On September 13, 2016, the President signed a Memorandum for the Secretaries of State and Treasury continuing until September 14, 2017, the exercise of certain authorities under the Trading With the Enemy Act with respect to Cuba, as implemented by the Cuban Assets Control Regulations, 31 C.F.R. Part 515.
On September 8, 2016, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) published in the Federal Register a request for comments [Docket No. 160826784-6784-01] on the effectiveness of its licensing procedures as defined in the Export Administration Regulations for the export of agricultural commodities to Cuba. BIS will include a description of these comments in its biennial report to the Congress, as required by the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000, as amended (TSRA).
On May 18, 2016, the Department of State published in the Federal Register a notice [Public Notice: 9568] with an updated list of goods and services produced by independent Cuban entrepreneurs authorized for importation into the United States (Section 515.582 List). On April 22, 2016, the Department of State published on its website an updated list of goods and services produced by independent Cuban entrepreneurs whose importation into the United States is authorized by the…
On March 22, 2016, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) published in the Federal Register a notice [Docket No. USCG–2016–0201] announcing that it is removing the conditions of entry on vessels arriving from the country of the Republic of Cuba. On April 4, 2008 the Coast Guard published a Notice of Policy in the Federal Register, (73 Fed. Reg. 18546), announcing that it had determined that ports in the Republic of Cuba were not maintaining…
On March 21, 2016, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published in the Federal Register an interim final rule with a request for comments [USCBP–2016–0015; CBP Dec 16–06] that amends the CBP regulations by removing subpart O, which addresses flights to and from Cuba. The provisions in that subpart are either obsolete due to intervening regulatory changes or are duplicative of regulations applicable to all other similarly situated international flights.. These amendments are consistent with…
On March 16, 2016, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) will publish in the Federal Register a final rule [Docket No. 160303178-6178-01] that allows vessels departing the United States on temporary sojourn to Cuba with cargo for other destinations to travel to Cuba under a license exception rather than having to obtain a license for the cargo bound for those other destinations to transit Cuba. The rule also authorizes exports of certain items to…
On March 16, 2016, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) will publish in the Federal Register a final rule amending the Cuban Assets Control Regulations (31 C.F.R. part 515) to further implement elements of the policy announced by the President on December 17, 2014 to engage and empower the Cuban people. Among other things, these amendments further facilitate travel to Cuba for authorized purposes, expand the range of authorized financial transactions, and authorize additional…
On February 25, 2016, the Federal Register published Proclamation 9398—Modifying and Continuing the National Emergency With Respect to Cuba and Continuing To Authorize the Regulation of the Anchorage and Movement of Vessels which modifies and continue the national emergency declared in Proclamation 6867 of March 1, 1996, and expanded by Proclamation 7757 of February 26, 2004 because the descriptions of the national emergency set forth in those Proclamations no longer reflect the international relations of…
On February 16, 2016, the U.S. and Cuban governments announced that the two countries have signed an arrangement that provides for the re-establishment of scheduled air services between the United States and Cuba. The new arrangement will facilitate visits for travelers that fall under one of 12 categories authorized by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. There have been no scheduled flights between the United States and Cuba for over half…
On January 27, 2016, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) published in the Federal Register a final rule amending the Cuban Assets Control Regulations to further implement elements of the policy announced by the President on December 17, 2014 to engage and empower the Cuban people. The amendments remove certain payment and financing restrictions for authorized exports and reexports to Cuba of items other than agricultural items or commodities and further facilitate travel to…