WASHINGTON — The Obama administration on Thursday opened the door to easier travel and a wide range of new export opportunities with Cuba starting Friday, punching the biggest hole to date in America’s half-century-old embargo.
Less than a month after the Cold War foes agreed to end their enmity, the Commerce and Treasury departments unveiled the new rules permitting U.S. citizens to visit Cuba without special permits.
Most U.S. travelers still will be required to go on supervised group trips, but now virtually any U.S. company or organization can offer such trips without the paperwork and inspections that discouraged past expansion of travel to Cuba. Some tour operators, already seeing unprecedented interest in legal travel to Cuba, expect some tourists simply to ignore the restrictions.
American companies also now will be permitted to export telephones, computers and Internet technology and to send supplies to private Cuban firms. However, Cuban authorities have said nothing about the restrictions they might impose on U.S. products entering a country that long has frustrated foreign investors with red tape and tapped-out infrastructure.
The changes are the latest step in President Barack Obama’s plan to rebuild relations with Cuba after a history marred by suspicion, espionage and conflict. The regulations come three days after U.S. officials confirmed the release of 53 political prisoners Cuba had promised to free.
The U.S. is now “one step closer to replacing out-of-date policies,” Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said Thursday.
The new rules also allow U.S. citizens to start bringing home small amounts of Cuban cigars, long adored by aficionados but banned under U.S. law. The limit is $100 for alcohol and tobacco products and $400 in total goods.
Q&A on changes to Cuba travel restrictions
Americans are one step closer to being able to vacation in Cuba, but don’t pack your bathing suit and sunscreen just yet. Here’s a look at what the latest government rules mean:
Q: Can U.S. citizens visit Cuba?
A: The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control oversees travel to Cuba. Twelve categories of people are allowed to visit. They include close relatives of Cubans, academics, those traveling on official government business, those on humanitarian or religious missions, journalists and people on accredited cultural education programs.
Q: What has changed?
A: The groups of people allowed to visit Cuba will remain the same, but they no longer need to apply for a license to travel.
Q: What about everyone else?
A: That’s fuzzier. It’s still illegal for Americans to visit Cuba if they don’t fit into one of those 12 groups, but without the need to apply for a license, it could be impossible for the government to enforce such a restriction.
Q: What can Americans bring back?
A: Authorized visitors can bring home up to $400 of goods acquired in Cuba for personal use. This includes no more than $100 of alcohol or tobacco products.
Q: Will there be limits to the numbers of visitors?
A: Without the need for a license, there is no limit. However, Cuba has only so many hotel rooms and other necessary infrastructure to support tourism. In the short term, that will curtail the number of visitors.
The Associated Press
