eBay Australia has decided, in the interest of global consistency, to adopt the policy of eBay.com in regard to embargoed goods and trade with prohibited countries. Various U.S. agencies have sanctions in place that substantially regulate or ban all trade with particular countries, including Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea and other countries. For example, under U.S. law, trade in items made in Cuba may not be lawful, depending on the nature of the item, when it was manufactured and when it left Cuba, among other factors.
International sellers and sellers of items made outside the United States, should periodically review current information about which countries may be affected by sanctions enforced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Australian members who wish to familiarise themselves with trade restrictions set by the Australian Government, should seek advice from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade .
eBay's policy on items from Cuba
Generally, items from Cuba may be sold only if they are "informational," "pre-embargo," or "licenced."
Any Cuban item of an "informational" nature, such as books, movies, artwork, photographs, music and similar materials may be sold on any eBay site without restrictions.
Generally, non-informational Cuban items may only be sold if the item was removed from Cuba (or the possession of a Cuban national) before July 8, 1963, when a U.S. embargo was put into effect ("pre-embargo"). Items listed under this exception may not be sold to persons outside the U.S.
Any Cuban item prohibited by the rule above may be sold, though, if the listing is accompanied by a scan of a specific licence issued by the Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control that "unblocks" or otherwise terminates the Cuban interest in the item.
Special note for eBay stamp and coin collectors
Cancelled Cuban stamps are treated as "informational" items and may therefore be listed without restriction. However, uncancelled stamps or currency issued by the government of Cuba after the embargo date may not be listed. Similarly, uncancelled stamps or currency issued by the government of Cuba before the embargo date, but still in Cuba (or in the possession of a Cuban national) at any time after the embargo date, may NOT be listed.
This eBay policy is only a general guideline, and should be a starting point for users trading in such items. For more details about laws governing such trades, and copies of the actual governing laws, visit the U.S. Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control.
International sellers should also familiarise themselves with other federal agencies and restrictions that they may have in place. Links to these agencies' web sites are maintained on the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security Web site.
Prohibited Persons
Federal agencies have also banned or regulated trade between U.S. persons with certain organisations, businesses and persons. Additional information about these regulations and lists of these prohibited persons can be found at the Office of Foreign Assets Control and and the Denied Persons List.
