From Legis1: General Cigar Lobbies on Cuba Trade Policy

By Legis1
26 August 2026

General Cigar Lobbies on Cuba Trade Policy

Why It Matters

General Cigar Co. Inc. has returned to active lobbying after a gap, registering with Continental Strategy LLC in August to push back on U.S. trade and foreign relations policy toward Cuba.

General Cigar produces non-Cuban versions of iconic Cuban brands including Cohiba, Hoyo de Monterrey, Punch, La Gloria Cubana, and Partagas, and has focused on Cuba trade issues since at least 2011. The company is now lobbying on tobacco, trade, and foreign relations matters, though no specific legislation was listed in the filing.

By the Numbers

General Cigar has filed three lobbying disclosures total and reported zero lobbying expenses in the past four quarters. Alberto Martinez, a Managing Partner at Continental Strategy LLC, is now listed as the company's registered lobbyist. Martinez previously served as an advisor for more than a decade to then-senator Marco Rubio, and has filed 38 total lobbying disclosures across multiple clients.

Broader Context

The White House reissued a hardline Cuba policy directive on June 30, 2025, reaffirming restrictions from the first Trump administration and directing the Treasury and Commerce Departments to adjust Cuba-related regulations. In May 2025, a U.S. District Court judge ruled against General Cigar, confirming the cancellation of General Cigar's Cohiba trademark registrations in favor of Cubatabaco, a dispute that began when Cuban company Cubatabaco first filed suit in January 1997 challenging General Cigar's U.S. trademark on the Cohiba name. In September 2020, President Trump announced new sanctions against Cuba that explicitly prohibited Americans from importing Cuban cigars and rum.

The Bottom Line

General Cigar's new lobbying registration marks a strategic shift in representation, but continues the company's long-standing effort to influence U.S. trade policy on Cuba.