AWWA/Cuba Water/Wastewater Education Mission Know Before You Go Tuesday, August 23, Copyright 2016 American Water Works Association

Transcription

1 AWWA/Cuba Water/Wastewater Education Mission Know Before You Go Copyright 2016 American Water Works Association Webinar Moderator No Image Available Jane Johnson Director of Sales American Water Works Association Jane Johnson has been employed by AWWA as the Director of Sales and Staff Liaison to the Manufacturers/Associates Council for the past 14 years. Jane also works on AWWA International strategy, including creating US/AWWA pavilions at international conferences and organizing trade and educational missions for members. 2 1

2 Enhance Your Webinar Experience Close Programs Instant messengers Other programs not in use GoToWebinar Support 3 Panel of Experts Collin Laverty President Cuba Educational Travel Augusto (Gus) Maxwell Chair, Cuba Practice Akerman, LLP Mark Salinas Senior Export Policy Analyst Dept of Commerce s Bureau of Industry & Security 4 2

3 Agenda I. Know Before You Go II. Cuba Policy Developments III. How to Apply for an Export License Collin Laverty Augusto (Gus) Maxwell Mark Salinas 5 Ask the Experts Collin Laverty Augusto (Gus) Maxwell Mark Salinas Enter your question into the question pane at the lower right hand side of the screen. Please include your name and specify to whom you are addressing the question. 6 3

4 Know Before You Go Collin Laverty President Cuba Educational Travel 7 Monday, Oct 31 Morning: Depart Miami for Havana (flight information pending). 12:30 pm Welcome lunch at Atelier. This paladar is equally known for its atmosphere and exquisite cuisine. The lighting and textures of the house, which was home to a prerevolutionary senator, coupled with walls adorned in modern art, create a cozy, but modern setting. We will be joined by our Cuban hosts for an informal discussion. 3:00 pm Check-in at the Hotel Nacional, the home to many important dignitaries during their visits to Cuba throughout the 20th century and today. The beautiful grounds are unbeatable and take you back in time. 5:00 pm Panel discussion with Carlos Alzugaray, former Cuban diplomat and expert on U.S. Cuba relations, Rafael Hernandez, political scientist and director of Temas, and Jorge Mario Sanchez, economist from the University of Havana. At the Hotel Nacional. 6:30 pm Welcome reception with light food and drinks at El Cocinero. This lovely restaurant is housed in a former factory. Home to Havana s hip, you might think you are in Soho or Madrid. 8 4

5 Tuesday, Nov 1 9:00 am Visit to the Instituto Nacional de Recursos Hidráulicos de Cuba (National Institute of Hydraulic Resources). This organization is responsible for coordinating protective measures for ground water, watersheds and other natural water channels, as well as hydraulic machinery, against pollution and other threats to water quality on the island. Calle Humboldt no. 106, corner of Calle P in Vedado. 11:00 am Visit to Aguas de la Habana (Havana Water Company) which manages public drinking water, sewage, sanitation and drainage for the City of Havana and neighborhoods west of the capital city. Location TBD. 1:00 pm Lunch at Café Laurent, a paladar located in the beautiful Vedado District. Located just blocks from the Hotel Nacional, this penthouse apartment has been converted into a lovely rooftop restaurant. 3 pm Visit to CUJAE at the José Antonio Echeverría Polytechnic Institute, an undergraduate, post-graduate and doctoral research university that specializes in engineering programs. With seven distinct faculty departments, CUJAE is the most respected engineering school in the country. Calle 114, no between Calle 119 y Calle 129, Cujae, Marianao. 9 Tuesday, Nov 1, cont d 5:30 pm Optional: Walking Tour of Old Havana. Wander through the Plaza Vieja, the oldest plaza in Havana, dating from the 16th century. See the Plaza de San Francisco, a cobbled plaza surrounded by buildings dating from the 18th century, dominated by the baroque Iglesia and Convento de San Francisco dating from Visit Plaza de la Catedral and the Catedral de San Cristóbal de La Habana. Visit the Plaza de Armas, a scenic tree-lined plaza formerly at the center of influence in Cuba. It is surrounded by many of the most historic structures in Havana as well as important monuments. Evening free 10 5

6 Wednesday, Nov 2 9:00 am Discussion with urban planner Miguel Coyula, whose presentation will touch on housing, infrastructure, investment and restoration programs in Havana. His contextualization of the city s history and needs moving forward make for an enlightening discussion. At the Hotel Nacional. 11:00 am Visit with the Ministerio de Comercio e Inversión Extranjera (Ministry of Foreign Commerce and Investment), the governing body of the Cuban government responsible for the oversight of foreign investment on the island. Calle Infanta no. 16 between Calle 23 and Calle Humboldt 12:30 pm Lunch at San Cristobal Located in the heart of Central Havana, this paladar has a reputation of excellence in both atmosphere and local cuisine. Enjoy great food while the locale takes you back to the 1940s and 50s. 2:30 pm Visit to Mariel Special Development Zone, located about 28 miles west of the City of Havana, the Mariel port and bay have recently been selected by the government as a new economic development area. Foreign investment and construction have begun to transform this area into an important manufacturing and shipping zone for the region. Calle 132 no entre Calle 89 y Final, Municipio Mariel. 11 Wednesday, Nov 2, cont d 6:30 pm Optional: Private musical performance by renowned singer and songwriter Frank Delgado at Café Madrigal. Enjoy tasty tapas and cocktails while learning about the nueva trova movement in Cuba. 12 6

7 Thursday, Nov 3 8:30 am Check-out and depart for Varadero, Cuba s longest stretch of white, sandy beaches. On the way, we will visit Matanzas, often referred to as the Athens of Cuba. Between 1817 and 1827, after the introduction of large sugar mills, the region flourished and attracted a large number of artists, writers, musicians, and intellectuals 9:00 am Visit to water-treatment facilities in Havana. Location TBD. 12:30 pm Lunch in Matanzas City Center. Following lunch, continue on to Varadero. 3:00 pm Visit to Aguas de Varadero (Varadero Water Company) which manages public drinking water, sewage, sanitation and drainage for the municipality of Varadero, which includes several large resorts in addition to homes and businesses. 5:00 pm Check-in at all-inclusive resort on Varadero Beach. 13 Thursday, Nov 4 Morning free 11:30 am Check-out and depart for airport in Havana. Late afternoon: Return flight to Miami (flight information pending). 14 7

8 Ask the Experts Collin Laverty Augusto (Gus) Maxwell Mark Salinas Enter your question into the question pane at the lower right hand side of the screen. Please include your name and specify to whom you are addressing the question. 15 Cuba Practice Augusto E. Maxwell Pedro A. Freyre Matthew D. Aho August 23,

9 Team Members Augusto E. Maxwell Chair, Cuba Practice Augusto Maxwell is the chair of Akerman s nationally recognized Cuba Practice and has travelled extensively to the island in representation of U.S. clients. Since 2003, he has led discussions between U.S. and Cuban government officials as well as industry leaders on ongoing U.S. Cuba relations. Key Achievements Augusto lead the team who represented Airbnb in their successful Cuba launch, making it one of the first companies to take advantage of the loosening of regulations that had for decades prohibited Americans from doing business in Cuba. He represented Stonegate Bank with respect to the establishment of banking relations between a U.S. and Cuban bank, making history as it was the first U.S. bank to do so in half a century. He is the only U.S. attorney to be recognized by Chambers Latin America and Chambers Global for his work with Cuba in the categories of "Corporate/Commercial: Lawyers Based Abroad" and "General Business Law." Akerman 17 American Water Works Association (AWWA) 9

10 Arc of U.S. Policy Since 2014 President Barack Obama s historic December 2014 announcement set in motion a series of major policy changes The Pillars of U.S. Policy Under Barack Obama Family Reunification Support for Private Economic Activity Free Flow of Information Purposeful U.S. Travel Support for the Cuban People Akerman 19 What is normalization Executive versus legislative actions Major diplomatic and symbolic progress Reopening of embassies Cabinet-level meetings and travel President Obama s historic March 2016 trip to Havana Successive rounds of regulatory changes designed to spur a wide range of new commercial activities Five major rounds of regulatory reforms Major surge in U.S. business interest Akerman 20 10

11 Support for the Cuban People A new policy rationale for wide-ranging regulatory changes authorizing unprecedented activities Exports of U.S. goods to Cuba Imports of certain goods and services from Cuba to the United States Humanitarian projects (broadly defined) Infrastructure Akerman 21 Support for the Cuban People How regulatory changes are enacted Treasury Department s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) s Cuban Assets Control Regulations (CACR) General and Specific Licenses Commerce Department s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) s Export Administration Regulations (EAR) License Exceptions and Export Licenses Sanctions changes are undertaken in consultation with the Department of State Akerman 22 11

12 Support for the Cuban People Possible implications for AWWA members Water and sanitation services and infrastructure are clearly in line with administration policy regarding support for the Cuban people There is tremendous need for across-the-board infrastructure improvements on the island, particularly in essential services This is an area of policy alignment (U.S. and Cuban interests intersect) Akerman 23 Policy Outlook: 2017 and Beyond Clinton vs. Trump Administrations Under a Clinton Administration, there is a high likelihood of policy continuity and potential for legislative action Under a Trump Administration, Cuba is unlikely to rank very high on list of administration priorities Bottom line: there is a high likelihood of policy continuity, with potential for further progress within months of the 2016 election Akerman 24 12

13 Ask the Experts Collin Laverty Augusto (Gus) Maxwell Mark Salinas Enter your question into the question pane at the lower right hand side of the screen. Please include your name and specify to whom you are addressing the question

14 How to Apply for an Export License Mark Salinas Senior Export Policy Analyst Dept of Commerce s Bureau of Industry & Security

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16 31 Ask the Experts Collin Laverty Augusto (Gus) Maxwell Mark Salinas Enter your question into the question pane at the lower right hand side of the screen. Please include your name and specify to whom you are addressing the question

17 Thank You Jane Johnson, American Water Works Association Collin Laverty, Cuba Education Travel Augusto Maxwell, Akerman, LLP Mark Salinas, Dept of Commerce s Bureau of Industry & Security Mark.Salinas@bis.doc.gov 33 Presenter Biography Information Collin Laverty, President of Cuba Educational Travel, will run through trip details for the AWWA delegation to Cuba, including visas, flights, lodging, ground programming and other relevant issues. Mr. Laverty, considered a leading expert on trade to and travel with Cuba, has led dozens of important business delegations to Cuba and helped a number of U.S. Cuba establish trade and investment relations on the island. Augusto Maxwell is the chair of Akerman s nationally recognized Cuba Practice and is the only U.S. attorney to be recognized by Chambers Latin America and Chambers Global for his work with Cuba. Since 2003, he has led discussions between U.S. and Cuban government officials as well as industry leaders on ongoing U.S. Cuba relations. This sustained engagement with both governments and business leaders has allowed Augusto to participate in several breakthrough projects. For the last six years, he has also served as a Lecturer of Law at Columbia University School of Law, where he co-teaches a seminar titled Cuba: Law Policy and Transition. Mark Salinas is a senior export policy analyst in the Office of Nonproliferation and Treaty Compliance's Foreign Policy Division at the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry & Security (BIS). He has been with BIS for four years and during that time he has worked within the Munitions Control Division and served as the acting Executive Secretariat. During his time within the Foreign Policy Division, Mr. Salinas has focused on Cuba licensing and policy development. Prior to joining BIS, Mr. Salinas worked at the Department of Justice and Defense