The most salient theme in recent months is trade policy and its direct impact on our capacity to grow, produce, and market premium cigars.

The Trump administration’s 2025-2026 tariff policies are aggressively reshaping global trade, prioritizing US interests to reduce the trade deficit, reshore manufacturing, and enhance national security. Following the removal of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, the focus on reshaping Latin America has intensified, making trade an instrument for freedom.

This strategy has led to escalated sanctions enforcement and scrutiny of industries central to Cuba’s economy, including tobacco. Premium cigars are a critical, visible export symbol and source of hard currency. This pressure has fueled the question: are we seeing the first steps toward reopening an “old new” market for premium cigars?

For our industry leaders, many of whom fled Cuba with nothing, the possibility of market reopening is deeply complicated. This is not simply about market access; it is a profound question of trust, stability, and whether a post-transition Cuba could ever offer the predictability provided by the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Honduras for generations.

Therefore, our policy recommendations advocate for stringent conditions on market access. We specifically require private ownership—potentially including repatriation of family holdings—and for larger industry players, the resolution of intellectual property disputes over legacy cigar brands. The goal is to ensure that any trade opening does not grant the Cuban government an unfair advantage over our established free-market partners.

This brings us to last week’s key development. On February 20th, the Supreme Court’s landmark 6–3 ruling in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump held that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not authorize the President to impose tariffs.

The administration quickly responded by imposing a new 15 percent global tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. Crucially, this action leaves existing Section 232 (national security) and Section 301 (retaliatory) authorities fully intact. For our industry, Section 301 remains the most concerning tool. Having recently secured an exemption from a Section 301 investigation involving Nicaragua, we must now vigilantly consider whether the administration will use the Supreme Court’s decision as a catalyst to relaunch investigations under a different statutory framework.

This moment underscores why predictability and clear statutory authority matter—not as abstract principles, but as prerequisites for lawful, free-market commerce. In an increasingly volatile trade environment, uncertainty is itself a cost, one borne disproportionately by small businesses, workers, and long-standing supply chains.

Cigar Rights of America will remain actively engaged as these trade tools evolve, advocating for policies that respect the rule of law, protect our free-market partners, and preserve the stability that premium cigar manufacturers and retailers rely upon to plan, invest, and grow.

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