Nagin's Cuba trip can only help says port CEO

Nagin's Cuba trip can only help says port CEO
Chris Miller Reporting

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin is in Cuba on a long trip exploring future
trade opportunities with the Caribbean island nation. Even though
there's a U.S. trade embargo against Cuba dating back to the island's
communist revolution, Port of New Orleans president and CEO Gary
LaGrange says it's still a good idea to reach out to Cuba.

"I think you have to. I don't think there's any question about it,"
LaGrange said.

Recent exceptions to U.S. law allow shipments of food to Cuba, and
Louisiana participates in that.

"As we speak, Louisiana rice, Louisiana dairy products, are being
shipped and have been shipped for the last four or five years to Cuba,"
LaGrange said, but he also said that alone doesn't give New Orleans an
inside track.

"Just remember that there are several other ports in the southeast that
have the same arrangements, in other states, and are doing the same
things as well," said LaGrange.

LaGrange says when the embargo is ended, whenever that may be, trips
like the one Mayor Nagin is on now can only prove helpful.

WWL - AM870 | FM105.3 | News | Talk | Sports - Nagin's Cuba trip can
only help says port CEO (19 October 2009)
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