Further changes Obama can still make
Granma | Friday, 21 October 2016 | Click here for original article
The U.S. President has various executive prerogatives with which to modify the application of the blockade against Cuba, including to:
1- Allow Cuba to open travel information offices in the United States.
2- Authorise exports to Cuba of U.S. products for essential sectors of the island’s economy, such as mining, tourism, biotechnology, and oil, among others.
3- Authorise imports of Cuban products to the U.S, beyond those produced by the non-state sector.
4- Authorise imports to the U.S. of goods manufactured or containing products grown, produced or made by Cuban state entities (nickel, sugar, tobacco, rum and others). To date, only biopharmaceutical products are permitted.
5- Allow exports to Cuba of medical supplies and equipment which can be used in the production of biotechnological products on the island.
6- Allow broader forms of collaboration for the development, marketing and supply of Cuban medicines and biomedical products, such as direct investment by U.S. companies and joint ventures.
7- Authorise the sale of the raw materials Cuba requires to produce medicines for the country’s population and those of other developing nations.
8- Authorise U.S. companies to sell Cuban medical treatments in the U.S.
9- Allow U.S. citizens to receive and pay for medical treatment in Cuba.
10- Allow Cuban entities (banks, enterprises, etc.) to open bank accounts in the U.S.
11- Instruct U.S. representatives in international financial institutions not to block the granting of credits and other financial facilities to Cuba.
12- Allow U.S. citizens and companies to make investments in Cuba, beyond those approved within the telecommunications sector.
13- Authorise U.S. subsidiaries unrelated to the import and export of goods to Cuba (the latter prohibited under the Torricelli Act) to do business with Cuba, such as providing services.
14- Authorise U.S. companies to carry out all transactions and exports related to the exploration and extraction of hydrocarbons located in Cuba’s Exclusive Economic Zone (ZEE).
15- Authorise U.S. companies to carry out all transactions and exports for the prevention of oil spills in Cuba’s ZEE or territorial waters.
16- Authorise foreign companies to use off-shore oil exploration and extraction platforms, which have more than 25% U.S. made components.
17- Authorise foreign exploration platforms to participate in the search for oil in Cuba’s ZEE and use U.S. technological products.
18- Eliminate the Specially Designated Nationals List, which includes Cuban entities and/or foreign companies with interests in Cuba. Once featured on the list, these entities are subjected to all blockade regulations and are thus restricted from undertaking commercial and financial transactions with the U.S., or foreign companies affiliated with the U.S. in third countries.
