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New travel and trade rules between the US and Cuba are to take effect from today (Friday).
The measures include allowing US citizens to use credit cards in Cuba and for US businesses to export some technologies.
American travellers will be able to take home up to $100 in alcohol and tobacco from Cuba, effectively lifting the US ban on Cuban cigars.
The move implements last month’s agreement to re-establish ties severed since 1961.
While ordinary tourism is still banned, the new regulations will allow US citizens to travel to Cuba for any of a dozen specific reasons without first obtaining a special licence from the government.
US credit and debit cards can be used and there will be no more limits on how much money US citizens can spend in Cuba each day.
About 170,000 authorised US travellers went to Cuba last year, according to the US Department of Commerce.
US firms will also find it easier to export mobile phones and software to Cuba, as well as provide internet services.
Cuba currently has one of the lowest internet penetration rates in the world – estimated at about 5% by the White House.
US treasury secretary Jacob Lew said: “Today’s announcement takes us one step closer to replacing out-of-date policies that were not working and puts in place a policy that helps promote political and economic freedom for the Cuban people.”
White House press secretary Josh Earnest said the changes would “immediately enable the American people to provide more resources to empower the Cuban population to become less dependent upon the state-driven economy”.
But analysts say the US Congress is unlikely to agree to lift the embargo completely between the US and Cuba any time soon, the BBC reported.