In the coming days, Democratic Congresswoman Cheri Bustos will travel to Cuba where she hopes to establish new export opportunities for Illinois farmers.According to a news release, Bustos will be making the trip alongside Republic Representative Rodney Davis.
Although the Obama Administration has begun restoring diplomatic ties with Cuba, embargoes on trade still exist.
Bustos tells WGIL ag products such as corn and soybeans can be traded with Cuba, but new legislation is required to open trade in other areas.
“We still have a trade embargo with Cuba” Bustos says, “so if we are to grow in other areas such as — we have the world headquarters for John Deere right in the Quad Cities. We have the world headquarters for Caterpillar just in Peoria. If we want to look into other areas, then we’ve got to also address the embargo. We think Illinois can be a big beneficiary, from a trade perspective, with Cuba.”
The US representatives will meet from October 11th through the 14th with officials from the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other Cuban and Illinois ag-trade agencies.
The Illinois Cuba Working Group reports Illinois corn and soy exports to Cuba reached about $66 million in 2008. That number was down to just $24 million last year.
