--- title: Barack Obama Eases Cuba Embargo for Companies and Travelers description: The measures significantly eases travel restrictions to Cuba. canonical: https://time.com/3669086/cuba-travel-restrictions-us-barack-obama/ author: Noah Rayman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-01-15T15:31:58.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:41:42.331Z article:section: Politics og:title: U.S. Eases Restrictions on Travel to Cuba og:description: Will make it easier for people and companies to do business in Cuba og:url: https://time.com/3669086/cuba-travel-restrictions-us-barack-obama/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt51936c79866c5e73/69877a093c163941664512e4/cuba-us-travel.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: Cuba Havana US travel og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: U.S. Eases Restrictions on Travel to Cuba twitter:description: Will make it easier for people and companies to do business in Cuba twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt51936c79866c5e73/69877a093c163941664512e4/cuba-us-travel.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # U.S. Eases Restrictions on Travel to Cuba > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: Know Right Now: U.S. and Cuba Reevaluate Their Relationship [Watch (HLS stream): Know Right Now: U.S. and Cuba Reevaluate Their Relationship](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/4j76Hmcr.m3u8) (1:03)  _Published 2014-12-19. This week, prisoners were exchanged between the United States and Cuba as part of a joint effort to ease decades of tension between the two countries._  by [Noah Rayman](https://time.com/author/noah-rayman/)  ## Noah Rayman Jan 15, 2015 3:31 PM UTC  A pedicab ("bicitaxi" in Cuba) with a national flag of the United States is seen in Havana, on Jan. 7, 2015. A pedicab ("bicitaxi" in Cuba) with a national flag of the United States is seen in Havana, on Jan. 7, 2015. Yamil Lage—AFP/Getty Images  by [Noah Rayman](https://time.com/author/noah-rayman/)  ## Noah Rayman Jan 15, 2015 3:31 PM UTC The United States announced Thursday that it was easing restrictions on travel and commerce in Cuba, in the first step of President Barack Obama’s plan to [thaw relations](http://time.com/3637483/alan-gross-cuba-barack-obama/) between the two countries. The new measures, which take effect on Friday, authorize airlines to fly to Cuba and allow Americans to visit Cuba without first obtaining a special license if they are traveling for any of more than a dozen reasons, including family visits, journalism and sports. They also expand the list of goods that can be exported to Cuba and authorize financial institutions to operate more widely in Cuba. The announcement on Thursday marked the first tangible step by the U.S. to normalize relations between the two countries since Obama unexpectedly began the shift in policy last month after decades of tension with Cuba. “Today’s announcement takes us one step closer to replacing out-of-date policies that were not working and puts in place a policy that helps promote political and economic freedom for the Cuban people,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said in a statement. ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] I truly hope that we can now get beyond these mutually belligerent policies. [ MUSIC ] We will end an outdated approach that. For decades has failed to advance our interests, and instead we will begin to normalize relations between our two countries. [ MUSIC ] It is a lifeline for the Castro regime. That will allow them to become more profitable because they control every sector of the economy. [ MUSIC ] I think the President's actions have created a challenge for us globally. 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