ROFLMAO
From your own URL- see bolded areas:
Economy?overview: The state plays the primary role in the economy and controls practically all foreign trade. The
government has undertaken several reforms in recent years to stem excess liquidity, increase labor incentives, and alleviate
serious shortages of food, consumer goods, and services. The liberalized agricultural markets introduced in October 1994, at
which state and private farmers sell above-quota production at unrestricted prices, have broadened legal consumption
alternatives and reduced black market prices. Government efforts to lower subsidies to unprofitable enterprises and to shrink
the money supply caused the semi-official exchange rate for the Cuban peso to move from a peak of 120 to the dollar in the
summer of 1994 to 21 to the dollar by yearend 1998. New taxes introduced in 1996 helped drive down the number of
self-employed workers from 208,000 in January 1996 to 155,000 by July 1998. Havana announced in 1995 that GDP
declined by 35% during 1989-93, the result of lost Soviet aid and domestic inefficiencies. The drop in GDP apparently halted
in 1994, when Cuba reported 0.7% growth, followed by increases of 2.5% in 1995 and 7.8% in 1996. Growth slowed again
in 1997 and 1998 to 2.5% and 1.2% respectively. Export earnings declined 22% in 1998, to $1.4 billion, the result of lower
sugar export volume and lower world prices for nickel and sugar. Import expenditures also fell 15% to $3.0 billion, in part due
to lower world oil prices. Tourism and remittances play a key role in foreign currency earnings. Living standards for the average
Cuban remain at a depressed level compared with 1990.
Imports?commodities: petroleum, food, machinery, chemicals
Exports?commodities: sugar, nickel, tobacco, shellfish, medical products, citrus, coffee
When you learn to read you might learn to argue. But I can't be SURE- I do not want to hold out false hope to you. If they have "LOTS" of oil I wonder why they are an IMPORTER of oil and why it is one of their biggest IMPORTS. heeheeheeheeheehee |
