In the weeks preceding the 18 February 2016 agreement between the US and Cuba authorising daily US commercial flights between the two countries, regulators at the BIS and The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) adopted companion rules easing restrictions on trade with Cuba. The BIS Rule, among other things, amends the general policy of denial for exports to Cuba to establish a general policy of approval for exports of civil aviation items, certain types of telecommunications equipment, agricultural items, and other items benefiting the Cuban people. License applications for exports of other items to state-owned enterprises in Cuba or organisations affiliated with the Cuban government will now be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The OFAC Rule lifts previous payment and financing restrictions on non-agricultural exports and reexports to Cuba of US-origin items, and further facilitates Cuba travel by, among other things, allowing arrangements with Cuban airlines for entry into blocked space, code-sharing and aircraft leasing, as well as broadening Cuba travel exemptions for organising professional meetings and public events in Cuba.
