Posted on 10/06/2004 1:13:23 PM PDT by martin_fierro
US tightens ban on Cuban cigars
WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President George W. Bush (news - web sites)'s administration has tightened a ban on Americans importing Cuban cigars.
"There is now an across-the-board ban on the importation of Cuban-origin cigars," said a notice released this week by the Treasury Department (news - web sites)'s Office of Foreign Assets Control.
Previously, the rules allowed Americans licensed to travel to Cuba to bring back to the United States up to 100 dollars' worth of Cuban goods, including cigars.
That loophole was closed in the latest regulations.
The anti-Cuban cigar rules were already strict.
For example, Americans are barred from buying a Cuban cigar in other countries, even to smoke it outside the United States.
"The question is often asked whether United States citizens or permanent resident aliens of the United States may legally purchase Cuban goods, including tobacco and alcohol products, in a third country for personal use outside the United States," the notice said. "The answer is no."
Breaking the rules can lead to criminal penalties, including fines of up to one million dollars for corporations and 250,000 dollars for individuals and up to 10 years in prison, the department said.
My Grandfather has to cut them off now, he used to be able to slip them off and put them on my chubby little fingers.
Oh that's tighten the BAN....
Sorry...
I'm not sure the policy difference between Cuba and China is really a double standard, since the ban on Cuban goods has little to do with ideology. It's in place because the Cuban expat community is extremely well organized in this country, and almost entirely located in one very politically important state: Florida. Any president or presidential candidate that pisses them off is likely to lose Florida on Election Day. By comparison, the Chinese expat community has almost no organization at all.
OF course, it does help that Cuba has almost nothing of value worth importing anyway.
Try a Padron Anniversario 64! One of the best cigars you will ever smoke, including Cubans. Also Torano is a great Cuban family that makes good cigars if you want to have "legal" Cubans. Just my humble opinion as a long time Miami resident who spent a lot of time on Calle Ocho.
Probably what make"cubans" so good is that they are the forbidden fruit. By the way, Pedro Lugars are pretty good.
Trust me, today's Cuban cigars are HIGHLY OVERATED. The government is doing you a favor.
The same is true for sex with someone under the age of 18, regardless of the age of consent in that country or your home state (which have AOC laws set between age 14 and 18 with a number at 17).
I don't know what sort of prosecution the US can put forth on "crimes" that commit outside of the US territory and are not crimes in those nations.
Bad law because it cannot be enforced.
The models and actors that use Miami as a playground will be hopping a short flight or a yacht ride to Cuba as soon as it is permissible. It will be the new playground of the elites.
In St. Stephen, NB. the US people would often watch who bought cuban cigars and see where their car was registered to. They would then call ahead and have the car searched at the border. They did give a friend of mine a choice of having them confiscated, or to take them back.
Did you miss this post?
No problem mon. My mother's friend has a niece going to medical school in Cuba. It pays to be Jamaican or Canadian. I feel so much safer already! If only we boycotted Sudanese oil and gum arabic as much and they're more of a threat than the old coot Castro.
THEN GET ME SOME!!!!
please?
2. What comes out of DR these days usually blows Habanos out of the water.
3. I live near the Canadian border and can get Cubans quite easily. Cohibas in NYC can be had for $20, not cheap, but slightly above a Dunhill.
4. WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT TO SUPPORT A COMMUNIST REGIME ANYWAY? Its bad enough that so many consumer goods are made in China.
4. WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT TO SUPPORT A COMMUNIST REGIME ANYWAY? Its bad enough that so many consumer goods are made in China.
** killjoy :P
Thats a definite negative on that. Chinese cigars are worse than sucking a 2-stroke exhaust pipe on a hot day.
"I look forward to a good "Legal" Cuban cigar.
"
I think that when he dies I will try to accumulate some of my favorites in the belief that overall cuban quality is going to go down a LOT as the biggest market in the world opens up to them. There is no way they can even begin to penentrate the US market while keeping up their exports to spain and other locations at current production levels.
Another possible implication is that prices may increase, particularly on the Edicion limitadas and other premium smokes.
That reminds me of the time I brought home a carton of 'double happiness' cigarrettes from chinese state factory #whatever for someone in the office...I was given a firm request to NEVER bring them again....that it was like smoking aluminum, etc...
Please add me to your cigar ping list, thank you.
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