The United States has maintained a near-total trade embargo on Cuba since the 1960s, restricting American businesses and individuals from trading, traveling, and investing there. This bill would end that embargo by repealing the core laws that sustain it, including the Cuban Democracy Act of 1992 and the Helms-Burton Act of 1996. American citizens could travel to Cuba freely for any lawful purpose, businesses could trade and set up telecommunications services there, and the cap on remittances sent to Cuba would be eliminated. Cuba would receive the same standard trade status — normal trade relations — that the United States extends to most other countries, and the President would retain authority to reinstate restrictions if a new national security threat arose.
Average Household Impact
- Cuba travel rights — Americans may travel to and from Cuba for any lawful purpose without federal restriction or licensing requirement
- Remittance cap to Cuba — Eliminated; Americans may send unlimited amounts to individuals in Cuba
Transparency & Accountability
- Presidential reporting before foreign-tax-credit denial — President required to notify Congress before designating Cuba as ineligible for the foreign tax credit
Congressional Summary
United States-Cuba Trade Act of 2026This bill repeals the trade embargo on Cuba and other provisions restricting trade and travel to Cuba.Specifically, the bill (1) removes restrictions on certain transactions related to trademarks used in connection with a confiscated business or asset, (2) extends nondiscriminatory treatment (i.e., normal trade relations treatment) to Cuban products, and (3) prohibits and rescinds limits on remittances to Cuba.The bill authorizes common carriers to provide telecommunications services between the United States and Cuba. In addition, travel by U.S. citizens and residents to Cuba may not be regulated or prohibited if such travel would be lawful in the United States.The President shall take all necessary steps to engage with Cuba to (1) negotiate settlements relating to claims that Cuba had taken the property of U.S. nationals, and (2) secure the protection of internationally recognized human rights. The President may, with respect to Cuba, impose new export controls and exercise powers related to declared national emergencies.The President must submit a specified determination about a foreign country to Congress prior to denying an income tax credit for taxes paid to the foreign country.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2026-02-12
- Date Added
- 2026-05-01
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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