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Blockade Hinders Cuban Food Purchases The US commercial, financial and economic blockade of Cuba is currently causing economic losses to the tune of $100 billion to Cuba’s food importing company ALIMPORT regarding the purchase of products to American companies. The US genocidal policy continues to obstruct the purchases and there have been no actions leading to the materialization of these sales in line with normal channels, regulations and practices of international trade. Also significantly impacting in this situation is the difficult payment conditions for Cuban importers and additional costs in storage and overstay due to bureaucratic obstacles. This amount of money would have allowed Cuba to purchase 337,000 tons of wheat or 451,000 tons of corn or 109,000 tons of chicken for the people’s consumption. Data from the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs included in the Cuban report on Resolution 64/4 to the UN General Assembly demanding the end of the US blockade of the island indicate that American subsidiaries in third countries are banned from any type of transaction with Cuban companies. The ongoing merging process involving big international companies, as well as world strategic alliances in which the United States has a significant participation, reinforces the extraterritorial nature of the blockade. According to a report released in June 2009 by the US International Trade Commission, an eventual elimination of Cuban financial restrictions and travel ban would lead to an increase of US agricultural sales to the Caribbean nation. The document states that the amount of sales would be between $924 million and $1.2 billion, that is, 64% of all the Cuban agricultural purchases. (Cubaminrex-ACN)