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Port Manatee signs shipping agreement with Cuba

Port Manatee signs shipping agreement with Cuba

   Cuba signed a shipping agreement on Wednesday (Nov. 19) with Port Manatee, the fifth Florida port to do so since the resumption of U.S. trade in food and agricultural exports to the nearby island, Reuters reported.

   Port Manatee, located in Tampa Bay, is the closest U.S. port to Cuba on the Gulf.

   The first shipment of 250 beef cattle to Cuba from Florida will sail early next year from Port Manatee, said the port’s chairman Joe McClash.

   The Cuban food import agency Alimport has spent more than $500 million in two years on American food — mainly grains and cereals, Reuters said.

   Tampa is also reported to have recently opened its first regular monthly shipping service to Cuba.