U.S. Treasury Adds Cuba Ministry of Tourism to Sanctions List
The designation extends a pattern of economic pressure on Havana by targeting one of Cuba's primary sources of hard-currency revenue, though the full scope of affected entities and individuals has...
The U.S. Treasury Department expanded its Cuba sanctions program by adding Cuba's Ministry of Tourism to its designated entities list, according to a report published July 13, 2026, by Bloomberg. The Ministry of Tourism is one of Cuba's principal economic sectors, generating foreign currency receipts that the Cuban government uses to sustain state operations. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) administers the Cuba sanctions program under the Cuban Assets Control Regulations, 31 C.F.R. Part 515.
The designation means that U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with the Ministry of Tourism or entities in which it holds a majority interest, absent a specific OFAC license. U.S. companies operating in travel, hospitality, or payment processing sectors may be required to review existing business relationships for compliance. The legal authority for the action derives from the Trading with the Enemy Act (TWEA), which has governed Cuba sanctions continuously since 1963.
The Biden administration had eased certain Cuba travel and remittance restrictions in 2022, and the Trump administration reimposed a tighter framework beginning in 2025. The specific OFAC Federal Register notice listing the Ministry of Tourism and any co-designated individuals or subsidiaries had not been fully published in searchable form as of the time of this report, according to Bloomberg's account. The complete SDN (Specially Designated Nationals) list entry, which would identify all affected entities and the precise legal basis cited, is the public record that would provide full details.
Congress has not passed new Cuba-specific legislation in the current session. The executive branch retains broad discretion over Cuba sanctions designations through TWEA and the Helms-Burton Act (22 U.S.C. §§ 6021–6091), both of which authorize presidential action without requiring a separate congressional vote for each designation. No congressional committee hearing on this specific designation has been scheduled as of July 13, 2026, according to the House Foreign Affairs and Senate Foreign Relations Committee published calendars.
What remains unknown is the full list of sub-entities and officials named alongside the Ministry of Tourism, whether any existing OFAC general licenses for Cuba travel have been simultaneously revoked or modified, and what enforcement guidance Treasury intends to issue to U.S. financial institutions. Those details would be contained in the official OFAC Federal Register notice and any accompanying Treasury press release, neither of which had been published in full at the time of reporting.