Trump Cuba Policy Announcement

[Ken Gargett]

5 minutes ago, BolivarSmoker said:

"if any authority discovers that there has been an attempt to deceive in respect of any aspect of the transaction, they are not likely to be of a mind to assist and/or forgive."


The government lies to us every chance they get, but boy we better keep a detailed log of our trips to Cuba and be 100%, scouts honor truthful!

i never suggested it wasn't massively hypocritical.

problem is that if we get caught transgressing, they can dump on us to their hearts' content. if we catch them, 99 times out of 100, bugger all happens.

[Customsfan]

"There are also no plans to reinstate the limits that Obama lifted on the amount of the island’s coveted rum and cigars that American can bring home for personal use," one White House official said.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-cuba-idUSKBN1962Q3

Edited June 16, 2017 by craigcigars
found answer

[maxcjs0101]

I think the questions everyone here wants to know is:

1) Will this affect cigar prices especially through our beloved vendor like Rob here?

2) As there will be stricter trading rules between US and Cuba, will this affect the importation of cigars to other US ally countries and if it does will we be getting better quality cigars? 

 

Its good to dream on a Friday lol

[Ken Gargett]

11 minutes ago, maxcjs0101 said:

I think the questions everyone here wants to know is:

1) Will this affect cigar prices especially through our beloved vendor like Rob here?

2) As there will be stricter trading rules between US and Cuba, will this affect the importation of cigars to other US ally countries and if it does will we be getting better quality cigars?

leave the first one to rob but as for 2, can't imagine why anything should change with other countries.

[clutch5150]

Trump has spoken about rolling back Obama's policy on Cuba.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/06/16/cuba-deal-rollback-trump-says-s-nixing-obama-s-one-sided-pact.html

No rollbacks on cigars and alcohol it appears but restricts Americans to only due business non-Govy owned establishments. Not sure how that is going to be enforced?

[stinkhead]

My flight is on Monday and I cannot tell if I can go or not!!

Feels like everything I read right now is slightly different 

[clutch5150]

9 minutes ago, stinkhead said:

My flight is on Monday and I cannot tell if I can go or not!!

Feels like everything I read right now is slightly different 

Commercial flights are not going to be effected it appears, but the trip purposes of People to People are getting eliminated. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-cuba-travel-restrictions-what-does-it-mean-obama-rollback-expert-explained-a7794226.html,

But my guess American Airlines is going to be cutting back even more flights based on the news as people to people tourism is getting halted. Big win for Cruise Liners!   I agree with this article, this new policy is has a lot of "window dressing" to appease the Florida crowd.

[Santiago]

Those who already made plans should be fine, per this government FAQ

 

https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Documents/cuba_faqs_20170616.pdf

[JR Kipling]

Trump has spoken about rolling back Obama's policy on Cuba.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/06/16/cuba-deal-rollback-trump-says-s-nixing-obama-s-one-sided-pact.html

No rollbacks on cigars and alcohol it appears but restricts Americans to only due business non-Govy owned establishments. Not sure how that is going to be enforced?

Where did you hear 'No rollbacks on cigars and alcohol' ? The Fox article you posted doesn't mention them.


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[luv2fly]

[SCgarman]

46 minutes ago, clutch5150 said:

Trump has spoken about rolling back Obama's policy on Cuba.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/06/16/cuba-deal-rollback-trump-says-s-nixing-obama-s-one-sided-pact.html

No rollbacks on cigars and alcohol it appears but restricts Americans to only due business non-Govy owned establishments. Not sure how that is going to be enforced?

He stated the embargo will be enforced. 

[BolivarSmoker]

Where did you hear 'No rollbacks on cigars and alcohol' ? The Fox article you posted doesn't mention them.


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I watched on Foxnews. The anchor after the Trump speech said this doesn't change the import policy on cigars and rum.

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[JR Kipling]

Since it's all about 'human rights', I guess U.S. trade with totalitarian China will be ended. - sarc -

Of course, its about politics and money. Trump made the same political calculation regarding the Cuban trade embargo that JFK made when it was first put in place.
Unless half the Florida Cuban-American voting population moves to South Dakota, the embargo will stay in place for quite some time.


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[SCgarman]

Just now, JR Kipling said:

Since it's all about 'human right's, I guess U.S. trade with totalitarian China will be ended.

Of course, its about politics and money. Trump made the same political calculation regarding the Cuban trade embargo that JFK made when it was first put in place.
Unless half the Cuban-American population moves to South Dakota, the embargo will stay in place for quite some time.


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If Trump gets 8 years, the embargo will not go anywhere for at least that long. Unless the Castro regime perishes.

 

[Benzopyrene]

Seems its there are no roll backs on cigar rum....and that includes from anywhere abroad. Also seems only the individual people to people trips are effected.....please correct me if I'm wrong. Still can go with a group. Also assuming you can still do "research", "journalism" etc etc. Its not up to the airlines to enforce this.....its on the govt, and its not homeland security, so really unless they are taking names.....seems pretty silly still. 

[Guest Nekhyludov]

1 hour ago, stinkhead said:

My flight is on Monday and I cannot tell if I can go or not!!

Feels like everything I read right now is slightly different 

Halfwheel put together a nice summary that I found useful. Sounds like you'll have no problem going as long as your travel was booked prior to today.

http://halfwheel.com/trumps-cuba-changes-mean-cigars/155690

[stinkhead]

2 minutes ago, Nekhyludov said:

Halfwheel put together a nice summary that I found useful. Sounds like you'll have no problem going as long as your travel was booked prior to today.

http://halfwheel.com/trumps-cuba-changes-mean-cigars/155690

This is what I was trying to get clarity on. My flight is booked with American but was going to do self authorized people to people. It appears I am probably OK but I'm not 100% sure.

[CanuckSARTech]

21 hours ago, Ken Gargett said:

"Travelers to Cuba will have to keep detailed records of all their financial transactions in the country for five years to make available to the Treasury Department if requested."

Most casa particular owners won't like giving out receipts.

Go to Ebay in Spain or Mexico and buy a blank book of receipts in Spanish, a search for "libro de recibos en blancos" should get you started.

Fill it in yourself and have a Cuban friend sign it, illegibly.

You're not lying, if you've stayed in a casa particular.

 

absolutely nothing to do with me what people do in those circumstances, but please, "you're not lying"????

you have pretty much described textbook fraud.

one may or might not feel that there is justification but the act is fraud.

for those concerned, i would keep a detailed financial record/diary, made contemporaneously. have the notes witnessed at the time of making them, detail that you were unable to get a receipt in accordance with the usual custom of the country, take photos of the casa P. but buying your own book of receipts, filling them in yourself and having some unrelated 3rd party sign them is fraud.

Ken harping on Andy about textbook fraud...compared to Ken, as a retired/former lawyer, talking about shooting / killing / hanging / mutilating:

1. politicians
2. seal bashers
3. gun nutz
4. Quantas Airlines staff / executives / pilots / flightline staff / etc.
5. Etc.
6. Etc.
7. Etc.

????????

Pot, kettle??!!?!?!?! 

 

[Philc2001]

Does anyone believe that the same policy that was a failure for over 50 years is now somehow, magically, going to produce a different result? 

Is anyone buying the human rights story, especially on the heels of the Saudi sword dance around a glowing orb? 

 

[CanuckSARTech]

https://lights-sirens-and-cigars.com/2017/06/16/trump-hits-reset-on-obamas-cuba-policy/

Is anyone surprised at this really?  As much as it does suck for fellow cigar fans and Cuba buffs out of the U.S., I think that most of us felt this was inevitable...

Trump hits reset on Obama's Cuba policy, challenges Castro

Most notable bits, in my opinion:

• "Announcing the rollback of President Barack Obama's diplomatic opening during a speech in Miami, Trump said Cuba had secured far too many concessions from the U.S. in the "misguided" deal but "now those days are over.""  [Really?!?!  The U.S. gave up too many concessions?  From a brutal policy that they enacted almost 60 years ago?!?!  LOL.]
• "More details about the changes are expected to be released Friday, when the new policy is set to take effect. But none of the changes will become effective until the Treasury Department issues new regulations, which could take months. That means that any U.S. traveler currently booked on a flight to Cuba in the next few weeks, or even months, could go ahead and make the trip."  [Dear gawd, I hope that travelers don't get screwed over this.  As we've all seen with the Trump White House's implementation of the Muslim travel ban, one minute things are one way and the next minute it's different.  I hope that travelers that are currently booked for something, already "approved", don't end up showing up to an airport and getting stuck in limbo.]
• •"But individual "people-to-people" trips by Americans to Cuba, allowed by Obama for the first time in decades, will again be prohibited. And the U.S. government will police other such trips to ensure there's a tour group representative along making sure travelers are pursuing a "full-time schedule of educational exchange activities.""  [Wait, what?!?!  So, you're cancelling out some aspects of the détente, because you don't like the undemocratic military-state, but you're adding layers of bureaucratic policing?  Pot, meet kettle.]

It's just unfortunately another shitty situation for the Cuban people.  The Castro regime(s) definitely aren't a piece-of-cake for the citizens there, and changes need to be made.  But on the surface, this appears like it may hurt those local-people more, than any government entity.  (Not that the détente has overly assisted those same people either, but something's better than nothing.)

And frankly, as a longtime Canadian traveler to Cuba...

I must be honest and say that a part of me is happy for this too, for purely selfish reasons, I may add.

Many of my fellow American cigar compatriots know how to get to Cuba, one way or another, before/during/after this détente bullshit.  Whether the U.S. government "allows" them to travel is of moot difference really.  However, since the Obama-Raul détente, the sheer number of American travelers (not necessarily those brethren cigar aficionados either) have overwhelmed damn near everyone.  Cuba is building additional hotel rooms in shudderingly terrifying numbers (especially if one is aware of construction "norms" in Cuba).  Availability still continues to drop disproportionately, and prices have been skyrocketing.

Gawd, I remember when we did one of the first bigger Canuck group-trips to Havana for the Friends Of Partagas festival in November 2012.  Airfare from Toronto, transfers, taxes all-in, and double-occupancy room bookings at the Hotel Nacional in Havana was just under $1200 CAD then.  We're just looking in the past month for a few different options for this November's Encuentros again (probably doing the same casas again as last year's big FOH / AmiCigar group trip, which were AWESOME).  Anywho, looking at doing the same thing as we did in Nov. 2012, Toronto airfare, Nacional hotel, all-in, and the current pricing is just over $5600 CAD per person now!

So, frankly, once the "standard American tourist" is banned from the island, I can't say I'll honestly be upset from my own personal perspective.  That said, I definitely doubt that hotel prices will ever drop to what they were for us before (but shit, if they drop into the $2k range, it'd almost be a steal again.)

But I still hope for the best for some Cuban friends - some have put some hard work into the current small-business atmosphere.  I hope these changes don't see worsening conditions for them.  It scares me what some foreign government's can do to another's country, just with the swipe of a pen.  Without an appreciation for the people on the ground, who are these people to make those choices?

Cheers all.

[Chuckmejia]

11 minutes ago, CanuckSARTech said:

 

https://lights-sirens-and-cigars.com/2017/06/16/trump-hits-reset-on-obamas-cuba-policy/

Is anyone surprised at this really?  As much as it does suck for fellow cigar fans and Cuba buffs out of the U.S., I think that most of us felt this was inevitable...

Trump hits reset on Obama's Cuba policy, challenges Castro

Most notable bits, in my opinion:

• "Announcing the rollback of President Barack Obama's diplomatic opening during a speech in Miami, Trump said Cuba had secured far too many concessions from the U.S. in the "misguided" deal but "now those days are over.""  [Really?!?!  The U.S. gave up too many concessions?  From a brutal policy that they enacted almost 60 years ago?!?!  LOL.]
• "More details about the changes are expected to be released Friday, when the new policy is set to take effect. But none of the changes will become effective until the Treasury Department issues new regulations, which could take months. That means that any U.S. traveler currently booked on a flight to Cuba in the next few weeks, or even months, could go ahead and make the trip."  [Dear gawd, I hope that travelers don't get screwed over this.  As we've all seen with the Trump White House's implementation of the Muslim travel ban, one minute things are one way and the next minute it's different.  I hope that travelers that are currently booked for something, already "approved", don't end up showing up to an airport and getting stuck in limbo.]
• •"But individual "people-to-people" trips by Americans to Cuba, allowed by Obama for the first time in decades, will again be prohibited. And the U.S. government will police other such trips to ensure there's a tour group representative along making sure travelers are pursuing a "full-time schedule of educational exchange activities.""  [Wait, what?!?!  So, you're cancelling out some aspects of the détente, because you don't like the undemocratic military-state, but you're adding layers of bureaucratic policing?  Pot, meet kettle.]

It's just unfortunately another shitty situation for the Cuban people.  The Castro regime(s) definitely aren't a piece-of-cake for the citizens there, and changes need to be made.  But on the surface, this appears like it may hurt those local-people more, than any government entity.  (Not that the détente has overly assisted those same people either, but something's better than nothing.)

And frankly, as a longtime Canadian traveler to Cuba...

I must be honest and say that a part of me is happy for this too, for purely selfish reasons, I may add.

Many of my fellow American cigar compatriots know how to get to Cuba, one way or another, before/during/after this détente bullshit.  Whether the U.S. government "allows" them to travel is of moot difference really.  However, since the Obama-Raul détente, the sheer number of American travelers (not necessarily those brethren cigar aficionados either) have overwhelmed damn near everyone.  Cuba is building additional hotel rooms in shudderingly terrifying numbers (especially if one is aware of construction "norms" in Cuba).  Availability still continues to drop disproportionately, and prices have been skyrocketing.

Gawd, I remember when we did one of the first bigger Canuck group-trips to Havana for the Friends Of Partagas festival in November 2012.  Airfare from Toronto, transfers, taxes all-in, and double-occupancy room bookings at the Hotel Nacional in Havana was just under $1200 CAD then.  We're just looking in the past month for a few different options for this November's Encuentros again (probably doing the same casas again as last year's big FOH / AmiCigar group trip, which were AWESOME).  Anywho, looking at doing the same thing as we did in Nov. 2012, Toronto airfare, Nacional hotel, all-in, and the current pricing is just over $5600 CAD per person now!

So, frankly, once the "standard American tourist" is banned from the island, I can't say I'll honestly be upset from my own personal perspective.  That said, I definitely doubt that hotel prices will ever drop to what they were for us before (but shit, if they drop into the $2k range, it'd almost be a steal again.)

But I still hope for the best for some Cuban friends - some have put some hard work into the current small-business atmosphere.  I hope these changes don't see worsening conditions for them.  It scares me what some foreign government's can do to another's country, just with the swipe of a pen.  Without an appreciation for the people on the ground, who are these people to make those choices?

Cheers all.

selfish canadians

[planetary]

22 minutes ago, Philc2001 said:

Does anyone believe that the same policy that was a failure for over 50 years is now somehow, magically, going to produce a different result? 

Is anyone buying the human rights story, especially on the heels of the Saudi sword dance around a glowing orb? 

Clearly, people do.  Or they think it doesn't matter, since it's also being marketed as anti-Obama, and that's good enough to avoid tissue rejection for many conservatives.

[SCgarman]

10 minutes ago, Chuckmejia said:

selfish canadians

Of course this was inevitable. Trump promised on the campaign trail to reverse all of Obama's executive orders. Like him or not he is a man of his word and is following through. 

[83Nation]

More Cuba info:

 

Labor Day Weekend??


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[83Nation]

Trump to revise parts of Obama’s Cuba policy - The Washington Post
https://apple.news/A9Qn5n2ecQ1WoTKSTLtkRrg
Washington Post said no change to what you can bring back... assuming of course it's from a private owner


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