Photos: Cuban cigar sales rising, despite US embargo

In early 1962, the emblematic Cuban cigar foreshadowed the impact of the imminent embargo by the United States, as President John F. Kennedy ordered his press secretary to fetch as many H. Upmann cigars as he could. Ben Piven / Al Jazeera

Kennedy made sure he had 1,200 of the cigars before he announced the new policy on Feb. 3, 1962, referring to "the subversive offensive of Sino-Soviet communism with which the government of Cuba is publicly aligned." The embargo took effect four days later. Ben Piven / Al Jazeera

A comprehensive trade ban has remained in place ever since, with Cuban cigars a symbol of what U.S. consumers are forbidden from purchasing. Ben Piven / Al Jazeera

At this government-run cigar factory in central Havana, images of current President Raul Castro, left, and revolutionary leader Che Guevara, center, hang above a rack holding the employees' belongings. The large-type slogan in Spanish reads: "The nectar of victory is drunk in the cup of sacrifice." Ben Piven / Al Jazeera

Seated at a table raised above two large halls where laborers are rolling cigars, a government news reader prepares to recite current events. Behind her is a photograph of the current Cuban leader. Ben Piven / Al Jazeera

The 16th annual Habanos Festival took place this year starting on February 24 and attracted some 1,500 people from 80 countries, according to organizers. Legendary Cuban band Los Van Van headlined the opening evening. American celebrities such as Danny Glover have attended the festival in the past. Ben Piven / Al Jazeera

Cuba's cigar culture is centuries-old, and the premium tobacco product is one of the country's key exports. The festival included a field visit to two large factories, where observers watched the elaborate cigar-making process. Ben Piven / Al Jazeera

At left, a poster tells factory workers: "Quality is in your hands." To the right, an AIDS educational poster says: "Eight out of every 10 people with HIV in Cuba are men." This year's cigar festival ended with a humidor auction that earned more than $1 million dollars for Cuba’s public health care system. Ben Piven / Al Jazeera

Habanos S.A. is Cuba's production and distribution company set up 20 years ago during the height of the "special period." The effects of the U.S. embargo were then felt acutely, in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 2013, the company (a joint British-Cuban venture) reported $447 million in global sales, with 8 percent growth attributed largely to the Middle East and Asia-Pacific markets. Ben Piven / Al Jazeera

Some of Cuba's best known brands include Corona, Hoyo de Monterrey, Romeo y Julieta and Partagás. Americans can buy cigars on the black market but the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) monitors violations of the longstanding regulations. Ben Piven / Al Jazeera

According to the Harvard Political Review, the U.S. loses $1.2 billion annually due to lost trade with Cuba. Ben Piven / Al Jazeera