Cuban cigars are still highly sought after around the world… Almost every day here in the shop we get asked if we have Cubans for sale. Few people understand why buying them in the United States has been illegal due to political reasons. Here’s a simple breakdown on the legality of Cuban cigars.
In 1960 (2 years after the Cuban revolution) the U.S. implemented an embargo on some Cuban products. This happened because Cuba took over American-owned oil businesses without paying for them. This embargo then got stricter in 1962, when President Kennedy banned all Cuban products, including cigars. For many years after, Americans couldn’t legally buy or own Cuban cigars.
In December 2014, President Obama tried to improve relations with Cuba and made some changes. He became the first US president to visit Cuba since Calvin Coolidge, reopened the US Embassy in Havana and lifted some restrictions on travel visas. He also allowed travelers to bring back up to $100 worth of Cuban cigars and alcohol for personal use (not for selling).
Later in 2017, President Trump reversed several of these changes, bringing back many of the rules. Americans could no longer buy or sell Cuban products (including cigars). Even if you buy Cuban cigars legally in another country, you can’t bring them back to the U.S. If you try to buy or bring Cuban cigars into the U.S., you could face fines up to $65,000 for each violation or (more likely) confiscation of the cigars by customs officials.
Right now, it’s still illegal for U.S. citizens to buy or import Cuban cigars, whether they’re in the U.S. or traveling abroad. Because of this, there is a huge problem with counterfeit “Cuban” cigars. Entire factories have been built in cigar producing countries to feed this high demand. There are several website online which attempt to ship “Cuban” cigars to customers in the United States. However, you must be wary of these suppliers as the only way to guarantee the authenticity of your cigars is to buy directly from Casa del Habanos.
While premium manufacturers take steps to eliminate tobacco pests both on raw tobacco and completed cigars, Cuban manufacturers do not take the same precautions. There have been many stories of collections being ruined because of tobacco beetles stemming from the purchase of Cuban cigars. If you do choose to purchase Cuban cigars, we highly suggest storing them separately.