Florida governor threatens ports that do business with Cuba

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Gov. Rick Scott is threatening that Florida ports could lose state money if they do business with Cuba.

Scott said Wednesday via Twitter that he will propose a budget that restricts state money for ports that trade with the communist island. He said he was disappointed some Florida ports would enter into agreements with Cuba.

The threat came after news reports of the first legal import from Cuba in more than 50 years arriving at a Fort Lauderdale port, and that Cuban port officials plan to meet with Palm Beach County port officials.

It was not immediately clear what impact Scott’s statement would have on Cuban imports coming through Florida. Trade with Cuba was banned for decades, but limited trade recently was opened by former President Barack Obama’s executive order.

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This story has corrected the day of the tweets to Wednesday, not Thursday.