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Havana Docks Corp. v. Royal Caribbean Cruises — SCOTUS (argued February 23, 2026)

No. 24-983 Argued February 23, 2026 Published August 2, 2026; updated August 19, 2026

The Supreme Court considers when Title Three of the Helms-Burton Act permits suit over property confiscated by Cuba. Havana Docks held a time-limited concession to build and operate docks at the Port of Havana. Cuba seized control of those docks in 1960, and the concession would have expired in 2004. Four cruise lines later used the docks between 2016 and 2019. The dispute is whether the confiscated property was the physical docks or only Havana Docks' expired concession. The Court later vacated the Eleventh Circuit's judgment eight to one. It held that Cuba confiscated the docks by seizing control of them and left the cruise lines' other defenses for remand.

Havana Docks Corp. v. Royal Caribbean Cruises (No. 24-983) — Supreme Court of the United States, argued February 23, 2026.

Sources
Argument audio — Supreme Court of the United States:https://www.supremecourt.gov/media/audio/mp3files/24-983.mp3
Argument page — Supreme Court of the United States:https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2025/24-983
Argument transcript — Supreme Court of the United States:https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2025/24-983_9ol1.pdf
Case docket — Supreme Court of the United States:https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/24-983.html
Merits brief for Havana Docks:https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/24/24-983/384887/20251117201826400_11172025%20HDC%20merits%20opening%20final.pdf
Merits brief for the United States:https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/24/24-983/385611/20251124141544143_24-983tsacUnitedStates.pdf
Merits brief for the cruise lines:https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/24/24-983/387708/20251217131041802_24-983%20Brief%20for%20Respondents.pdf
Decision — Supreme Court of the United States:https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/24-983_c07d.pdf

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