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U.S. Sales of
Medicines and Medical Supplies to Cuba
The U.S. embargo does NOT deny medicines and medical supplies to the Cuban
people. As stipulated in Section 1705 of the Cuban Democracy Act of 1992,
the U.S. Government is authorized to issue licenses for the sale of medicine
and medical supplies to Cuba. The major requirement for obtaining a license
is to arrange for end-use monitoring to ensure that there is no reasonable
likelihood that these items could be diverted to the Cuban military, used in
acts of torture or other human rights abuses, or re-exported or used in the
production of biotechnological products. Monitoring of sales can be
performed by independent non-governmental organizations, international
organizations, or foreign diplomats.
Since 1992, 36 of 39 license requests have been approved for U.S. companies
and their subsidiaries for sales of medical items to Cuba. Thirty-one (31)
licenses were for the commercial sale of medicines, medical equipment, and
related supplies to Cuba. Five (5) licenses were for travel to Cuba by
representatives of American pharmaceutical companies to explore possible
sales. Licenses have included such items as a liquid chromatography gradient
programmer with pump and cable kit; Pentaspan (pentastarch); lab columns;
filtration gels and expendables; T 380A IUDs; IMAP (fluspirilene);
Thalamonal (fentanyl citrate); Depo-Provera contraception injection; Prostin
VR pediatric sterile solution (alprostadil); syringes; an Ortho cytron
absolute flow cytometer; catheters; medical diagnostic kits; and fine
chemicals for medical and scientific research. The total dollar figure for
these licensed transactions was at least $1,665,909. The Department of
Commerce declined three requests for licenses. These exceptions to the
general policy of approving commercial medical sales with appropriate
end-use monitoring occurred in 1993 and 1994.
Moreover, the U.S. embargo on Cuba affects only U.S. companies and their
subsidiaries and other companies whose products contain more than 10% U.S.
content. Other nations and companies are free to trade with Cuba. Should
Cuba choose not to purchase from the U.S., it can purchase medicine or
medical equipment from other countries. Such third country transactions only
cost an estimated 2-3% more than purchases from the U.S. as a result of
higher shipping costs.
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