Washington punishes more US companies
Campaign News | Wednesday, 6 August 2008
US companies continued to be the target of huge
fines this year for having violated the over 45-year US economic, financial and commercial blockade of Cuba.
In a recent report cited by different US media outlets, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), of the Treasury Department, informed that
the Minxia Non-Ferrous Metals Inc, based in Columbia, Maryland was given a 198,000 dollar fine for “acting without a license in commercial
operations related to Cuban metals between 2003 and 2006.”
Another US company known as Gate Gourmet, based in Reston, Virginia and specialized in catering for civil aviation was fined with 581,901 dollars for having offered services to Cubana de Aviacion Airline Company between 2002 and 2006.
Also punished was the Florida-based Concord Camera with a 12, 000 dollar fine after allegations that one of its subsidiaries in Hong Kong had sold photographic cameras to Cuba.
Concord Camera has been the third company in Florida to have been punished for having violated the US blockade of Cuba in 2008. In previous occasions US authorities also fined Bank Atlantic, of Fort Lauderdale with 7, 500 dollars and Spirit Airlines, of Miramar, with 100, 000 dollars.
The list of US enterprises punished by the Treasury has also included United Radio, of Florence, Kentucky, with 67, 574 dollars and Sonida International, of Forest Hill, New York, with 2, 400 dollars, according to the most recent report by the OFAC.
The fines imposed by the US Treasury on US companies or individuals have amounted to 2 million dollars this year, well over the total of 803, 229 dollars reported in fines during 2007.
