Crowley Liner Services loaded containers of frozen poultry aboard Crowley's ship Express at the Port of Gulfport, Miss., for transport to Havana, Cuba. The vessel arrived in Cuba last week end. This was the first commercial cargo shipped in almost 40 years from USA to Cuba.This is the first shipment by Crowley for Alimport, the Cuban agency involved with purchasing food products for its country. Alimport contracted with Crowley to transport containerized frozen poultry and dry food products from the United States to Cuba in late November

Alimport, also known as Empresa Cubana Importadora de Alimentos, purchased the food from U.S. companies in hopes of providing relief for Cubans impacted by Hurricane Michelle, which caused widespread destruction as it passed over the island Nov. 4.

Because of Crowley's longstanding history of service to the Caribbean and the fact that the company was the first U.S. carrier to meet all federal requirements to ship licensed cargo to Cuba earlier this year, Alimport invited Crowley to bid on the transportation contract.

Earlier this year, Crowley became the first U.S. carrier to obtain a license from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States Department of the Treasury in Washington, D.C., to provide regularly scheduled common carrier services for licensed cargo from the United States to the Republic of Cuba.

Crowley's license from the OFAC permits certain Crowley executives to travel to Cuba to make whatever arrangements are necessary to ship licensed cargo to Cuba. This includes authorization to enter into contracts with and pay fees to Cuban port authorities, agents, stevedores and similar entities provided such contracts are required in order for the Crowley to provide authorized services.

Crowley began regularly scheduled common carrier service to Cuba in April. Although no direct vessel calls have been made to date, Crowley has transported loads for customers to Mexico and then via third-party carriers to Cuba on Crowley bills of lading.

Crowley Liner Services, headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., is a subsidiary of Oakland-based Crowley Maritime Corporation, founded in 1892