While it’s true that most U.S. sanctions against neighboring Cuba will likely be removed during President Obama’s first term (some have already been rolled back), don’t expect the changes to be quick, complete or clear.

A recent Washington news conference demonstrated the commitment to relax or remove the sanctions. Senators Dorgan and Dodd (Democrats) and Enzi and Lugar (Republicans) joined with Human Rights Watch and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to call for an end to travel restrictions to Cuba.

Earlier in March, the Obama administration lifted severe restrictions on travel and remittances to Cuba by Cuban-Americans with relatives there, enacted by the Bush administration. There may be further relaxation of travel restrictions for all Americans before the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago in mid-April.

First imposed in 1961, the sanctions served many purposes: strategic, idealistic and political. With the end of the Cold War, the strategic value disappeared and the 47-year embargo brought little change to Cuba. The political might of the Cuban-American voting bloc in Florida was a factor in both the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections. When Barack Obama won Florida in 2008, without promising to uphold sanctions, their political value was negated. This leaves only the idealistic purposes — and the need to preserve those now seem less than clear with Fidel Castro no longer in control of the government and the U.S.’s focus on other more high-profile “enemies of the state”.

However, removal of all economic sanctions will require an act of Congress. Expect the Obama administration to retire Cuban programs piece-meal for maximum diplomatic advantage. Because of this approach, businesses will not have an easy time deciphering each new update from the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. The status quo is changing, and it will be more important than ever to pay close attention to the details of what’s allowed and what isn’t when it comes to Cuba.