother Fidel Castro two years ago, is trying to right communist Cuba's cash-strapped economy by increasing exports and cutting imports.
Sugar, once the driver of Cuba's economy, now accounts for less than 5 percent of Cuba's foreign earnings, but prices have been driven up by ethanol demand, so Cuba is turning to it once again.
A Cuban source with knowledge of the sugar industry said the government has been seriously exploring foreign participation for several months. "The executive Committee of the Council of Ministers approved plans to pursue talks last November, and again this year to sign administrative agreements," the source said. Foreign banking and other business sources confirmed talks were advancing toward agreements that would have investors jointly administer several mills and share in the production for a limited number of years. The sources would not name the various companies involved or provide further details. Similar agreements already exist in the citrus industry, where Panama-based Israeli investors jointly operate juice plants with the government.
U.S. HELMS-BURTON LAW
Theoretically, the state-run sugar industry has been open to direct investment since 1995, but in practice there has been little interest on the government's part except in a few joint ventures making sugar derivatives such as alcohol and parts used in sugar processing, the sources said.
A big obstacle is the U.S. Helms-Burton law, which penalizes investment in properties expropriated from U.S. owners and contains a yet-to-be implemented chapter allowing Cuban-Americans to sue investors who "traffic" in their expropriated properties. All but eight of Cuba's mills were built before the revolution and therefore nationalized, and most plantations are lands expropriated by the government after Fidel Castro took power in 1959. Foreign investors are forbidden by law to own land in Cuba, and do not need to own anything for the proposed sugar ventures, said a local economist. "There is little need for investors to own land. In fact, it is in their interest to simply administer mills, provide farmers with technology packets and process the cane," he said.
Cuba was once the world's biggest sugar exporter with raw output reaching 8.1 million tonnes in 1989, but the industry went into decline after Cuba's top ally for 30 years, the former Soviet Union, collapsed in 1991. The Soviet Union paid padded prices for Cuban sugar to boost the island's economy, so its demise hit Cuba and the sugar industry hard. Cuba shut down and dismantled 71 of 156 mills in 2003 and relegated 60 percent of sugar plantation land to other uses. More mills have closed since then, with just 44 mills open this season. Another 20 have been maintained in working condition for future use. Only 1.7 million acres (700,000 hectares) of the over 5 million acres (2 million hectares) once controlled by Cuba's Sugar Ministry are currently dedicated to sugar cane. Cuba planned to produce 1.3 million tonnes of raw sugar this season, but milling problems and low yields have resulted in a shortfall of more than 100,000 tonnes to date. With the harvest scheduled to end by May, Cuba is in danger of reaching its lowest output since 1908, when 1.2 million tonnes of sugar were produced.
Thu Mar 25, 2010 9:54am EDT
* Talks with foreign investors advancing: sourcesBonds
* Joint administration of mills on the table
* U.S. embargo, national pride seen as obstacles
* First such projects since 1959 revolution
By Marc Frank
HAVANA, March 25 (Reuters) - Cuba may open sugar production to foreign investors for the first time since the 1959 revolution as it seeks to reverse the once proud industry's relentless decline, business sources said this week. Talks between investors and the government have come and gone with little result for years, but what is shaping up as perhaps the island's worst harvest in a century has increased interest in bringing foreign partners, the sources said.
Their money and management know-how could help revive a sugar industry that has collapsed from neglect and the decapitalization of mills and plantations, local experts and foreign traders said. President Raul Castro, who took over from ailing brother Fidel Castro two years ago, is trying to right communist Cuba's cash-strapped economy by increasing exports and cutting imports.
Sugar, once the driver of Cuba's economy, now accounts for less than 5 percent of Cuba's foreign earnings, but prices have been driven up by ethanol demand, so Cuba is turning to it once again.
A Cuban source with knowledge of the sugar industry said the government has been seriously exploring foreign participation for several months. "The executive Committee of the Council of Ministers approved plans to pursue talks last November, and again this year to sign administrative agreements," the source said. Foreign banking and other business sources confirmed talks were advancing toward agreements that would have investors jointly administer several mills and share in the production for a limited number of years. The sources would not name the various companies involved or provide further details. Similar agreements already exist in the citrus industry, where Panama-based Israeli investors jointly operate juice plants with the government.
U.S. HELMS-BURTON LAW
Theoretically, the state-run sugar industry has been open to direct investment since 1995, but in practice there has been little interest on the government's part except in a few joint ventures making sugar derivatives such as alcohol and parts used in sugar processing, the sources said.
A big obstacle is the U.S. Helms-Burton law, which penalizes investment in properties expropriated from U.S. owners and contains a yet-to-be implemented chapter allowing Cuban-Americans to sue investors who "traffic" in their expropriated properties. All but eight of Cuba's mills were built before the revolution and therefore nationalized, and most plantations are lands expropriated by the government after Fidel Castro took power in 1959. Foreign investors are forbidden by law to own land in Cuba, and do not need to own anything for the proposed sugar ventures, said a local economist. "There is little need for investors to own land. In fact, it is in their interest to simply administer mills, provide farmers with technology packets and process the cane," he said.
Cuba was once the world's biggest sugar exporter with raw output reaching 8.1 million tonnes in 1989, but the industry went into decline after Cuba's top ally for 30 years, the former Soviet Union, collapsed in 1991. The Soviet Union paid padded prices for Cuban sugar to boost the island's economy, so its demise hit Cuba and the sugar industry hard. Cuba shut down and dismantled 71 of 156 mills in 2003 and relegated 60 percent of sugar plantation land to other uses. More mills have closed since then, with just 44 mills open this season. Another 20 have been maintained in working condition for future use. Only 1.7 million acres (700,000 hectares) of the over 5 million acres (2 million hectares) once controlled by Cuba's Sugar Ministry are currently dedicated to sugar cane. Cuba planned to produce 1.3 million tonnes of raw sugar this season, but milling problems and low yields have resulted in a shortfall of more than 100,000 tonnes to date. With the harvest scheduled to end by May, Cuba is in danger of reaching its lowest output since 1908, when 1.2 million tonnes of sugar were produced.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
5K tons of beans head for Cuba
Local port was first to sign trade deal with nation
By Fanny S. Chirinos
The Corpus Christi Caller, January 27, 2009
Sean Register (from left), president of Register International, Michael Perez, Port of Corpus Christi director of business development, and Port of Corpus Christi chairman Ruben Bonilla watch as beans are loaded into a ship.
Beans by WestStar Foods headed to Cuba are loaded into a ship at Wharf 15 at the Port of Corpus Christi on Monday. This is the first shipment of the beans. WestStar Foods worked with Register International to service the movement aboard the MCP Famagusta.
Trucks park alongside a ship at the port to unload beans bound for Cuba. The four-day trip to the island will mark the 92nd charter to Cuba for Register International, said its president, Sean Register.
CORPUS CHRISTI — About 5,000 tons of pinto beans will leave the Port of Corpus Christi this evening and arrive in the Port of Santiago de Cuba by Saturday evening. The shipment is the first to head for Cuba this year.
Corpus Christi-based WestStar Foods began loading the sacks of beans on Monday aboard the MCP Famagusta, a vessel chartered by Register International. Pat Walleson, WestStar's managing partner, said he expects to ship an additional 5,000 to 15,000 tons to Cuba this year.
"We would love to ship smaller tonnages of packaged beans," said Walleson, as he oversaw the loading of the 100-pound bags at the dock.
The four-day trip to the island will mark the 92nd charter to Cuba for Register International, said its president, Sean Register. The Corpus Christi port in 2003 became the first U.S. port to sign a trade agreement with Cuba.
"This is not only good for the Port of Corpus Christi but for America," Register said after receiving a "first-call" plaque from port officials. "We're here because of the port's marketing efforts. (The Cubans) trust (Register and the Port of Corpus Christi) and that means a lot when doing business with them."
Michael Perez, the port's director of business development, said Cuban officials always are looking at getting the best product at lower prices. Having a good history with them helps, he added.
"The more we'll buy, the more we'll ship," Perez said. "We hope to do at least 5,000 tons a quarter, about a $4 million load."
Port officials welcomed officials from WestStar, Register and guests during a ceremony Monday morning. Attending the event were port commissioners Judy Hawley, Francis Gandy and Richard Borchard and port chairman Ruben Bonilla.
Contact Fanny S. Chirinos at 886-3759 or chirinosf@caller.com
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