I wanted to quote the article here since the yahoo link disapeared.


US tightens ban on Cuban cigars

AFP
Thursday, October 07, 2004

WASHINGTON, (AFP) - US President George W Bush's administration has tightened a ban on Americans importing Cuban cigars.

"There is now an across-the-board ban on the importation of Cuban-origin cigars," said a notice released this week by the
Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control.

Previously, the rules allowed Americans licenced to travel to <?:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-regi&#111;n w:st="&#111;n">Cuba</st1:country-regi&#111;n> to bring back to the <st1:country-regi&#111;n w:st="&#111;n"><st1:place w:st="&#111;n">United States</st1:place></st1:country-regi&#111;n> up to 100 dollars' worth of Cuban goods, including cigars.

That loophole was closed in the latest regulations.
The anti-Cuban cigar rules were already strict.

For example, Americans are barred from buying a Cuban cigar in other countries, even to smoke it outside the <st1:country-regi&#111;n w:st="&#111;n"><st1:place w:st="&#111;n">United States</st1:place></st1:country-regi&#111;n>.

"The question is often asked whether United States citizens or permanent resident aliens of the United States may legally purchase Cuban goods, including tobacco and alcohol products, in a third country for personal use outside the United States," the notice said. "The answer is no."

Breaking the rules can lead to criminal penalties, including fines of up to $1 million for corporations and $250,000 for individuals and up to 10 years in prison, the department said.