<P> According to a report released in 2001 by the U.S. International Trade Commission in response to a request made by the U.S. House of Representatives, the total value of U.S. exports of selected agricultural products, intermediate goods, and manufactured goods to Cuba in the absence of U.S. sanctions was estimated to be at $146 and $658 million for U.S. imports from Cuba between 1996 and 1998 . </P> <P> Recently, the United States Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has become more lenient with some of the sanctions imposed upon Cuba by introducing new streamlined procedures to expedite processing of license applications for exporting eligible agricultural commodities to Cuba . As a result, annual U.S. exports to Cuba have risen from $6 million to about $350 million between 2000 and 2006 . Over this period U.S. exports to Cuba have totaled to more than $1.5 billion . As of 2006 agricultural products have comprised 98% of total U.S. exports to Cuba . </P> <P> Cuban Assets Control Regulations require that persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction be licensed in order to engage in any travel - related transactions pursuant to travel to, from, and within Cuba . Transactions related solely to tourist travel are not licensable . </P> <P> Spurred by a burgeoning interest in the assumed untapped product demand in Cuba, a growing number of free - marketers in Congress, backed by Western and Great Plains lawmakers who represent agribusiness, have tried each year since 2000 to water down or lift regulations preventing Americans from traveling to Cuba . Four times over that time period the United States House of Representatives has adopted language lifting the travel ban, and in 2003 the U.S. Senate followed suit for the first time . Each time President George W. Bush threatened to veto the bill . Faced with a veto threat, each year Congress dropped its attempt to lift the travel ban before sending legislation to the president . Some United States nationals circumvent the ban by traveling to Cuba from a different country (such as Mexico, The Bahamas, Canada or Costa Rica), as Cuban immigration authorities do not routinely stamp passports, but instead stamp a Cuban visa page which is provided, and not permanently affixed to the passport . In doing so, however, U.S. citizens still risk prosecution and fines by the U.S. government if discovered . Until July 20, 2015 there was no U.S. Embassy or consulate in Cuba and United States representation was limited to a United States Interests Section . </P>

Historically why has the united states restricted trade to cuba