Iowa’s largest manufacturing employer, after a five-decade absence, could soon be doing business again in Cuba. Deere and Company has announced an agreement to sell tractors to the Cuban government. Deere spokesman Ken Golden says shipments should begin later this month.
Most of the tractors will be from Deere’s 5,000 series, now made at a plant in Augusta, Georgia. But, there’ll also be a small number of the 7,000 series tractors, made in Waterloo, Iowa.
The cost of the contract between Deere and the Cuban government has not been disclosed.
Deere’s announcement follows news that a Caterpillar dealer will open a distribution center in Cuba, becoming the first U.S. company to have a physical presence in the high-profile Mariel Special Development Zone. According to the Cuba Standard report, both companies seem to be racing to establish a foothold in Cuba before the Trump administration slams the door. In July, President Donald Trump announced he would prohibit sales to armed forces-controlled entities.
