Another huge barrier between America and Cuba fell on Friday, when the US eased import restrictions from the island. Tobacco, however, remained on the banned list.
Cuban entrepreneurs will be allowed to sell items to the US again, the State Department was set to announce on Friday, though many goods will remain under embargo – including the cigars for which Cuba is famous.
It is more than 50 years since President John F Kennedy banned imports from Cuba as a way of choking off dollar revenue for Fidel Castro and his Communist regime, prior to the Cuban missile crisis but just days after Washington declared the tiny nation to be part of the Soviet bloc.
Friday’s measures signaled a further warming of relations between Washington and Havana, almost two months after President Barack Obama announced moves toward normalising relations between the two countries.
While it is unclear exactly what goods can now start flowing from eager business owners in Cuba to the US, it was made clear what would not be arriving on American shores. Tobacco was the most eye-catching, but Havana’s famous mode of transport, lovingly patched-up vintage 1950s American cars, will not be coming over either. Vehicles are still on the restricted list.
Rum will also remain banned, along with all other alcohol, food and agricultural products, according to news reports.
Other broad categories of imports that will continue to be banned include arms, live animals, mineral products, machinery, some textiles and base metals.
Many businesses in Cuba are government-controlled and will not be included in new trade arrangements.
Some US visitors are allowed to travel to the island in certain official categories, and they are now allowed to bring back up to $100, in total, of Cuban cigars and alcohol – but only for personal use, not for resale.
The government announced new rules last month to make it easier for Americans to travel to Cuba, while not yet opening up to the huge demand for tourism, and also indicated that it will become easier in future for US companies to do business on the island.
As a result, major companies such as Netflix, Twitter, JetBlue and American Express expressed interest in expanding their business to Cuba.
On Thursday, a group of Democratic and Republican Senators introduced a bill in Congress seeking to lift the trade embargo on Cuba. It followed a bill aimed at easing travel restrictions that was introduced last month.
US and Cuban diplomats have begun meetings to discuss the historic beginnings of détente between the two nations.
