<P> Despite the Spanish - language term bloqueo (blockade), there has been no physical, naval blockade of the country by the United States after the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 . The United States does not block Cuba's trade with third parties: other countries are not under the jurisdiction of U.S. domestic laws, such as the Cuban Democracy Act (although, in theory, foreign countries that trade with Cuba could be penalised by the U.S., which has been condemned as an "extraterritorial" measure that contravenes "the sovereign equality of States, non-intervention in their internal affairs and freedom of trade and navigation as paramount to the conduct of international affairs ."). Cuba can, and does, conduct international trade with many third - party countries; Cuba has been a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) since 1995 . </P> <P> Beyond criticisms of human rights in Cuba, the United States holds $6 billion worth of financial claims against the Cuban government . The pro-embargo position is that the U.S. embargo is, in part, an appropriate response to these unaddressed claims . The Latin America Working Group argues that pro-embargo Cuban - American exiles, whose votes are crucial in Florida, have swayed many politicians to also adopt similar views . The Cuban - American views have been opposed by some business leaders who argue that trading freely would be good for Cuba and the United States . </P> <P> At present, the embargo, which limits American businesses from conducting business with Cuban interests, is still in effect and is the most enduring trade embargo in modern history . Despite the existence of the embargo, the United States is the fifth largest exporter to Cuba (6.6% of Cuba's imports are from the US). Cuba must, however, pay cash for all imports, as credit is not allowed . </P> <P> The UN General Assembly has, since 1992, passed a resolution every year condemning the ongoing impact of the embargo and declaring it to be in violation of the Charter of the United Nations and international law . In 2014, out of the 193 - nation assembly, 188 countries voted for the nonbinding resolution, the United States and Israel voted against and the Pacific island nations Palau, Marshall Islands and Micronesia abstained . Human rights groups including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights have also been critical of the embargo . Critics of the embargo say that the embargo laws are too harsh, citing the fact that violations can result in up to 10 years in prison . </P>

Does the united states still have an embargo on cuba