Obama Administration Lifts Limits on Bringing Cuban Rum, Cigars into U.S.

Under a new set of amendments announced Friday, the Obama administration is lifting the restrictions on travelers bringing Cuban rum and cigars back into the United States as part of a new series of regulations to support normalizing relations with Cuba.

The new amendments announced to the Cuban Assets Control Regulations by the departments of commerce and treasury are intended to create more economic opportunities for Cuban citizens to access American goods and services, further normalizing the relationship between the two countries and building on the success of the diplomatic ties that were restored in December 2014.

Under the new rules, U.S. and foreign travelers can purchase any amount of Cuban-origin merchandise from any country and bring them back into the U.S., provided they are for personal use. The amendments go into effect on Monday.

A presidential policy directive approved by President Obama Friday outlined his plan for what the future of the relationship between the two countries would look like, saying that the administration would continue to work toward the goal of lifting the economic embargo. The 12-page document will serve as an official decree towards shaping future policy towards Cuba. A senior administration official told the Miami Herald the directive would stand till replaced but added that it takes a significant amount of time to develop such a directive.

"Challenges remain – and very real differences between our governments persist on issues of democracy and human rights – but I believe that engagement is the best way to address those differences and make progress on behalf of our interests and values," Obama said in a statement. "The progress of the last two years, bolstered by today's action, should remind the world of what's possible when we look to the future together."

In a statement, the departments of commerce and treasury said the new rules are intended to "expand opportunities for scientific collaboration by authorizing certain transactions related to Cuban-origin pharmaceuticals and joint medical research; improve living conditions for Cubans by expanding existing authorizations for grants and humanitarian-related services; increase people-to-people contact in Cuba by facilitating authorized travel and commerce; facilitate safe travel between the United States and Cuba by authorizing civil aviation safety-related services; and bolster trade and commercial opportunities by expanding and streamlining authorizations relating to trade and commerce."

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