• Hi Guest - Come check out all of the new CP Merch Shop! Now you can support CigarPass buy purchasing hats, apparel, and more...
    Click here to visit! here...

What Do You Think?

EdGar

SUPERIOR MEMBER
Joined
Jan 5, 2001
Messages
1,003
I saw this on another sight, but thought you guys should see this.Tue, 19 Jun 2001, 8:40am EDT

U.S. Congress Exempts Itself From Cuba Cigar Import Regulations
By Jay Amberg Bloomberg Lifestyles New York, June 19 -- Members of the U.S. Congress have exempted themselves from U.S. Department of the Treasury regulations that determine the value of Cuban produced products that can legally be brought back to the U.S., according to the New York-based U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council Inc. The Congressional Committee on Standards of Official Conduct of the U.S. House of Representatives recently authorized the exemption. What this means, according to John S. Kavulich II, president of the council, is that members of Congress, following a licensed trip to Cuba, could bring back more Cuban cigars or other Cuban products than are currently permitted by U.S. Treasury regulations. ``Members of Congress, including members of the U.S. Senate, under separate rules, have been permitted to retain boxes of Cohiba brand and other Cuban produced cigar brands, some of which have been signed by Fidel Castro, the president of the Republic of Cuba,'' Kavulich said. ``A box of Cohiba brand cigars signed by Castro is generally valued at more than &#361,000,'' he said. According to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the office that regulates the U.S. economic embargo against Cuba, individuals subject to U.S. law, including members of the U.S. Congress, travel to Cuba under the auspices of either an OFAC ``General License'' or an OFAC ``Specific License.'' They are permitted to return with up to &#36100 worth of Cuban- origin products (cigars, rum, T-shirts, crafts, etc.) for their personal use. Kavulich said while the U.S. Customs Service permits returning U.S. citizens to bring back up to 100 Cuban cigars, the total value of the cigars can't exceed the OFAC's &#36100 maximum for licensed travelers returning from the island. For a complete overview of OFAC rules and regulations pertaining to travel to Cuba by U.S. citizens, see http://www.treas.gov/ofac/, or the U.S. State Department Cuba travel site at http://www.state.gov/www/regions/wha/cuba/travel.html. The U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council is a private not-for- profit corporation which doesn't take position with respect to U.S. and Cuban political relations.
 
Doesn't surprise me one bit. :shocked: :wink:
 
Doesn't suprise me either.:( The Gov. has just gotten to big for its britch's.
 
i am no wild-eyed fanatic. i live in the real world, do my job, get along with others, etc. but my views on Government are clear. forget Clinton, Bush, Gore, Dole....whoever. they're all crooks. they're all scumbags.
 
The above news makes me want to write my congressman and senator a bit more often. "gee, I've never had one of those before..." to borrow a phrase...JerryG
 
Well, alot of people have said that the embargo will be lifted. Who knows, people have been saying it's going to be lifted for the past several years. It's time they just lift it and get it over with. Heck, we trade with China, right? :)
 
That doesn't surprise me, talk about hipocrates. Don't despise Communism (which is a perfectly acceptable form of govt when not run by a man like Castro) and then go and buy from them; especialy when you have an embargo on them. But thats typical. The night before the embargo was put into effect Kennedy made sure he got his hands on 2,000 Cuban cigars.
 
Exactly DaVinci,
how hypocritical is it that the group that makes our laws, can choose to make them not apply to them. Thats about as insane as letting congress decide when to give themselves a raise and how much it is, another little pet peeve of mine, I wish I could do that S^&@!Paul
 
Exactly DaVinci,
how hypocritical is it that the group that makes our laws, can choose to make them not apply to them. Thats about as insane as letting congress decide when to give themselves a raise and how much it is, another little pet peeve of mine, I wish I could do that S^&@!Paul
 
You are all correct. Our government cheats us with our cigars but at least we can write about it. At least they didn't take our businesses like Castro did to his people. Our system isn't perfect but MAN it could be worse! Don't get me wrong guys, I agree with you ALL THE WAY, but their are worse things than having to "import" your own stogies from overseas.
 
Top