Hunton Retail Law Resource

A recent change to the U.S. regulations governing the Cuban embargo has expanded the categories of Cuban-origin products that may be imported into the U.S. Additional textiles and textile articles and, for the first time, coffee, have joined the list of Cuban-origin products authorized to be imported into the U.S. Such products, however, must be produced by Cuban entrepreneurs and the U.S. importer must receive satisfactory documentation of such producer’s independence from the Cuban government.

This expansion of the categories of Cuban-origin products allowed to be imported into the U.S. is particularly significant because the Cuban government recently announced that it will legalize small- and medium-sized independent enterprises. This may permit independent Cuban entrepreneurs to participate more actively in the production of Cuban-origin products and, to the extent such products are permitted to be imported into the U.S. under the U.S. regulations, contract with U.S. counterparties for the importation of such products into the U.S.

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