Senior U.S. senator seeks study of impact of Cuba trade restrictions

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic Senator Ron Wyden, chairman of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, asked the International Trade Commission on Wednesday to begin a study of the economic impact on the United States of current restrictions on exports to Cuba. He said the study, ordered in light of President Barack Obama's easing of trade restrictions on Cuba, would assess the effect of restrictions on exports of goods and services and travel to Cuba by U.S. citizens. "At a time when so many Americans are just getting by, we also cannot ignore the trade opportunities currently denied to American farmers, manufacturers, and service providers," Wyden said in a statement. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)