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S 403 108th Congress Senate

United States-Cuba Trade Act of 2003

Official title: A bill to lift the trade embargo on Cuba, and for other purposes.

Introduced: February 13, 2003 See on congress.gov
International Affairs Agriculture and FoodAgriculture in foreign tradeAliensAmerican property in foreign countries
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Armed Forces and National SecurityCaribbean areaCivil Rights and Liberties, Minority IssuesCivil actions and liabilityCommerceDebt reliefDemocracyDevelopment credit institutionsDrugsEBB TerrorismEconomic assistanceEconomics and Public FinanceEmbargoEnergyExport controlsExport financeExpropriationFederally-guaranteed loansForeign Trade and International FinanceForeign investmentsForeign loansForeign tax creditGovernment Operations and PoliticsGovernment lendingGovernment liability (International law)HealthHuman rightsImmigrationImport restrictionsIncome taxIntellectual propertyInternational agenciesInternational broadcastingInternational claimsLatin AmericaLawLiability (Law)Medical suppliesMerchant shipsMost favored nation principleNegotiationsNormal trade relationsNuclear facilitiesPostal servicePresident and foreign policyRight of propertyRight to travelSanctions (International law)Science, Technology, CommunicationsState-sponsored terrorismSugarTaxationTelecommunication industryTelecommunication systemsTelephoneTelevision broadcastingTrade agreementsTrademarksTrading with the enemyTransportation and Public WorksV-chipsVisas
This bill died when the 108th Congress ended
It never became law before the 108th Congress (2003–2004) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Feb 13, 2003
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Feb 13, 2003
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2478-2479)
Feb 13, 2003
Introduced in Senate
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 Latest action February 13, 2003

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service
United States-Cuba Trade Act of 2003 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (including other specified laws) to repeal the embargo placed upon all trade with Cuba.

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to declare the denial of foreign tax credit inapplicable to Cuba (except that such requirement shall apply to countries that have been determined to repeatedly provide support for acts of international terrorism).

Permits: (1) installation and maintenance of telecommunications equipment and facilities in Cuba, including telecommunications services between the United States and Cuba; and (2) travel to and from Cuba by U.S. citizens or residents.

Requires the U.S. Postal Service to provide direct mail service to and from Cuba.

Urges the President to take all necessary steps to conduct negotiations with the Government of Cuba to: (1) settle claims of U.S. nationals against Cuba for the taking of property; and (2) secure protection of internationally recognized human rights.

Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the United States should promote democratic change and economic reform by normalizing trade relations with Cuba; and (2) upon the enactment of this Act, it will no longer be necessary for the United States to continue to use Article XXI of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 with respect to Cuba, understanding that the President retains full authority to invoke Article XXI and comparable provisions in other Uruguay Round Agreements in the future in all appropriate circumstances.

Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to extend nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations) to the products of Cuba.

Prohibits the Secretary of the Treasury from limiting the amount of remittances to Cuba that any U.S. person may make. Declares that this prohibition does not prohibit the prosecution or conviction of any person committing a criminal offense relating to the laundering of money or engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from unlawful activities.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 403: United States-Cuba Trade Act of 2003. 108th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/108-S-403/
MLA
"S. 403: United States-Cuba Trade Act of 2003." 108th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/108-S-403/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 403, 108th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/108-S-403/.
Markdown link
[S. 403: United States-Cuba Trade Act of 2003](https://openamerica.io/bill/108-S-403/)
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