You can now enter the U.S. with $100 worth of Cuban cigars

 By 
Brian Ries
 on 
You can now enter the U.S. with $100 worth of Cuban cigars
A worker selects cigars at the H. Upmann cigar factory during the 15th annual Cigar Festival in Havana, Cuba, March 1, 2013. Credit: Ramon Espinosa

Rolled up in the list of changes to U.S.-Cuba policy announced on Wednesday was a win for cigar-lovers: American travelers who visit Cuba will be allowed to enter the U.S. with $400 worth of goods -- $100 of which can consist of Cuban cigars and booze.

That'll get you about five decent Cuban cigars -- hardly enough to fill a box of high-quality Cubans.

The U.S. hopes those travelers — which now includes families of Cubans, government officials, journalists, business travelers, educators and a handful of other authorized travelers — will provide support for the growth of "Cuba’s nascent private sector," injecting some much-needed capital into the communist island's economy.

The cigars that are brought back to the U.S. will be for personal use only -- meaning you still won't find them in stores -- and travelers will no longer face $250,000 fines and up to 10 years in prison.

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