The Jamaican government is organizing a trade mission to Cuba with representatives from 18 private sector companies.

Jamaican Industry Minister Anthony Hylton says the group's members will meet with their Cuban counterparts from April 20-23 to talk about possible partnerships.

William Mahfood is the director of one of Jamaica's largest distributing and manufacturing companies. He said Saturday he will be seeking new economic opportunities in Cuba.

The announcement comes four months after the presidents of Cuba and the U.S. said they would move toward normalizing relations after a half-century of enmity.