Introduction Cuba is one of the countries in the world that has had controversial relations with the United States. The unfavorable relationship transpired after the independence of Cuba in the late 1900s. In 1961, the relationship worsened and initiated a scenario, which compelled the United States to impose trade sanctions on Cuba. Some exports from the United States do not cross over to Cuba, whereas those from Cuba do not reach the United States. It is imperative to explain that the poor relationship developed soon after Cuba adopted the communist system of governance, which is contrary to the United States nationalist system. Also, since Russia supports the system of governance adopted by Cuba, the friendship between the two countries, Russia and Cuba, improved, a factor that crippled the relationship between Cuba and the United States. Therefore, the essay uses the benefits and drawbacks of trade to examine the reasons why the United States should not engage in trade with Cuba. Benefits Increased Opportunities Importantly, trade between Cuba and the United States increases the scale of opportunities for the populations living in the two countries. Employment and trading opportunities, as well as those for other relevant ventures, become available when the countries work together. Increment of opportunities transpires because good relationship expands the areas within which citizens of the two countries can look for ventures. Imperatively, because Cuba and the United States have different systems of governance, the decision to trade together creates a platform, which facilitates the effective exchange of ideas and opinions. According to Perales, trade between the United States and Cuba can result in a productive exchange of ideas that can propel the economy of the countries (8). As such, countries need to work together. Despite its small size, Cuba is one of the countries in the world that prides itself on the best medical expertise. The country has some of the best medical practitioners, who can handle various diseases to the best-known levels in the medical field. In the assertion of Zahniser, Cooke, and Arnade, Cuba is one of the countries that have the highest levels of medical expertise in the world (25). Therefore, by accepting bilateral trade with Cuba, the government of the United States stands to gain from Cuba’s wealth of expertise. Consequently, Cuba has the most efficient systems that facilitate the evacuation of millions of its citizens in the advent of a disaster (Copeland, Jolly and Thompson 20; Sablik 18). Besides saving lives, the scale of preparedness saves properties and businesses worth millions, which would otherwise be lost in the absence of an effective preparedness strategy. The implication of working together is the adoption of similar strategies by the United States and the reduction of losses associated with hurricanes and other disasters that affect various parts of the country. Demerits Conversely, trade between Cuba and the United States has some drawbacks. The system of governance and corruption are among the drawbacks that discourage the move to lift the trade sanctions and improve ties between the United States and Cuba. Fundamentally, since Cuba supports a communist system of governance, more than 80% of the country’s earnings end up in the central government. The implication of the system is the fact that very little remains