Sen. Heitkamp is hoping that a face-to-face meeting with Cuban President Raul Castro will open the door to more U.S. agricultural exports.

Heitkamp was one of two senators to meet Friday in New York with Castro, the first Cuban leader to visit the US in 15 years.

She says it might be difficult to find enough support to lift a trade embargo against Cuba, but she is pushing a bill that would finance agricultural exports.

Cuba has a high demand for North Dakota crops like dry beans, peas and lentils.

"We want to see these relationships normalize, we want to see Cuba join the rest of the world as it relates to human rights and we think the best way to make all of those things happen is to engage in trade to engage in commerce and to open up Cuban markets to American products," says Sen. Heitkamp.

North Dakota exports $4.1 billion in commodities each year to foreign markets.