Tabacalera de García, Flor de Copán Resume Shipments to Altadis U.S.A./JR Cigar

[JohnS]

Tabacalera de García, Flor de Copán Resume Shipments to Altadis U.S.A./JR Cigar

May 8, 2026 - Charlie Minato

Flor de Copán, a cigar factory in Honduras, and Tabacalera de García, a factory in the Dominican Republic, have resumed shipments of cigars to Tabacalera USA, a reversal of a major change that abruptly shocked both factories last year.

The U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) granted a temporary license to Tabacalera S.L.U., the Spanish-based company that operates both factories, which allows the company to do business with American companies until 2028. Separately, the U.K.’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation has issued a similar license that is valid until 2031.

In short, American and British sanctions that have been impacting Tabacalera S.L.U. have been temporarily lifted.

This gives Tabacalera U.S.A. the ability to do a few different things. As was first reported in the Spanish newspaper El Confidencial, the most compelling justification for the reprieve is so that the corporation can continue the process of trying to remove its majority shareholder, Chen Zhi, who is currently in Chinese custody and remains under indictment by American, British, and other authorities as part of a sprawling investigation into an alleged criminal enterprise centered around crypto fraud. Second, this should relieve pressure on various subsidiaries, including the local Cuban cigar distributors in various countries, some of which have come under increased banking scrutiny due to their owners.

Finally, it allows for the factories in the Dominican Republic and Honduras to resume shipments to Altadis U.S.A. and JR Cigar, their primary customers.

Full Article: https://halfwheel.com/tabacalera-de-garcia-flor-de-copan-resume-shipments-to-altadis-u-s-a-jr-cigar/470794/