国际英语新闻:Cuba, U.S. state of Louisiana ink accords on agriculture, ports

HAVANA, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Cuba and the U.S. state of Louisiana on Tuesday signed two agreements to boost trade in agriculture and to strengthen port connections between the two sides.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards attended the signing ceremony, and said the deals aimed to allow the two sides to exploit economic and trade ties "to the maximum."

He was joined by Cuba's Director of North American Trade Policy Maria de la Luz B'Hamel.

The two sides endorsed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) during a business forum in Havana, attended by representatives of Cuba's National Port Administration (APNC) and Louisiana's Ports Association.

The MOU would be connecting "international commerce between countries through ports," Louisiana's Department of Trade and Development tweeted.

A second agreement was inked between Cuba's Agricultural Business Group and Louisiana's Department of Agriculture and Forestry.

In the past 10 years, Louisiana has exported 1 billion U.S. dollars' worth of goods to Cuba, under special licenses from the Federal Government, in keeping with existing restrictions imposed by the trade embargo, said Edwards.

"Louisiana is one of the (U.S.) states with the strongest ties to Cuba, in terms of trade, despite the restrictions of the embargo imposed against Cuba by the northern nation for more than 50 years," said B'Hamel.

The U.S. delegation will be in Cuba through Oct. 7 to meet with authorities from different sectors, and visit Cuba's special economic zone of Mariel, an industrial park and deep-water port designed to attract foreign companies.

This marks the third visit to Cuba by a U.S. governor this year, following those of Terry McAuliffe of Virginia and Jay Nixon of Missouri, in January and May, respectively.