Minnesota's Democratic U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar stands for a photo at the U.S. Embassy in Cuba. Photo courtesy of Klobuchar's congressional office.

St. Paul, May 20 (RHC)-- Looking for ways to jump-start the economy as the U.S. recovers from the pandemic and yearlong economic fallout, Minnesota’s Democratic U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar is leading an effort to reopen international trade agreements with Cuba .

According to the Grand Forks Herald article, Klobuchar on Wednesday reintroduced a bill that would allow the U.S. to export goods to Cuba. Only 90 miles from U.S. shores, Cuba could be a major trade opportunity as the U.S. attempts its economic rebound, Klobuchar said.

“Coming off the pandemic, we have to look for new markets for our agricultural products and this is one big market of 11 million people, with potential for tourism,” Klobuchar said in a Wednesday interview with Forum News Service.

Minnesota Farm Bureau President Kevin Paap said on Wednesday reopening trade with Cuba “just makes perfect sense.”

U.S. agriculture relies on international exports to stay afloat, Paap said, and Cuba needs to import a large portion of its food, with limited land mass to grow their own. Cuba “certainly is not necessarily the biggest market,” but “we should have an advantage of anybody,” Paap said.

According to other media sources, The Freedom to Export to Cuba Act would also lift travel restrictions.

For his part, Washington Office on Latin America President (WOLA) Geoff Thale, said that “It’ time for the Biden administration to take action on Cuba. Senator Klobuchar’s bipartisan bill shows that there’s support for doing so.,”

“Maintaining the Trump-era status quo benefits no one. This bill represents a key opportunity to move back towards a path of normalization and reengagement,” said Thale.