Obama Eases Restrictions on Gifts of Consumer Electronics to Cuba

Obama Eases Restrictions on Gifts of Consumer Electronics to Cuba
Sunday, September 13, 2009

The Obama administration has taken yet another step towards improving
trade between the United States and Cuba. New rules crafted by the
Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security will allow
Cuban-Americans to send packages to relatives in Cuba that have a retail
value of $800 (up from $400) and include consumer electronics.

No export license will be required under the rules governing gift
packages that include mobile phones, personal digital assistants, laptop
and desktop computers, data storage devices, disk drives, flash drives,
writable compact disks and floppy disks. Americans also will be able to
send software and hardware that allows Cubans to access satellite-based
television and radio communications.

President Barack Obama has said the lifting of restrictions on personal
trade with Cuba fits with the U.S. policy of promoting democracy and
human rights on the Communist island by decreasing "the dependency of
the Cuban people on the Castro regime."
-Noel Brinkerhoff

AllGov - News - Obama Eases Restrictions on Gifts of Consumer
Electronics to Cuba (13 September 2009)
http://www.allgov.com/ViewNews/Obama_Eases_Restrictions_on_Gifts_of_Consumer_Electronics_to_Cuba_90913