Cuba Embargo may be lifted by end of 2010

According to Inside U.S. Trade - 5/8/2009, one of the congress man stated this week, Congress will “most likely” move to end the U.S. trade embargo of Cuba before the end of 2010.
However, we need to understand this move is not top priority, the committee would not consider legislation to end the embargo until after other priorities, particularly health care reform, were considered. It would be better to recognize this as just general direction.

As for recent update, State Department officials are in the early planning stages of a dialogue aimed at further engagement with Cuba. On April 13, the Obama administration announced it would allow U.S. telecommunications companies to do business in Cuba and lift all restrictions on family travel to Cuba, remittances to family members in Cuba and gift parcels sent to Cuba.

According to this announcement on April 13, the Obama administration will now allow more gift parcels, including clothing, personal hygiene items and fishing equipment, and personal communications devices, including cell phones, to be sent from the U.S. to Cuba.
To implement this policy, BIS is making changes to the EAR. The items in question are classified as EAR99. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control is expected to publish rules on the licenses for telecommunications work in Cuba.