Skip to Content News Archives Economy Energy Oil & Gas Renewables Electric Vehicles Mining Commodities Agriculture Real Estate Mortgages Mortgage Rates Finance Banking Insurance Fintech Cryptocurrency Work Wealth Smart Money Wealth Management Investor Personal Finance Family Finance Retirement Taxes High Net Worth FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials More Innovation Information Technology FP500 Podcasts Small Business Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Financial Post Store Obituaries Place a Notice Advertising Advertising With Us Advertising Solutions Postmedia Ad Manager Sponsorship Requests Classifieds Place a Classifieds ad Working Profile Settings My Subscriptions Saved Articles My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ News Economy Energy Mining Real Estate Finance Work Wealth Investor FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials HomeNewsEconomyU.S. expands Cuba sanctions with targeting of tourism industryTrump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have been smothering the island with almost weekly sanctionsAuthor of the article:Last updated 38 minutes ago You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.Cuba has said it’s willing to make economic reforms and negotiate, but that its political system is not up for debate. Photo by YAMIL LAGE/AFP via Getty ImagesThe United States added Cuba’s Ministry of Tourism to its expanding sanctions list, striking once-again at one of the main economic drivers of the communist-run Caribbean island.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorThe ministry was one of 10 agencies and entities that were targeted Monday, according to updated guidance from the Office of Foreign Assets Control.International travel to the island, just 90 miles south of Florida, has hit historic lows after the U.S. cut off large fuel deliveries to Cuba, forcing resorts to shut, airlines to cancel flights and international operators to abandon their contracts. The country’s electric grid is under growing strain with two nationwide blackouts last week alone.Fuel wholesalers Coreydan and Enetec were also added to the list along with Gecomex, a state-owned trading company and retailer. The sanctions went beyond economic targets, like the Association of Combatants of the Cuban Revolution, and the Rapid Response Brigades, which the State Department said were used to conduct surveillance on political opponents and suppress dissent.SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE: FP West: Energy Insider brings you behind the oilpatch’s closed doors with exclusive insights from insiders every Wednesday morning.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of FP West: Energy Insider will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againUnder pressure from the Donald Trump administration, the Cuban government rolled out almost 200 economic reform proposals last month. Among them are plans to allow complete foreign ownership of new tourism developments, and giving operators more authority to import their own supplies — rather than working through the government-run distribution system.The U.S. has called those reforms “long overdue and ultimately superficial smoke signals.”The Ministry of Tourism, or Mintur, is the single largest player in the tourism sector after Gaesa, the military-run business conglomerate that was sanctioned in May.The actions against Gaesa “affected more than half of all hotel operations in Cuba,” Paolo Spadoni, a professor at Augusta University in Georgia who studies the island’s economy, said in a text message. “With the addition of Mintur to the sanctions list, the scope of U.S. restrictions now extend to virtually 100 per cent of hotel operations on the island.”Last month, Spain’s Meliá Hotels International SA announced that it’s pulling its brands and “immediately” terminating its operating agreements at 15 hotels in Cuba.Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have been smothering the island with almost weekly sanctions, with the aim of forcing the 67-year-old regime out of power. Cuba has said it’s willing to make economic reforms and negotiate, but that its political system is not up for debate.In a statement, the State Department said Monday’s designations were part of a “comprehensive push to end the Cuban regime’s malign activities, both in Cuba and across our hemisphere.”Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez shot back on X saying the U.S. “continues to intensify its war against the people of Cuba, their living conditions, and their sources of livelihood.” Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.