The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday will hear arguments on whether American companies can pursue compensation for property confiscated by Cuba following its 1959 revolution.
The back-to-back cases center on the 1996 Helms-Burton Act, which allows U.S. nationals to sue entities accused of “trafficking” in assets seized by Fidel Castro’s government.
In one case, ExxonMobil is seeking more than $1 billion from Cuban state-owned firms over oil and gas properties nationalized in 1960, losses originally valued at about $70 million.
Exxon sued Cuban conglomerate Corporación CIMEX in 2019, accusing it of profiting from the confiscated assets, and is now challenging a lower court ruling that invoked foreign sovereign immunity protections.
The second case involves claims by Havana Docks against cruise operators Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Group, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and MSC Cruises for using port facilities in Havana allegedly built under a revoked 1934 concession.
A federal judge had imposed more than $100 million in damages against the cruise lines for trafficking, but an appeals court later threw out the judgments, citing the expiration of the original concession in 2004.
The litigation unfolds as President Donald Trump intensifies pressure on Cuba, reinstating provisions of the law in 2019 and backing Exxon’s position before the court.
The administration has labeled Cuba a national security threat, tightening sanctions and targeting fuel supplies to the island.
At issue in both disputes is how broadly Congress intended the Helms-Burton Act to apply and whether foreign state-owned entities can claim immunity from U.S. lawsuits.
The rulings could clarify the reach of the decades-old statute and reshape legal exposure for companies operating in Cuba-linked ventures worldwide.