U.S. eases restrictions on travel to Cuba

[tx_tuff]

Head line today on the front page of the Houston Chronicle.
Subtitle: Trips to homeland ok but trade embargo remains in place.

In a measured break with a half century of U.S. Policy toward communist Cuba, the Obama administration lifted restrictions Monday on Cuban-Americans who want to travel and send money to their island homeland.

In further gesture of openness, U.S. Telecommunications firms were freed to seek business there, too. But the broader U.S. Trade embargo remained in place.

That is the first part of the story, the rest doesn't add very much, including what restrictions they left and what the Cuban-Americans can do. The last bill I read stayed they could go "once a year and spend as much time as they wanted". Don't know if this is what passed. This is from my local paper and I'm posting from my BlackBerry so can't really look it up right now.

[golfermd]

Hmmmm. I wonder what our fellow brothers across the pond and down south of the border are thinking of this. With the pent up demand for Cuban sticks here I wonder what the price will do, and how that will impact the rest of the world.

[tx_tuff]

The embargo is still in place.

[Blackcat]

Originally Posted by tx_tuff

Head line today on the front page of the Houston Chronicle.
Subtitle: Trips to homeland ok but trade embargo remains in place.

In a measured break with a half century of U.S. Policy toward communist Cuba, the Obama administration lifted restrictions Monday on Cuban-Americans who want to travel and send money to their island homeland.

In further gesture of openness, U.S. Telecommunications firms were freed to seek business there, too. But the broader U.S. Trade embargo remained in place.

That is the first part of the story, the rest doesn't add very much, including what restrictions they left and what the Cuban-Americans can do. The last bill I read stayed they could go "once a year and spend as much time as they wanted". Don't know if this is what passed. This is from my local paper and I'm posting from my BlackBerry so can't really look it up right now.

I think I am 1/1000% Cuban. Does that count?

[TMMT]

It would be nice to see the US allow Cuban smokes back into this country. Thats one of the changes I'd like to see in the near future.

[Cigary]

Originally Posted by Blackcat

I think I am 1/1000% Cuban. Does that count?

I eat at a Cuban Restaurant twice a month,,,that should count...I'd love to travel to Havana at some point.

[SkinsFanLarry]

Los Angeles, September 9, 2009 – The U.S. Treasury, working in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture has significantly relaxed travel restrictions to Cuba in a way that might allow U.S.-based cigar makers to travel fairly freely to the island.

Regulations issued on Tuesday noted a series of amendments being made to the Cuban Assets Control Regulations (31 C.F.R. Part 515) that create “a new general license for travel-related transactions incident to agricultural and medical sales” under the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (TSRA) as amended earlier this year. The Treasury’s news release reads, in pertinent part:

The new general license authorizes, with certain conditions, travel-related transactions that are directly incident to the commercial marketing, sales negotiation, accompanied delivery, or servicing in Cuba of agricultural commodities, medicine, or medical devices that appear consistent with the Department of Commerce’s export or reexport licensing policy.

There are licenses to be applied for and reports which must be filed, of course, with the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), but the opportunity now exists – with reduced obstacles – for cigar makers in the U.S. to visit Cuba for the purposes of marketing cigars sold in the U.S. for sale to Cubans!

It’s almost impossible to imagine such a thing, but with Cuban production focused completely on sales for hard currency, perhaps low-cost brands for the Cuban domestic market could be sold. Or is it time for Cubans to be able to compare for themselves, head to head, famous Cuban brands against outstanding brands on the U.S. market such as Arturo Fuente, Excalibur, Macanudo or Padron?

In any case, it’s worth noting that cigars are specifically listed in Chapter 24 as category 2402.10 of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s “Commodities Eligible for Shipment to Cuba” It seems hard to imagine, but the U.S. government is all for selling U.S.-made or U.S.-marketed cigars to Cuba, so long as the reverse does not occur.

At the same time, the OFAC has considerably lightened its prosecution of individuals who purchased Cuban cigars over the Internet, or otherwise brought them into the U.S. Through August 31 of 2009, OFAC reports of civil penalties imposed noted only one case of an individual being fined for buying Cuban cigars this year, with an accompanying fine of $1,175.00. In contrast, at the same point in 2008, OFAC had leveled 27 fines at cigar purchasers and imposed fines totaling a hefty $39,763.08.

http://www.cigarcyclopedia.com/webap.../view/1536/43/

[TMMT]

Obama extends Cuba embargo 1 year
Sep 14 02:13 PM US/Eastern

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama has extended the U.S. trade embargo on Cuba for one year, the White House said in a statement released on Monday.
The extension was expected and has been the practice of all U.S. presidents dating to the 1970s under a section of the so-called "Trading With the Enemy Act."

Obama extended the embargo even though he has made reaching out to old U.S. foes a key plank in his foreign policy.

There have been signs of a possible thaw in U.S.-Cuban ties since Raul Castro early last year took over as president from his ailing brother Fidel. Fidel Castro had held the post since heading the revolution that ousted the U.S.-backed Batista regime on Jan. 1, 1959.

Obama has sought to reach out to Cuba by easing travel and financial restrictions on Americans with family in Cuba. The two countries have said they will hold talks on resuming direct mail links. But Obama has also said he will not lift the embargo until Cuba undertakes democratic and economic reforms.

In signing the extension, Obama was taking a symbolic step because existing law, the Helms-Burton Act, requires Congress to take action specifically ending the embargo.

But Obama also bypassed an opportunity to suggest a willingness for easing U.S.-Cuban animosity.

The White House statement renewing the provisions was dated Sept. 11 but only released on Monday, when the last extension, issued by former President George W. Bush, was to expire.

"I hereby determine that the continuation for one year of the exercise of those authorities with respect to Cuba is in the national interest of the United States," Obama said in a memorandum addressed to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.