Gov. Terry McAuliffe heading to Cuba and Iowa

Gov. Terry McAuliffe headed to Cuba Sunday for a long-discussed trade mission.

The governor is due to return Wednesday. Come next weekend, he will be in Iowa stumping for long-time friend and presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton.

McAuliffe has two days of Iowa campaigning on his schedule, dominated primarily by visits to various Clinton campaign offices in the early caucus state.

He'll be busy upon his return: The new legislative session starts Jan. 13, and McAuliffe will give his annual State of the Commonwealth Speech.

The governor left Sunday for Cuba with his wife and a handful of cabinet secretaries, as well as representatives from the Port of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, the state's agricultural and economic development arms and the Virginia Museum of Fine Art, his office said.

The trip was promised in March, during a Richmond visit from Cuban officials, but proved difficult to schedule. At one point the trip got bumped by Pope Francis' September trip to the island nation.

The governor's office promised meetings with Cuban officials on behalf of at least 10 companies, including Smithfield Foods, Perdue Agribusiness and Virginia Natural Beef. Among other things, McAuliffe plans a reception with Virginia business people and Cuban officials, to be held at the U.S. ambassador's home in Havana.

Agricultural exports are a particular focus for the McAuliffe administration, and the governor has said repeatedly that Virginia should do more business in Cuba as the U.S. government eases trade restrictions there. He has called for a full end to the trade embargo, and plans to do so again in Cuba.

"If we can do business with other countries from around the world, we ought to be able to freely conduct business with a country that's our next door neighbor," McAuliffe said in a statement from his office.

Agribusiness partnerships with Cuba led to roughly $400 million in exports over the last decade, including $25 million last year, according to Virginia Secretary of Agriculture Todd Haymore.