The occasion was a special symposium addressing the state of premium cigars on the eve of the new millennium. It was hosted by Habanos S.A., the global exporting organization for Cuban cigars. In his talk, Shanken reviewed the renaissance of the premium cigar in the United States and the subsequent changes in the market for non-Cuban cigars, then turned to Cuba. Shanken also addressed the long-standing U.S. embargo against Cuba. An edited transcript of the speech appears below.
Globalization is no longer a remote concept.
It is here. Who ever thought even five years ago that Chrysler would merge with Germany's auto leader, Mercedes Benz. Or Deutsche Bank with America's Banker's Trust. Or even that one of America's giant cigar companies, Consolidated Cigar Corporation, a shared owner of such international brands as Montecristo and H. Upmann, would be taken over by France's Seita, or Hollco-Rohr, with its Romeo y Julieta brand, among others, taken over by Spain's Tabacalera. This fusion of global companies is happening faster and faster.