Cuba sanctions hit oil shipping and electronics sectors

The United States imposed new sanctions Thursday targeting Cuba's oil shipping and electronics sectors, adding companies in Cyprus, Panama, Cuba and China, the State Department said.

The measures included Cyprus-registered Caroil, which operates three oil tankers, Panama-registered Tentacool, CubaElectronica and Tecnosime. Washington also listed Any Rodriguez Lastres, daughter of the already-designated head of Grupo De Administracion Empresarial SA, or GAESA, Cuba's largest military-controlled business conglomerate.

The sanctions also named China National Electronic Import and Export Company and Beijing H&C Technologies. The State Department accused the two Chinese companies of supplying Cuba's military with electronics and other security equipment.

In its statement, the department said Cuba's ruling elite controls energy and shipping resources while Cubans face blackouts, fuel shortages and a stagnant economy. The measures add to a series of US sanctions imposed on Cuba since January.