BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - The first presidential visit to Cuba in nearly a century provides “great momentum” for normalizing relations with the communist nation and boosting agricultural trade, U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp said.
The North Dakota Democrat accompanied President Barack Obama on his trip to Cuba this week and said one of the highlights was the announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that it will allow the use of producer checkoff dollars to promote trade with Cuba. Checkoffs are taxes on production that farmers pay to promote their industry.
“This trip definitely provides some great momentum,” Heitkamp said after returning to the U.S. on Wednesday.
North Dakota has long looked at Cuba as a potentially big market for farm goods because the country has a high demand for crops such as dry beans, dry peas and lentils that are produced in large amounts in the state. U.S. Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., and state Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring also have visited the country in recent years.
Heitkamp also visited Cuba in February 2014, and was among a small group of lawmakers who met with Cuban President Raul Castro at the United Nations in New York last September.
There are still barriers to trade with Cuba, and an honest effort by that country to improve human rights would help soften opposition in Congress, Heitkamp said.
“Opening up trade will guarantee Cuba can buy our high-quality products rather than turning to Vietnam, Canada, or Brazil,” she said. “Trade and dialogue can also help expand human rights for the Cuban people. After a 50-year trade embargo, this visit to Cuba reinforced that it’s time for a different approach.”
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