D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser wants to take her next trade-seeking excursion to Cuba, hoping to capitalize on opportunities made possible by President Barack Obama.
After meeting with the U.S. ambassador to Cuba Monday, Bowser says her team is working on a trip to the island nation, the Washington Business Journal reports.
Bowser tells WBJ she sees a lot of opportunity in Cuba and wants to spend a little time exploring options before leaving for Cuba.
New Obama regulations loosened restrictions on travel and business dealings in Cuba, with the largest change being a physical presence for retailers. U.S. businesses will now be able to open offices, warehouses and storefronts in Cuba.
Bowser may take the Cuba excursion as part of a joint-trade effort with neighboring Virginia and Maryland, The Washington Post reports.
Bowser, along with Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, agreed in principle to the trade trip, but haven’t decided on the destination. Canada is mentioned as another possible location.
Bowser and the governors say the region should operate more like a single unit when it comes to trade matters, in order to attract top businesses.
“I’d love to go with Muriel and Gov. Hogan. The more regionally we can work together, the better off we are,” McAuliffe tells the Post.
In November, Bower and a huge gaggle of her staff went to China seeking Chinese investment in the city and promoting tourism. D.C. sees more than 220,000 tourists each year from China, the most of any country.
Seven other city officials and a two-man security rounded out the Bowser delegation, at a cost of around $80,000 to taxpayers.
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