By David Adams
Back in the days before the Kennedy administration slapped an economic embargo on Cuba, Tampa shipping agent A.R. Savage & Son was at the forefront of a lucrative trade with the island. The Tampa area was a major supplier of cattle, and ships brought tobacco for the local cigar industry. There was even a twice-weekly passenger ferry service.
In February 1962, the embargo brought all that to a halt.
Now, 47 years later, many Florida businesses wonder whether another major change is in the offing.
Several bills working their way through Congress would make travel and trade easier. In the past, bills like these ran into strong White House resistance and died, but the Obama administration appears more flexible.
“This represents a huge opportunity for our state in these difficult times,” said Arthur Savage, president of A.R. Savage & Son. “It’s needed now more than ever.”
Across the state, companies are dusting off their Cuba business plans, from cruise lines to paint suppliers, wondering what the future of trade with Cuba might look like.
