The measures will allow items normally exchanged between individuals as gifts to be included in gift parcels going to Cuba and remove the requirement that gift parcels be sent only to members of the donor’s immediate family. Gift parcels may now be sent from an individual in the United States to an individual or an independent religious, educational, or charitable organization in Cuba.

The amendment also raises the value limit for gift parcels from $400 to $800 and increases the number of parcels that an individual donor may send each month from one parcel per household to one parcel per donee.

The EAR update removes the 44-pound limit on personal baggage that previously applied to travelers to Cuba and creates a new License Exception that authorizes exports and re-exports to Cuba of donated personal communications devices such as mobile phone systems, computers and software, satellite receivers and digital cameras.

Read the complete press release at the BIS news page.

The BIS has also posted a helpful question-and-answer document, including the facts on what changes were made, who is eligible to send donations, and what limits there are on donations, baggage, and telecommunication devices.

Introduction to Automating Export Compliance

According to research by the AberdeenGroup, companies using an automated export compliance system are 1.5 times more likely to report 0% of exports held up at customs. This video highlights how applying an export management system can ease your export pains and help establish compliance to avoid penalties, delays and fines. Watch it online now!

On May 20th, Sen. Max Baucus proposed a bill to promote agricultural exports to Cuba and remove the travel ban altogether. You can read his entire statement here – as it’s the statement, not the legalese-laden bill, it’s actually easy to read.

I’ll keep an eye out to see if it passes.

Special thanks to the World Trade Interactive newsletter, prepared by Sandler, Travis, & Rosenburg PA.  They do a great job covering all the latest legal developments in world trade. Now if only I could get these updates via RSS.