I have heard one exception to the embargo. Americans can travel to Cuba on humanitarian missions, and you are allowed to bring back a maximum of 2 boxes of cigars if you wish. I heard this from a trusted friend who knows personally some people who go to Cuba about once a year and they bring him back some cigars so I have no reason not to believe him. So I guess it is possible to legally have Cubans in the US, but only under this very specific circumstance.
-Matt Matt's Cigar Journal "A woman is only a woman, but a good cigar is a Smoke." -Rudyard Kipling
Absolutely and categorically incorrect. What you heard from someone who heard from someone else is incorrect and no longer the case. Prior to mid-late 2004, there was an exception for those traveling to Cuba under appropriate licenses issued by OFAC. You were allowed an exemption of $100 worth of goods (rum, cigars, coffee...). But that limitation did not and still does not reach informational materials, art, and so on. The presumption was that 1 box of cigars equalled $100. So if you had a bottle of rum, customs would remove 3 cigars. That was the presumption. Things were fairly loose, however, and if you had 1 or 2 boxes, it was no big deal. The problem arose when you had 5 or 6 or more boxes.
Since October, 2004, that exemption no longer exists. See the following update:
You can bring back CD's, music, literature, photographs, books, artwork, and the like, but nothing that is commercially produced for retail sale such as cigars, rum, coffee, and the like. An argument might be made that cigars are individual pieces of art...but that won't fly. I recently returned from a licensed trip, presented my credentials, disclosed what I had, and the 10 cigars I had were confiscated. So - while policy may vary from agent to agent or point of entry to point of entry, the official policy is being strictly enforced. I had thought - what the heck, a few cigars, who is going to care...but that's their policy. Zero tolerance.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: ryj7x47,
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Posts: 10301 | Location: Avenida de las Nalgas, Quericæstan | Registered: May 02, 2002
Originally posted by Lorax429: I have heard one exception to the embargo. Americans can travel to Cuba on humanitarian missions, and you are allowed to bring back a maximum of 2 boxes of cigars if you wish. I heard this from a trusted friend who knows personally some people who go to Cuba about once a year and they bring him back some cigars so I have no reason not to believe him. So I guess it is possible to legally have Cubans in the US, but only under this very specific circumstance.
ryj is correct. As of July 1, 2004, the $100 exception was revoked.
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This has been asked and answered several times here recently, but don't worry...I won't tell you that you should have done a search first! LOL. As others have said, it is not legal.
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Posts: 1012 | Location: AZ | Registered: September 11, 2005
I'm not American but when I travel to USA I always bring sh!tload of cigars, rum and coffee to USA.
As long as they don't catch you.....
"What's the deal with golf? You hit a ball with a stick and then you walk after it and you hit it again! I say if you hit it and then you find it, you got f...king lucky, pal! Put it in your pocket and go home. (Lemmy, White Line Fever)
Coffee?? Just don't spill it. Oh...and that's the first place they look for all that other contraband...
___________________ Santa Cabilla...patron saint of Quericæstan. VIVE COULTER (not Ann)! VIVE CPD! Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go...(Oscar Wilde)
Posts: 10301 | Location: Avenida de las Nalgas, Quericæstan | Registered: May 02, 2002
Originally posted by dizzydog: Anyone up on the legitness of Cigars at the Airport in Cancun?
Yes they are not legit.
___________________ Santa Cabilla...patron saint of Quericæstan. VIVE COULTER (not Ann)! VIVE CPD! Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go...(Oscar Wilde)
Posts: 10301 | Location: Avenida de las Nalgas, Quericæstan | Registered: May 02, 2002
Originally posted by dizzydog: Anyone up on the legitness of Cigars at the Airport in Cancun?
Unless the shop is an official LCDH, they are fakes.
I don't know about Cancun, because I haven't been there in ages, but in Mexico there are shops that have real Cubans and are not LCDH. They buy the cigars from LCDH, which is the only legal importer of Cubans in Mexico.
Posts: 49 | Location: Mexico city | Registered: May 08, 2006
I don't know about Cancun, because I haven't been there in ages, but in Mexico there are shops that have real Cubans and are not LCDH. They buy the cigars from LCDH, which is the only legal importer of Cubans in Mexico.
If you buy Cuban cigars in Mexico from other than a LCDH you will no doubt be buying fakes!
Non illegitimus carborundum
Posts: 2948 | Location: Welland | Registered: August 21, 2002
