Overview
- On Tuesday, June 23, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that the Helms-Burton Act removes foreign sovereign immunity for Cuban agencies and instrumentalities and sent ExxonMobil’s 2019 suit against Corporación CIMEX back to a lower court to resolve liability and damages.
- The majority held that Congress in 1996 directly authorized suits under Title III of Helms-Burton so plaintiffs need not meet exceptions in the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act to bring claims against Cuban state entities.
- Exxon’s suit seeks recovery for assets seized after the 1959 revolution that were valued at about $71.6 million in 1969 and that the company now values at more than $1 billion after interest and potential enhanced damages.
- The decision follows a May 21 ruling that revived claims against major cruise lines and is likely to clear the way for roughly 40 other Title III cases filed after the Trump administration lifted the Title III suspension in 2019.
- Practical questions remain about how judgments will be enforced overseas, how foreign governments and companies will respond, and how the ruling fits into the Trump administration’s broader pressure campaign on Cuba supported by Justice Department briefs.