Cuba has said it would entertain offers of U.S. medicine in the same way as it
                 bought U.S. agricultural products to restock its food supplies. Last year it signed
                 contracts for $35 million of American food -- the first such commercial sale of
                 U.S. food to Cuba in nearly four decades.

                 "We could still buy an amount similar to what we have acquired in food," Castro
                 told reporters late Thursday after the inauguration of an international book fair here.
                 As for food products, "we have acquired almost all the food for this year."

                 The 40-year-old U.S. embargo against the communist Caribbean island allows sales
                 of American medicine and medical supplies, but prohibits U.S. financing for those
                 transactions.

                 A law passed in 2000 allows direct purchases of American food, but also bars Cuba
                 from obtaining financing from the U.S. government or private sector.

                 Because of those financing restrictions, the government refused to take advantage
                 of the law until Hurricane Michelle caused heavy damage to central Cuba in early
                 November.

                 Castro said Cuba imports nearly $1 billion of food each year. "We are not a large
                 market, but ... we import large amounts of wheat, large amounts of rice," he said.

                 As for American medicine "the offers still aren't there," he said.

                 Castro said that prices for U.S. medicines are in general much higher than in other
                 nations, but said that American pharmaceutical companies "have talked about
                 analyzing well the offers they could make."

                 He said he would have to see the offers to decide the type and quantity of
                 medicines Cuba would buy.

                 "I cannot say that all of the obstacles have been overcome ... but I can say that the
                 (American) business people have acted with much seriousness and much
                 efficiency."

                 Illinois Gov. George Ryan pitched his state's medicine and medical supplies last
                 month during a visit here with Castro. It was the second visit here by Ryan, who in
                 1999 became the first American governor to visit Cuba since the 1959 revolution
                 that brought Castro to power.

                 Ferris Mfg. Corp., a Chicago-based medical supply manufacturer, said in a news
                 release after the trip that Castro expressed interest in conducting clinical trials with
                 its dressings for burns and other wounds. But there was no announcement of a
                 sales deal.

                  Copyright 2002 The Associated Press.