CUBA

[Senor Perfecto]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-30516740

Normalizing relations. Relaxing sanctions?
Stock up before the US demand drives down supply and quality?

 

[Senor Perfecto]

"U.S. travelers will be allowed to import up to $400 worth of goods from Cuba, including $100 in alcohol and tobacco -- even Cuban cigars."

You can bring back 2 BHK now, lol!

 

[Senor Perfecto]

If anyone can say with any authority what this means (if anything) for bringing, say, $100 of Cuban goods into the US from ELSEWHERE (i.e. not Cuba), speak up...

 

[sean]

Are you thinking CASA in Tijuana?

 

[Senor Perfecto]

Are you thinking CASA in Tijuana?

...for instance...

 

[sean]

And what does this do for mail order?

 

[BradMc]

If anyone can say with any authority what this means (if anything) for bringing, say, $100 of Cuban goods into the US from ELSEWHERE (i.e. not Cuba), speak up...

I too have really no idea what this means, can someone explain in layman terms ?

 

[sean]

All in due time.

 

[Monsterdg]

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/u-s-cuba-relations/viva-cigars-easing-cuba-trade-embargo-would-be-huge-n270091

Take on the embargo specific to cigars; lot's of speculation

 

[Senor Perfecto]

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/u-s-cuba-relations/viva-cigars-easing-cuba-trade-embargo-would-be-huge-n270091

Take on the embargo specific to cigars; lot's of speculation

"Aside from the Dominican Republic, major cigar-producing nations include Honduras, Mexico, Ecuador and others."

Yeah, like Nicaragua??

 

[sean]

Whoever wrote that was obviously not a golfer.

 

[icehog3]

The news says it will have some major opposition from Congress, so it may be a long process.

 

[Life in smoke]

"Licensed U.S. travelers to Cuba will be authorized to import $400 worth of goods from Cuba, of which no more than $100 can consist of tobacco products and alcohol combined."

Considering this applies to LICENSED SANCTIONED trips to Cuba I do not think this applies to any travel other than Cuba itself, mainly because the items returning to the US are approved by the US government, we can travel to Canada and Mexico without government approval so I imagine the goods we bring back would still be considered Illegal. I am by no means a lawyer or a law student at that so my understanding of this policy may be incorrect, but the way I see it is that it is still illegal

 

[StogieNinja]

^this. It means licensed travelers TO CUBA will be able to bring back a combined $100 worth of cuban cigars and alcohol. So, it means nothing to anyone besides those very few licensed travelers.

I don't think it'll make any difference whatsoever to the current market... despite how the media is spinning it, what's being allowed is a drop in the bucket.

 

[Senor Perfecto]

For the moment, yes. But clearly a dramatic shift toward normal Cuba relations, so eventually this is going to happen. Just when?

I also wonder about backchannel communications to Customs, i.e., "Let's not bother intercepting CCs any more"...

 

[MoJo]

^this. It means licensed travelers TO CUBA will be able to bring back a combined $100 worth of cuban cigars and alcohol. So, it means nothing to anyone besides those very few licensed travelers.

I don't think it'll make any difference whatsoever to the current market... despite how the media is spinning it, what's being allowed is a drop in the bucket.

Yes, but it still raises a lot of questions. what are they allowed to do with them when they are in the us, are they allowed to sell their cigars or give them away to people who didn't go to cuba? Is it illegal for anyone besides license travelers to have ccs? Etc.

 

[Senor Perfecto]

Yes, but it still raises a lot of questions. what are they allowed to do with them when they are in the us, are they allowed to sell their cigars or give them away to people who didn't go to cuba? Is it illegal for anyone besides license travelers to have ccs? Etc.

These are excellent questions. I was never quite sure about the "illegal to import but legal to possess" thing anyway. Can anyone shed light?

 

[Senor Perfecto]

If it is legal to import CCs (albeit a small amount), is it still not legal to resell those once here? And if it is legal, how would they regulate any CC sales in the US (i.e. how would you prove when the cigars were imported? box codes only show when they were made)?

 

[D Quintero]

barring a warehouse full, possession is not a chargable offense.

 

[Senor Perfecto]

"Authorized travellers to Cuba will be allowed to return with $400 of general goods and up to $100 of alcohol or tobacco products. That can include cigars," a senior administration official told reporters.

Don't try to sell them though. That part of the rules has not changed.

"That authorization is for personal consumption, it is not for retail or commercial purposes," the official said.