Gov. Asa Hutchinson talked to reporters via telephone from Havana today as his economic development trip continues. The governor, who arrived in Cuba on Sunday, is scheduled to leave the country at about 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Here’s some quick notes from his teleconference Tuesday morning:
The governor said there’s no doubt that Arkansas will be “a trading partner of significance” with Cuba, but that he sees a “requirement for patience.”
He says cited two key steps to establishing trade with Cuba: Congress must authorize credit sales to Cuba, and Cuba must reform its economy to be compatible with trade opportunities in the U.S.
The former issue is one U.S. John Boozman, R-Ark., has been working in Congress. Credit sales are necessary to sell to a country that is cash-strapped, and countries like Brazil and Vietnam have gained footholds in Cuba because of their willingness to allow credit.
@AsaHutchinson on the line from Cuba. #arpx pic.twitter.com/9k8rxj0Mhf
— Lance Turner (@LT) September 29, 2015
The U.S. opening commercial flights, and thus, tourism, to Cuba will also help the country generate the cash it needs to do business with the U.S., the governor said. It’s another area that will require Congressional approval.
Arkansas’ poultry and rice industries are poised to be big beneficiaries of trade with Cuba. (The governor noted that in the poultry section of some grocery stores, there might only be one chicken for sale.)
Among the Arkansas entities with representatives in Cuba this week: Riceland Foods Inc. of Stuttgart, Tyson Foods Inc. of Springdale, Simmons Foods Inc. of Siloam Springs (Mark Simmons), Hanna’s Candles of Fayetteville, the Arkansas World Trade Center (Dan Hendrix) and the University of Arkansas (Donald Bobbitt).
Hutchinson said the American Taekwondo Association International was also in Cuba, seeing about holding a convention in Havana.
Other states, including North Carolina, have sent delegations to the country. Hutchinson said Gulf states like Alabama, Louisiana and Florida are also seeking access. But he said Arkansas, with its access to the Mississippi River, stands to be among the top five of states doing business with the country.
Members of the governor’s contingent includes his chief of staff, Michael Lamoureux, and Alison Williams, director of State and Federal Relations for the Governor.
More: You can listen to full audio of the governor’s teleconference right here.