The United States expanded sanctions against Cuba on Thursday, November 5, targeting people, companies and ships linked to oil shipping and military supply networks, and allowing possible penalties for foreign firms in four more parts of Cuba’s economy.
The State Department said it placed eight entities and two individuals under sanctions. It also marked five ships as blocked property under Executive Order 14404. The targets include an offshore network involved in carrying Cuban oil, businesses linked to the Cuban state, and suppliers based in China that Washington alleges support Cuba’s military forces.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the measures aim to disrupt money and supply routes that the administration says benefit Cuba’s government and military elite. Separately, the Treasury Department added electronics, manufacturing, marine and technology to the sectors in which foreign persons may face sanctions. This decision expands the government’s authority to impose sanctions.
It does not automatically sanction every company operating in those industries. The restrictions generally block the property of designated persons that is under U.S. jurisdiction and limit transactions by U.S. persons. The new authority over these sectors raises the risk of future sanctions designations for foreign firms.
The U.S. announcements did not include the Cuban government’s response to the latest measures.