# United States-Cuba Trade Act of 2021

This bill would lift the long-standing trade embargo between the United States and Cuba, allowing American businesses and consumers to buy and sell goods with Cuba for the first time in decades. Right now, it's illegal for most Americans to do business with Cuba—you can't buy Cuban products, and Cuban companies can't buy American goods. This bill would change that by removing the legal restrictions that have prevented trade between the two countries since the 1960s.

If this bill became law, American farmers, manufacturers, and retailers could export products to Cuba and import Cuban goods back to the U.S. This could mean cheaper Cuban cigars and rum in American stores, new markets for American agricultural products like grain and machinery, and potentially lower prices for consumers on both sides. American companies in industries like agriculture, technology, and manufacturing would have access to a new customer base just 90 miles off the Florida coast. Cuban businesses would similarly gain access to American products and expertise.

The bill also addresses travel restrictions, making it easier for Americans to visit Cuba and for Cuban citizens to travel to the United States. This would affect tourism, family visits, and business travel that have been heavily restricted for decades. However, the practical impact depends on whether Congress actually passes the bill—it has faced significant political opposition from those who argue the embargo should remain as pressure on Cuba's government. The bill essentially represents a major shift in U.S. foreign policy toward normalizing relations with Cuba through economic engagement rather than isolation.

United States-Cuba Trade Act of 2021

Wyden, Ron

United States-Cuba Trade Act of 2021 This bill repeals the trade embargo on Cuba and other provisions restricting trade and travel to Cuba. Specifically, the bill (1) removes restrictions on certain transactions related to trademarks used in connection with a confiscated business or asset, (2) extends nondiscriminatory trade treatment to Cuban products, and (3) prohibits and rescinds limits on remittances to Cuba. The bill authorizes common carriers to provide telecommunications services between the United States and Cuba. In addition, travel by U.S. citizens and residents to Cuba may not be regulated or prohibited if such travel would be lawful in the United States. The President shall take all necessary steps to engage with Cuba to (1) negotiate settlements relating to claims that Cuba had taken the property of U.S. nationals, and (2) secure the protection of internationally recognized human rights. The President may, with respect to Cuba, impose new export controls and exercise powers related to declared national emergencies. The President must submit a specified determination about a foreign country to Congress prior to denying an income tax credit for taxes paid to the foreign country.