United States-Cuba Trade Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Representative McGovern
Introduced
Summary
Ends the U.S. embargo on Cuba and restores normal trade and travel. This bill would repeal decades of Cuba-specific sanctions and rewrite U.S. rules on trade, remittances, telecommunications, and property claims.
Show full summary
- U.S. families and travelers: U.S. citizens and residents could travel to Cuba when travel is lawful and send remittances without Cuba-specific limits. The bill preserves anti-money laundering enforcement and lists ordinary travel transactions and normal banking for trips as allowed.
- Businesses and markets: U.S. exporters, telecom firms, and sugar traders would gain access through restored nondiscriminatory trade treatment and removed sugar quotas. Telecom companies and common carriers could install, upgrade, and repair communications infrastructure and provide services between the United States and Cuba.
- Government, claims, and trade rules: The bill would repeal or displace many embargo authorities across multiple statutes and direct the President to negotiate settlements of U.S. nationals' property claims while seeking protections for internationally recognized human rights. Most changes would take effect 60 days after enactment and certain tariff changes would apply 15 days after enactment.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
8 provisions identified: 6 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.
Change trigger for foreign tax credits
If enacted, the bill would make the President's report to Congress the official date for denying foreign tax credits for a country. The change would apply only to determinations made after enactment and would not change how credits apply for countries already determined before enactment. Taxpayers could therefore keep credits until the President reports a new determination.
Restore normal trade with Cuba
If enacted, this bill would remove Cuba-specific export bans and give Cuban products nondiscriminatory tariff treatment. Goods entered or withdrawn for consumption on or after the 15th day after enactment would follow new tariff rules. Most other changes would take effect 60 days after enactment. The bill would also let the President impose export controls or use emergency powers for Cuba only after a new national emergency declaration that did not exist before enactment.
Allow unlimited remittances to Cuba
If enacted, the bill would stop Treasury from limiting how much money U.S. persons can send to Cuba. The Secretary would be required to rescind any regulations in effect on the date of enactment that impose remittance caps. The change would take effect 60 days after enactment. Money-laundering and related criminal laws would still apply.
End Cuba-era sanctions and rules
If enacted, this bill would repeal the Cuban Democracy Act (1992) and the LIBERTAD Act (1996). It would also stop use of certain Trading With the Enemy Act authorities for Cuba and remove specific embargo and quota authorities. These repeals would take effect 60 days after enactment. The changes could ease visa rules and claims processes for affected people and entities.
Protect lawful travel to Cuba
If enacted, the bill would prohibit U.S. rules from blocking travel to or from Cuba by U.S. citizens and residents when that travel would be lawful in the United States. It would also bar restrictions on transactions ordinarily incident to such travel, like maintenance in Cuba and normal foreign-currency banking transactions. The protection would start 60 days after enactment.
President to negotiate Cuban claims
If enacted, the bill would direct the President to pursue negotiations with Cuba to settle U.S. nationals' claims for taken property and to seek protection of internationally recognized human rights. The terms 'national of the United States' and 'property' would be defined by reference to the International Claims Settlement Act of 1949. The directive would begin 60 days after enactment and would not itself create immediate payments.
Allow U.S. telecom service to Cuba
If enacted, the bill would let qualifying common carriers install, maintain, repair, and upgrade telecommunications equipment and facilities in Cuba. It would also let them provide telecommunications services between the United States and Cuba. The change would take effect 60 days after enactment and would apply to entities that meet the Communications Act definition of a common carrier.
Change aid rules for former Soviet states
If enacted, the bill would revise several text provisions that control U.S. assistance to certain former Soviet countries. The edits would delete and redesignate specific paragraphs and remove a named subsection. These changes would take effect 60 days after enactment and mainly affect which foreign recipients are eligible for U.S. aid.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
McGovern
MA • D
Cosponsors
Velazquez
NY • D
Sponsored 2/12/2026
DeLauro
CT • D
Sponsored 2/12/2026
Pocan
WI • D
Sponsored 2/12/2026
Omar
MN • D
Sponsored 2/12/2026
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
DC • D
Sponsored 2/12/2026
Johnson (GA)
GA • D
Sponsored 2/12/2026
Ramirez
IL • D
Sponsored 2/12/2026
Moore (WI)
WI • D
Sponsored 2/12/2026
Tlaib
MI • D
Sponsored 2/12/2026
Casar
TX • D
Sponsored 2/12/2026
Ocasio-Cortez
NY • D
Sponsored 2/12/2026
Dean (PA)
PA • D
Sponsored 2/12/2026
Lynch
MA • D
Sponsored 2/12/2026
Simon
CA • D
Sponsored 2/12/2026
Jayapal
WA • D
Sponsored 2/12/2026
DeSaulnier
CA • D
Sponsored 2/12/2026
Cohen
TN • D
Sponsored 2/12/2026
Waters
CA • D
Sponsored 2/13/2026
Moulton
MA • D
Sponsored 2/23/2026
Pressley
MA • D
Sponsored 2/24/2026
Schakowsky
IL • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Garcia (IL)
IL • D
Sponsored 3/5/2026
Jackson (IL)
IL • D
Sponsored 3/27/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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