Two Bermudians have landed an exclusive deal to import Cuban rum to the Island.

L&M Management Limited, presided over by Calworth Furbert and vice-president Wayne Perinchief, who is also a Government backbencher ? said they will import 36,000 bottles of Havana Club Rum by the end of October.

However, a source in the local rum industry who spoke on background said he was worried that the shipment would violate a US customs embargo in place since 1961 should the containers to pass through that country.

But Mr. Furbert said a rum ship was coming straight from Havana to Marginal Wharf, St. David?s, then to a bonded warehouse at Southside.

?Oh, no,? Mr. Furbert said on Friday when asked if the rum would first pass through the US. ?I don?t want George Bush to take my rum!?

The historic deal between Bermuda and Cuba was signed in Havana last week between L&M and Havana Club International.

?A few months back we were in Cuba and had several meetings with Havana Club International and we talked about Bermuda and how people love rum here and we ended up getting the contract with them,? Mr. Furbert said.

When asked what would happen if the US has a problem with importing the rum here, Mr. Furbert said: ?It?s their problem? and Bermuda was not the US.

?They can be upset if they want, but they can?t stop us,? he said.

He said he had friends in high places in Cuba?s ?business community?.

When asked whether Cuba could still be called the only communist country left in the world, he said it was more capitalist than Bermuda and Cubans ?love dollars?.

But the source said the importation of Havana Club would not easily knock Goslings Limited off the top as the Island?s preferred rum company.

?If anyone is worried it would be Bacardi. They own the trademark for Havana Club in the US. There was a lot of legal manoeuvring on that,? he said. ?Havana Club is produced in the old Bacardi factory. They feel it was stolen from them during the Revolution.?

He also said a lot of duty would have to paid on 36,000 bottles and L&M would be hard pressed to sell that many in a year.

?The main issue is to make sure it?s all done in the proper way,? he said.

Meantime, Mr. Perinchief has sought planning permission to convert a warehouse in St. George?s to store the rum.

Mr. Perinchief wanted in-principle planning permission from the Development Applications Board (DAB) to change the use of a building at 381 Southside Road, St. George?s, for storage of alcoholic beverages and dry goods.

Bacardi International deferred all comments to their public relations company in Miami, but a spokesperson was unavailable to comment until after the weekend.

US Consul General Gregory Slayton was also unavailable for comment.