USA

New restrictions for ships travelling to Cuba from the US

The Coast Guard has new restrictions for US ships (and ships without nationality less than 100 metres in length) travelling to Cuba. These ships must have a Coast Guard issued permit in order to travel from US territorial waters to Cuban territorial waters.

The regulation replaces a previous three mile security zone around the Florida peninsula.

Violators caught without a permit may receive a civil penalty of up to US $25,000 for each day they are in violation and can receive an on-the-spot ticket for up to US $10,000. Anyone who knowingly violates this law is subject to criminal penalties, imprisonment and ship forfeiture.

The new federal regulation is a result of Presidential Proclamation 7757, signed February 26, which grants the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Coast Guard the authority to establish rules and regulations to regulate the movement of specified vessels from US territorial seas into Cuban territorial seas as such movement might disturb the international relations of the United States.

The new proclamation increases the scope of a presidential proclamation signed in February 1996, which gave the Coast Guard authority to establish a three mile security zone around the Florida peninsula prohibiting all ships 50 metres in length or less from entering Cuban waters...

Applicants must provide the Coast Guard with evidence they hold appropriate licenses from the US Departments of Commerce and Treasury to ensure there is no violation of the Cuban embargo....