Misleading Tweet By Biden-Harris Department Of State Emulates Trump-Pence Department Of State. So Much For Wanting To Be Different. Channeling Michael Kozak.
/Misleading Tweet By Biden-Harris Department Of State Emulates Trump-Pence Department Of State. So Much For Wanting To Be Different. Channeling Michael Kozak.
“The commercial export from the United States to the Republic of Cuba of agricultural commodities, food products, and healthcare products (medical equipment, medical instruments, medical supplies, pharmaceuticals) is not an act of benevolence by the Biden-Harris Administration (2021- ). To suggest so is a lie. These commercial exports are specifically authorized by statutes (1992 and in 2000), legislation approved by the United States Congress and then signed into law by the president of the United States. The primary goals are to provide new markets to United States exporters.”
Tweet Published By The Embassy of the United States, Havana, Republic of Cuba (22 February 2023): “En 2021, Estados Unidos autorizó más de 4.200 millones de dólares en exportaciones humanitarias a Cuba. En 2022, autorizamos 7.600 millones de dólares de exportaciones humanitarias. Estas exportaciones tienen como objetivo ayudar directamente al pueblo cubano.”
English Translation (Google): “In 2021, the United States authorized more than $4.2 billion in humanitarian exports to Cuba. In 2022, we authorize $7.6 billion of humanitarian exports. These exports are intended to directly help the Cuban people.”
Follow-Up Email From The United States Department of State: “The 2022 figure is 7.6 billion dollars, the 2021 figure is 4.2 billion. These are figures reflect the combined value of all goods authorized for export from the US to Cuba including food, medicine, and everyday goods. These are not strictly confined to purchases from US companies but include humanitarian donations by individuals and organizations. The authorized figure does not necessarily reflect actual exports or donations.”
For perspective:
Agricultural Commodity/Food Commercial Exports Delivered To Cuba
2022- US$328,536,988.00
2021- US$304,774,413.00
For the period 2001 through 2022, from when the first agricultural commodity and food products were exported from the United States to the Republic of Cuba under provisions of the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act (TSREEA) of 2000, the value delivered was US$6,903,726,366.00.
Healthcare Products Commercial Exports Delivered To Cuba
2022- US$9,226,763.00
2021- US$487,886.00
For the period 2003 through 2022, the value of healthcare products (medical equipment, medical instruments, medical supplies, pharmaceuticals) delivered from the United States to the Republic of Cuba under provisions of the Cuban Democracy Act (CDA) of 1992 was US$36,419,340.00.
Donations Delivered To Cuba
2022- US$30,083,306.00
2021- US$11,074,090.00
For the period 2014 through 2022, the value of humanitarian donations delivered from the United States to the Republic of Cuba was US$68,682,418.00.
Why did the United States Department of State not include the details, the context, in its initial tweet? Because the intention was to deliberately mislead to the benefit of the Biden-Harris Administration (2021- ) and to the detriment of the Diaz-Canel-Valdes Mesa Administration (2019- ).
The message was designed to embarrass, humiliate the government of the Republic of Cuba. That objective is perfectly acceptable when using facts to support the goal. That objective is profoundly objectionable when using the imperator, the credibility of the government of the United States government.
The misuse of data in this manner permits the government of the Republic of Cuba to justifiably respond- it is accused by the United States Department of State of lying and misusing statistics and here the United States Department of State engages in equally egregious behavior.
This official statement from the United States Embassy in Havana, Republic of Cuba, is a repeat of what previous administrations have done- be reckless with the facts, and present information that they know fully is misleading. It’s disrespectful. It's disgraceful.
The Biden-Harris Administration knows that the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the United States Department of Commerce has since the Bush-Cheney Administration (2001-2009) and during the Obama-Biden Administration (2009-2017), and Trump-Pence Administration (2017-2021) encouraged companies, organizations, and individuals who are exporting products from the United States to the Republic of Cuba- whether commercial (sold) or donated, not be required to seek a BIS license (if one is required) for the precise U.S. Dollar value of a particular shipment.
Rather, to reduce paperwork, the exporter is encouraged to bundle expectations. For example, if a company has an order for US$2 million in poultry, then the exporter might seek a license value of US$75 million or more or less so that if there are subsequent orders within the validity of the BIS license (usually three years to four years) additional BIS licenses are not required. Same is true for donations- if an organization is hopeful to have US$10 million, then include US$100 million or more or less in the BIS license application.
One example of how the data in the Tweet published on 22 February 2023 by the United States Department of State is misleading- the US$7.6 billion value is more than the value of all agricultural commodity, food product, healthcare product, and donations since December 2001.
LINK TO STATISTICS IN PDF FORMAT
Related Tweets From United States Department Of State
Two Tweets From US Assistant Secretary Of State Michael Kozak Devoid Of Important Context And Details; He's Done It Before April 11, 2020
Clarification To Tweet From Michael Kozak, US Assistant Secretary Of State About U.S. Exports To Cuba September 24, 2019
“On 23 September 2019, The Honorable Michael G. Kozak, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs “retweeted” a “tweet” from the Embassy of the United States in Cuba. LINK: https://twitter.com/WHAAsstSecty/status/1176240454104473601
The publication of a US$12 billion “authorized” value since January 2018 is misleading and unnecessarily reinforces questions of credibility for statements by the United States Department of State. Context is important. Thus far in 2019, approximately US$186,114,479.00 (through 30 July 2019) in ag/food products have been exported from the United States to Cuba. Thus far in 2019, Cuba ranks 50th among 229 United States ag/food export markets. Exports in 2018 were US$224,910,413.00 and exports in 2017 were US$268,800,005.00.
Since December 2001, more than US$6,061,327,697.00 (through 30 July 2019) in ag/food products have been exported to Cuba. Link To monthly report: https://www.cubatrade.org/blog/2019/9/6/us-ag-exports-to-cuba-increased-1002-in-july-remain-up-10-year-to-year
For many years, through the Bush-Cheney Administration, Obama-Biden Administration and thus far through the Trump-Pence Administration, United States exporters have been encouraged by the United States Department of Commerce to submit export license requests with gross estimates, often aspirational, so that they would not need to repeatedly seek licenses. Most licenses are valid for two years.
During the Bush-Pence Administration, the process was initiated at the recommendation of United States exporters to lessen often repetitive paperwork and was enthusiastically accepted by the United States Department of Commerce.
Important to note that the values placed in the license applications often are done without any input from the Cuba-based importer. As a result, the overall authorized values are often inflated. This is not the first time an administration has misused the data- and previous administrations have corrected the context by which they have used the data.”
