1. (a) All transactions ordinarily incident to the exportation of items from the United States, or the reexportation of items from a third country, to any person within Cuba are authorized, provided that:

   1. (1) The exportation or reexportation is licensed or otherwise authorized by the Department of Commerce under the provisions of the Export Administration Act of 1979, as amended (50 U.S.C. 4601-4623) (see the Export Administration Regulations, 15 CFR parts 730 through 774);
   2. (2) The transaction is not a transaction between a U.S.-owned or -controlled firm in a third country and Cuba for the exportation to Cuba of commodities produced in a country other than the United States or Cuba;
   3. (3) The transaction is not financed from any blocked account; and

   4. (4) In the case of agricultural commodities, as that term is defined in 15 CFR part 772, only the following payment and financing terms are used:

      1. (i) Payment of cash in advance. For the purposes of this section, the term “payment of cash in advance” shall mean payment before the transfer of title to, and control of, the exported items to the Cuban purchaser; or
      2. (ii) Financing by a banking institution located in a third country provided the banking institution is not a designated national, a U.S. citizen, a U.S. permanent resident alien, or an entity organized under the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States (including any foreign branch of such an entity). Such financing may be confirmed or advised by a U.S. banking institution.

2. (b) Importation of certain items previously exported to Cuba; servicing and repair of such items. All transactions ordinarily incident to the importation into the United States or a third country of items previously exported from the United States to Cuba or exported or reexported from a third country to Cuba, and the servicing and repair of such items, are authorized, provided that:

   1. (1) The items previously were exported or reexported to Cuba pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section or § 515.559; and

   2. (2) The items are being imported into the United States or a third country either:

      1. (i) In order to service or repair them before they are exported or reexported back to Cuba, or
      2. (ii) To return them to the United States or a third country.

3. (c) General license for travel-related transactions incident to exportation or reexportation of certain items.

   1. (1) The travel-related transactions set forth in § 515.560(c) and such additional transactions as are directly incident to the conduct of market research, commercial marketing, sales or contract negotiation, accompanied delivery, installation, leasing, servicing, or repair in Cuba of items consistent with the export or reexport licensing policy of the Department of Commerce are authorized, provided that the traveler's schedule of activities does not include free time or recreation in excess of that consistent with a full-time schedule.

   2. (2) The travel-related transactions set forth in § 515.560(c) and such additional transactions as are directly incident to the facilitation of the temporary sojourn of aircraft and vessels as authorized by 15 CFR 740.15 (License Exception Aircraft, Vessels and Spacecraft) or pursuant to other authorization by the Department of Commerce for authorized travel between the United States and Cuba, including travel-related transactions by persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction who are required for normal operation and service aboard a vessel or aircraft, as well as persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction who are required to provide services to a vessel in port or aircraft on the ground, are authorized, provided that:

      1. (i) Such travel-related transactions are limited to the duration and scope of their duties in relation to the particular authorized temporary sojourn; and
      2. (ii) The aircraft or vessel must be transporting individuals whose travel between the United States and Cuba is authorized pursuant to any section of this part other than paragraph (c)(2) of this section.
4. (d) Certain travel-related transactions restricted. Nothing in paragraph (c) of this section authorizes the lodging, paying for lodging, or making any reservation for or on behalf of a third party to lodge, at any property on the Cuba Prohibited Accommodations List to the extent prohibited by § 515.210.
5. (e) Specific licenses. Specific licenses may be issued on a case-by-case basis authorizing the travel-related transactions set forth in § 515.560(c) and such other transactions as are related to the exportation and reexportation of items to Cuba when such transactions do not qualify for the general license under paragraph (c) of this section.

Note 1 to paragraph (a): The transactions authorized by this paragraph include all transactions that are directly incident to the shipping of specific exports or reexports (e.g., insurance and transportation of the exports to Cuba). Transactions that are not tied to specific exports or reexports, such as transactions involving future (non-specific) shipments, must be separately licensed by OFAC. For the waiver of the prohibitions on entry into U.S. ports contained in § 515.207 for vessels transporting shipments of items between the United States and Cuba pursuant to this section, see § 515.550.

Note 2 to paragraph (a): The limitation in paragraph (a)(4) applies only to payment and financing terms for exports or reexports of agricultural commodities and is required by the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000, 22 U.S.C. 7207(b)(1). For other authorized exports and reexports, paragraph (a) does not restrict payment and financing terms. See § 515.584 for an authorization for banking institutions to provide financing for authorized exports and reexports of items other than agricultural commodities.

Note 3 to paragraph (a): Transactions ordinarily incident to exportation from the United States authorized by this paragraph include the importation into the United States of items from a third country for exportation to Cuba pursuant to a license or other authorization by the Department of Commerce.

Note 4 to paragraph (a): See § 515.534 for a general license authorizing certain contingent contracts, including contingent contracts for the sale of items that may be exported from the United States to Cuba or reexported from a third country to Cuba consistent with the export licensing policy of the Department of Commerce, where performance of such contingent contracts is expressly made contingent on prior authorization by the Department of Commerce.

Note to paragraph (b): This paragraph does not authorize the exportation or reexportation of any item to Cuba. The exportation or reexportation of serviced, repaired, or replacement items to Cuba must be separately authorized pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section or § 515.559, in addition to any Department of Commerce authorization that may be required.

[81 FR 71374, Oct. 17, 2016, as amended at 82 FR 52000, Nov. 9, 2017; 85 FR 60070, Sept. 24, 2020]