Havana, November 16 (RHC/acn)-- In a further demonstration of the underlining irony of the U.S. seeking better relations with Cuba while maintaining its policy of economic strangulation, a U.S.-based trans-national has been fined for dealing with Cuba.  

The US-based trans-national corporation National Oilwell Varco and its subsidiaries, Dreco Energy Services and NOV Elmar, joined the list of companies punished this year by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control for having dealt with Cuba some years ago.

Granma newspaper reports that on November 14, the US Treasury imposed the company a fine of 5.9 million dollars on grounds that between 2007 and 2009 its subsidiary Dreco Energy Services had conducted 45 transactions related to the selling of some 1.7 million dollars worth  of products to Cuba.
 
Another Oilwell Varco subsidiary, NOV Elmar, also received a fine, for alleged deals with Cuba between 2007 and 2008, in this case two transactions of goods and services, valued at 103 thousand dollars.
 
This is the fourth fine that the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control imposes this year under the U.S.'s economic blockade against Cuba.