"We see that in this part of the world — Mexico, Central America — Cuba is our future," Edmonds told a news conference.

Edmonds spoke after he and Cuban officials signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at increasing use of the Houston port to ship American farm goods being sold to the Caribbean nation under an exception to the four-decade-old trade embargo.

Members of U.S. Congress have made repeated, but unsuccessful, attempts to ease or lift the restrictions in recent years. The administration of President George W. Bush has tightened the restrictions during the same period.

Cruise ships do visit Cuba now, but none are U.S.-based or operated by American firms.

At the news conference, Pedro Alvarez, head of Cuba's food import-export company Alimport, announced that U.S.
agricultural firms were being invited here in mid-April for talks aimed at lining up more American food sales.

Alvarez said he hoped talks would result in contracts for Cuba to buy up to US$150 million more in U.S. farm goods.