Notice of Meeting With Interested Public on the Sale of Medicines, Medical Products, Food and Agricultural Items to Cuba

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of Export Administration

Notice of Meeting With Interested Public on the Sale of

Medicines, Medical Products, Food and Agricultural Items to Cuba

The Bureau of Export Administration (BXA) will hold a meeting on

July 15, 1999 for those companies and organizations that have an

interest in exporting medicines and medical products, food and

agricultural items for sale to Cuba. U.S. Government officials will

provide information at this meeting on how to apply for export of such

items to Cuba.

The meeting will be held July 15, 1999 at 10:00 a.m., at the U.S.

Department of Commerce, Herbert C. Hoover Building, Room 6800, 14th

Street between Pennsylvania Avenue and Constitution Avenue, NW,

Washington, DC.

If you plan to attend, please fax your name and company or

organizational affiliation to (202) 482-6088 or (202)

[[Page 37496]]

482-4094, Attn: July 15 Cuba Briefing. For further information, please

contact John Bolsteins at BXA on (202) 482-3283 or (202) 482-4252.

Background

In March of 1998 and January of 1999, the President announced

certain new initiatives intended to aid the Cuban people in their

transition to democracy and a market economy.

Under the first initiative, the Department of Commerce and other

agencies streamlined the review of license applications for the sale to

Cuba of medicines, medical supplies and equipment. Prior to 1998, very

few applications to export medicines and medical supplies and equipment

for sale to Cuba were submitted to the Commerce Department. Now, since

the March 1998 announcement, the volume of applications and licensed

medical exports to Cuba has increased notably. These medical exports

are monitored to ensure that they are for the use by the Cuban people.

Under the second initiative, the Department of Commerce revised its

Cuba regulations to provide for case-by-case review of applications to

sell food and certain agricultural items to independent entities and

non-governmental organizations in Cuba. This program is intended to aid

the small but vital private sector in Cuba. In a corresponding action,

the Treasury Department revised its Cuba regulations to provide for

specific licensing of travel to Cuba to explore sales opportunities in

these commodity areas.

Dated: July 7, 1999.

James Lewis,

Director, Office of Strategic Trade.

[FR Doc. 99-17741 Filed 7-8-99; 11:52 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-33-P