Currently in the U.S., it is illegal to buy, import, or sell cigars from Cuba. But, while cigars may be the most famous banned item, this law actually applies to any product from Cuba. The reason stems from a 1960 decision to impose a trade embargo on Cuba under President John F. Kennedy. The idea was to punish Cuba for hostile actions during the Cold War by denying it access to the enormous U.S. economy.

The embargo has been revised several times since its inception, but it hasn’t yet been lifted despite repeated calls for a free trade agreement from the business community. This embargo only applies to imports to the U.S., so American travelers will sometimes purchase Cuban cigars and other products in foreign countries and bring them back to America (although this is technically illegal).

Tags: cigars, cold war, cuba, foreign policy, trade embargo