Research method
Sources
Every entry in the timeline cites at least one source. Where a primary legal document is available online — a public law, a Federal Register rule, a proclamation — it is linked directly. Non-primary sources (press statements, CRS reports) are labelled accordingly.
Primary repositories
The documents referenced across the timeline live in a small set of official repositories. A note on how each is used:
Federal Register
Final rules and presidential documents amending the Cuban Assets Control Regulations and Export Administration Regulations. Every rule page links to its official Federal Register PDF.
Congress.gov
Bill records, public law text, and CRS reports for the statutes that codified the embargo, including the Cuban Democracy Act, Helms-Burton, and the TSREEA.
GovInfo
Official Statutes at Large and public law PDFs (GPO), plus presidential documents such as the rescission certifications.
OFAC
Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control — program pages and recent-action notices for the sanctions programs that administer the blockade.
U.S. Department of State
Press statements, designation actions, and the Title III and State Sponsors of Terrorism pages.
White House
Executive orders, National Security Presidential Memoranda, and press releases.
National Archives / eCFR
Proclamation codification pages and the current text of 31 CFR Part 515 (Cuban Assets Control Regulations).
Cited documents by repository
11 repositories, grouped by publisher. Entries labelled primary are the legal instrument itself.
Federal Register
27 documents · 28 primary
- Cuban Assets Control Regulations, final rule (74 FR 46000)(primary)
- Cuban Assets Control Regulations, final rule (76 FR 5072)(primary)
- Cuban Assets Control Regulations, final rule (80 FR 2291)(primary)
- Cuba: Providing Support for the Cuban People (80 FR 2286)(primary)
- Cuba: Implementing Rescission of State Sponsor of Terrorism Designation (80 FR 43314)(primary)
- Cuban Assets Control Regulations, final rule (80 FR 56915)(primary)
- Enhancing Support for the Cuban People (80 FR 56898)(primary)
- Cuban Assets Control Regulations, final rule (81 FR 13989)(primary)
- Cuba: Revisions to License Exceptions and Licensing Policy (81 FR 13972)(primary)
- National Security Presidential Memorandum NSPM-5 — Strengthening the Policy of the United States Toward Cuba (82 FR 48875)(primary)
- Cuban Assets Control Regulations, final rule (82 FR 51998)(primary)
- The State Department's List of Entities and Subentities Associated With Cuba (Cuba Restricted List) (82 FR 52089)(primary)
- Amendments To Implement United States Policy Toward Cuba (82 FR 51983)(primary)
- Cuban Assets Control Regulations, final rule (84 FR 25992)(primary)
- Restricting Additional Exports and Reexports to Cuba (84 FR 56117)(primary)
- Cuban Assets Control Regulations, final rule (85 FR 60068)(primary)
- Cuban Assets Control Regulations, final rule (85 FR 67988)(primary)
- Cuban Assets Control Regulations, final rule (87 FR 35088)(primary)
- Cuban Assets Control Regulations, final rule (88 FR 58102)(primary)
- Cuban Assets Control Regulations, final rule (89 FR 46323)(primary)
- Publishing the State Department's List of Entities and Subentities Associated With Cuba (Cuba Restricted List) (90 FR 9101)(primary)
- Determination and Certification of Countries Not Cooperating Fully With Antiterrorism Efforts (90 FR 23097)(primary)
- Reissuance of and Amendments to National Security Presidential Memorandum 5 (90 FR 50836)(primary)
- Updating Cuba Restricted List (90 FR 31558)(primary)
- Updating Cuba Prohibited Accommodations List (90 FR 31552)(primary)
- Addressing Threats to the United States by the Government of Cuba (91 FR 5087)(primary)
- Imposing Sanctions on Those Responsible for Repression in Cuba (91 FR 25061)(primary)
Congress.gov
9 documents · 8 primary
- The International Emergency Economic Powers Act: Origins, Evolution, and Use (CRS R45618)
- H.R. 8400 — 87th Congress (1961-1962)(primary)
- H.R. 4034 — 96th Congress (1979-1980)(primary)
- National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1993 (H.R. 5006)(primary)
- Public Law 104-114 (full text)(primary)
- S. 381 — 104th Congress (1995-1996)(primary)
- H.R. 5426 — 106th Congress (1999-2000)(primary)
- Public Law 106-387 (full text)(primary)
- H.R. 7521 — 119th Congress (2025-2026)(primary)
GovInfo
7 documents · 8 primary
- 40 Stat. 411 — Trading with the Enemy Act (Statutes at Large)(primary)
- 75 Stat. 424 — Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (Statutes at Large)(primary)
- 93 Stat. 503 — Export Administration Act of 1979 (Statutes at Large)(primary)
- Public Law 102-484 (full text)(primary)
- Certification of Rescission of Cuba's Designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (refers to the January 12, 2021 determination)(primary)
- Presidential Document text (FR 2026-02250)(primary)
- H.R. 7521 — United States-Cuba Trade Act of 2026 (introduced text)(primary)
U.S. Department of State
3 documents · 3 primary
White House
3 documents · 3 primary
OFAC
2 documents · 1 primary
National Archives
1 document · 1 primary
eCFR
1 document · 1 primary
White House Archives
1 document · 1 primary
U.S. Department of State (2017–2021 Archive)
1 document · 1 primary
- Cuba: Title III FAQs (LIBERTAD)(primary)
Office of Representative James P. McGovern
1 document
Sources for proposed legislation are included for context. A bill introduced in Congress is not law, and entries flagged Proposed Legislation never describe enacted obligations.