Spanish ferry company Balearia said last week (July 16) that it has been granted US licenses to operate a passenger service between Cuba and the United States, though it is waiting on final clearance from Cuban authorities.
"With the two licenses, we are closer than ever to be able to be the first to join Cuba and the United States by sea," Balearia Chairman Adolfo Utor said in a statement.
No services of this type have existed since the United States imposed a trade embargo on Cuba in 1960.
Since Washington announced the restoration of diplomatic ties with Havana last December, the treasury department has also issued ferry licenses to two US companies.
Spanish government officials and business leaders have increased their visits to Cuba this year, as Spain rushes to make the most of what is becoming a more open economy on the Caribbean island.
Balearia has run a route from Florida's Fort Lauderdale and Freeport in the Bahamas since 2011 while in Spain it operates ferries to the Balearic Islands and in the Straits of Gibraltar.