U.S. Bars Imports From Cuba

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29739, 5 February 1962, Page 13

U.S. Bars Imports From Cuba

(N.Z.P.A .-Reuter—Copyright)

WASHINGTON, February 3.

President Kennedy today banned all imports from Cuba, lie said in a statement accompanying a special proclamation that the trade embargo, which takes effect from February 7, would cut Cuba's dollar income and limit the capacity of the Castro regime

to engage in acts subversion in the Wes

of aggression and tern Hemisphere.

The President ordered the continuation of last year's ban on United States exports to Cuba, with the exception of certain foodstuffs, medicines and medical supplies. He said these exceptions had been made and would continue to be made “on humanitarian grounds.” The President issued his proclamation ordering the trade embargo in accordance with decisions taken at the recent meeting of interAmerican Foreign Ministers held in Punta Del Este. Uruguay. United States officials said later that the ban on imports would cut Cuba's total dollar income by more than onethird. They said 80 per cent, of Cuba's trade went to the Chinese-Soviet bloc countries American imports from Cuba were valued at about 35 million dollars a year. Ministers resolved at Punta Del Este that the present Government of Cuba, viewed as Communist by the United States, was incompatible with the principles and objectives of the inter-American system.

A White House statement today said: “The President pointed out that the embargo will deprive the Government of Cuba of the dollar

exchange it has been deriving from sales of its produce in the United States. “The loss of this income will reduce the capacity of the Castro regime, intimately linked with the SineSoviet bloc, to engage in acts of aggression, subversion or other activities endangering the security of the United States and other nations of the hemisphere.” Canadian Rejection In Ottawa the Prime Minister (Mr Diefenbaker) said yesterday that Canada would reject the United States ca’l for trade sanctions against Cuba. He told the House of Commons that, while Canada desired to co-operate with friendly nations, it must follow the course most appropriate for Canada, the Canadian Press reported. Mr Diefenbaker said that there was “no possibility” that dollar earnings made by Cuba in its trade with Canada were being used to promote subversion in other countries of Latin America. As for an embargo on arms to Cuba, he noted that Canada has been maintaining such an embargo for two years. It also banned shipments of strategic goods to the Caribbean island.