• Infamousblt [any]
    ·
    25 days ago

    Does this break sanctions? If so extremely fucking cool

    • curmudgeonthefrog [he/him]
      ·
      25 days ago

      Probably not, the US skirts the legal definition of a blockade by creating insane hoops to jump through. Countries that want to trade with Cuba can't use the SWIFT banking system, meaning no digital transactions, meaning they literally have to carry the cash with them to the island and back. They have to use ships that can't dock in US ports for 6 months after docking in Cuba (which Cuba having a gdp less than half a percent of US gdp means businesses have no incentive to choose trade with Cuba). And the trade has to be humanitarian, no military applications (but this also applies to medical and tech equipment which US says have "dual purpose"). All that said, there are awesome countries that choose to go through these hoops at significant cost and risk. But it takes a lot of time and planning to setup and get the right permits.