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A cigar is a firmly rolled dried and fermented tobacco leaves which comes in different sizes and shapes. With their strong flavor and rich aroma, they offer matchless smoking experience. Even though Cuban cigars are popular in U.S., getting them is not so easy previously as there were a ban on Cuban products in US. This ban is lightened now, as U.S. travelers are allowed to bring cigars of worth $100 for personal use. This article discuss on how the ban on Cuban cigars happened and how to get them now in U.S.
Cuban cigars are world famous and among them H. Upmann Cuban Cigars are the most popular ones in U.S. Just before the ban for Cuban products happened, American president John F. Kennedy, asked his personal secretary to obtain this world famous brand.
After the end of Spanish-American war in 1898, Cuba and America began a friendly relationship. For the next 50 years, both the countries continued to enjoy their friendly relationship. America helped Cuba to quell rebellions and heavily invested in Cuban economy. In 1946, even the American Mafia conference was held in Cuba.
Then started the Cuban Revolution and in 1959 New Year’s Day, Fidel Castro and his team successfully overthrew the government. Even though America expressed some concern over Castro’s communist ideologies, they supported Castro at the time and recognized the new regime.
By 1960, the Cuban government seized all the private land, nationalized private companies which included U.S subsidiaries and imposed heavy tax on U.S imports. In response to this, the President Eisenhower imposed trade restrictions on all goods and services except food and medical supplies. Also all the diplomatic ties between the two countries were cancelled.
In 1962, American spy planes discovered that the Soviet Union was building missile bases in Cuba. Later the crisis was avoided when Soviet Union’s President, Nikita Khrushchev accepted to remove their base in Cuba in exchange for U.S missiles in Turkey. Within six months Cuba was disarmed, but U.S government banned the Cuban country’s entire product from the United States. In 1992 and again in 1996 U.S government strengthened its embargo. In 2009, President Obama announced that remittance and travel restrictions are lifted. In 2014, the U.S government broadcasted that it was moving towards normalizing the relationship with Cuba.
How to get Cuba Cigars and penalties for illegal purchase: Persons sanctioned to travel to Cuba are allowed to purchase alcohol and tobacco products while in Cuba. Authorized voyagers returning to United States are allowed to bring tobacco products of worth up to hundred dollars. But these products are allowed only for personal usage. Procuring Cuban-origin cigars over the internet or while in a country other than Cuba is illegal.
A violation of regulations leads to a penalty of fine up to $1,000,000 for companies and $250,000 for individuals and up to ten years in jail. Civil fines of up to $65,000 per violation can be imposed by OFAC.
After the ban- post Cuban Revolution, in order to sell the cigars in U.S, many brands started producing the cigars in U.S itself. H. Upmann Cuban Cigars, one of the popular Cuban brands moved the brand first Canary Islands, then the Dominican Republic. The production of cigars for U.S markets are still continued here and the oginal brand in the land of Cuba produces the cigars for other regions. Now the Americans are enjoying cigars through these brands.
Americans buy around 13.7 billion cigars a year including non-premium cigars which is the major portion. It is also noted that around twenty million Cuban cigars are available in United States through black market. As slowly the regulations are getting looser, cigar lovers who are used to a softer flavor and discreet Dominican tobacco in United States will have more chance to get their hands some real Cuban cigars straight from Cuba.