The Art of the (Cuban) Deal (Editorial)

A new year bringing a new president, Donald Trump, is approaching and an old foe, Fidel Castro, is dead. What better time for a reset on U.S. relations — and Arkansas trade — with Cuba?

Fifty-plus years of the U.S. trade embargo against communist Cuba have failed to bring democracy to that island nation; instead, it’s penalized Arkansas businesses — particularly Arkansas farmers, particularly Arkansas rice and poultry producers — who would benefit greatly by trade with Cuba, as that nation would benefit from having access to these products.

We’ve applauded President Obama’s initiative to normalize relations, and the state’s congressmen and governor have pushed efforts to open Cuba to Arkansas trade. In September 2015, Gov. Asa Hutchinson, on an economic development trip to Cuba, said that Arkansas, with its access to the Mississippi River, stands to be among the top five states doing business with the country.

Hutchinson, addressing the Arkansas Farm Bureau last week, observed the opportunity that Castro’s death afforded, both for trade and to promote freedom, saying, “It’s like expectations went up.”

Our pragmatic governor also discussed the phone conversation he had with President-elect Trump last week, telling the farmers he had tried to educate him about the importance to farmers of exports and the importance to the nation of farmers.

Castro’s death prompted one of Trump’s notorious tweets: “If Cuba is unwilling to make a better deal for the Cuban people, the Cuban/American people and the U.S. as a whole, I will terminate deal.” And now a man who campaigned on his deal-making ability will be in a position to do Arkansas businesses and farmers a great service by working a deal that opens Cuban markets to Arkansas exports and opens Cuba to free market principles.