Packages and Correspondence
From Roots of Hope Wiki
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Letters: A Written Alternative
For an altogether different take on person-to-person communication, look no further than letter writing. There are no restrictions in the U.S. on letters sent to Cuba, though there are regulations on the value and frequency of gift parcels and other packages containing items of monetary value. The cost of postage for letters sent from the United States to Cuba ranges from a minimum of $0.98 to a maximum of $3.32 (USD). A cautionary note: letters to and from Cuba are subject to search by Cuban postal officials and delivery is never guaranteed. Despite these barriers, snail mail serves as an inexpensive way to communicate with Cuba. And it’s an excellent way to develop a pen pal!
Care Packages: Fulfilling a Need
Beyond giving family and friends in Cuba a few missives of encouragement, hope, and companionship, you might want to also supplement your relationship with people on the island with packages that help ease the material hardships of everyday life that many experience in Cuba. With this purpose in mind, there are a number of ways to get packages to Cuba from the United States.
U.S. Postal Service
As a result of relatively recent changes in U.S. law, sending items via the United States Postal Service is now a viable option. Denoted formally as “gift parcels,” the USPS, pursuant to policies set by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, allows for the following items to be included in shipments:
- Food
- Medicines
- Medical supplies and devices
- Radio equipment (receive-only)
- Seeds
- Veterinary medicines and supplies
- Fishing equipment and supplies
- Soap-making equipment
- Consumer communication devices, computers, and software (see restrictions)
- “All other items of a type normally sent as gifts”
It is important to note that each gift parcel sent via USPS cannot exceed a monetary value of $800 (USD). Moreover, only one gift parcel can be sent from one donor to one recipient per month, with the exception of gift parcels consisting only of food. One donor can send to multiple recipients in the same month. And one recipient can receive from multiple donors. Food packages can be sent multiple times per month without restriction. Each package cannot exceed a weight of 4 lbs.
Prices for packages begin at $1.44 for a 1-oz package to $30.15 (USD) for a 64-oz package.
For additional information regarding regulations and restrictions on packages sent to Cuba through the United States Postal Service, please visit: http://pe.usps.com/text/Imm/ce_017.htm.
DHL
Alternatively, DHL, a foreign courier that operates internationally, also provides delivery services for packages originating United States destined for Cuba. Though generally more expensive than other options, delivery rates tend to be higher and the customer experience tends to be more satisfactory overall.
For information on DHL-specific prohibitions or requirements, visit the following websites: http://www.dhl.com/wrd/commod/cu.html, http://www.dhl-usa.com/.
Travel Agencies
Aside from traditional couriers like USPS and DHL, packages to Cuba can also be sent through the collection of travel agencies that specialize in services to Cuba. Though details, prices, and reliability vary widely across agencies, the possibility of sending care packages in this way does exist and is a widely utilized option in areas with large Cuban and Cuban-American populations (particularly, Florida and New Jersey). Detailed information about individual travel agencies is not included in the guide, as there are many such agencies around the United States, and in particular, in the Greater Miami area.
