Cuban cigars will never be legal for import within our lifetimes.

[Briandg]

People began to seriously believe that the cuban embargo would be ended when bill clinton took office, because he sometimes smoked cigars. Since then, people have looked at various events and speculated that it would cause the normalization of relations and resumption of all trade. Nahh, didn't happen.

At this time, we still don't have any reason to end the embargo, and we have every reason to forbid open access to new sources of the demon leaf. If the embargo ends. it would be perfectly logical for the anti tobacco faction to encourage a clause in the resumption of trade treaties to ban exportation of tobacco. Legal or not (Of course it would be legal). Legal or not, the treaty can be written and ratified to block commerce in certain commodities (tobacco is poisonous and more dangerous than plutonium).

I don't believe that the embargo is going to be lifted before the anti-tobacco movement has already gathered the power to have the products banned or to have huge penalties and obstacles to importation.

[gumby]

I agree, but for different reasons.
Obama rightfully gave them an opening and many had hoped that after Castro things might change. But what they are doing in Venezuela most likely will result in the toughest embargo measures yet.

[TommyBB]

Originally Posted by gumby

I agree, but for different reasons.
Obama rightfully gave them an opening and many had hoped that after Castro things might change. But what they are doing in Venezuela most likely will result in the toughest embargo measures yet.

I have noticed a pattern over the 22 years I have been smoking cigars. Everytime there is even serious conversations in the United States about easing up on the Embargo, not only do the "exiles" in Miami justly complain, but the Cuban government invariably decides to clamp down on dissidents, artists, writers, and anyone else they deem dangerous to "the Revolution" to the point where even liberals in the U.S. say "the hell with it."

[BigO]

Could someone edify me? I was under the impression that as long as you didn't buy them directly from Cuba it was permissible to buy them from a third party vendor.

It's been at least 5 years since I have even heard of a confiscation. The last box I ordered even had cigars on the Customs label.

I know that we can't encourage illegal activity on the site, but I'm not clear anymore of where the line is currently drawn. Searching the web gives you any number of answers, completely contradictory.

[gumby]

I will let someone with more expertise on that subject answer your question, but the macro answer is that Obama loosened the embargo (thus cruise lines and easier travel to Cuba). My point is with what they are doing in Venezuala my bet is that Trump will clamp down firmer than ever before.

[BigO]

That's a pretty safe bet. Venezuela is a wild card worthy of the Cuba Missile Crisis that inspired the original embargo in '63.

I'm stocked up already.