<p>he Trump administration's stepped-up sanctions against Cuba cost the communist-run island some $20 billion, a foreign ministry official said Wednesday.</p>.<p>"The damage to the bilateral relationship during this time has been considerable, and the economic harm to Cuba immense," Johana Tabalada, a senior ministry official, told AFP.</p>.<p>"We estimate it at about $20 billion," she said by email.</p>.<p>Trump, whose term ended Wednesday with the swearing-in of Joe Biden as America's 46th president, used his time in power to tighten the screws on Cuba.</p>.<p>Earlier this month, the Trump administration returned the island to a list of state sponsors of terrorism, undoing then-President Barack Obama's 2015 move to remove it. Biden was vice president at the time.</p>.<p>Trump reversed many of Obama's moves to normalize relations with Cuba.</p>.<p>Tabalada said 240 measures were taken against Cuba under the 45th US president.</p>.<p>They include a ban on American cruise ships stopping over on the island, a blacklist for a range of Cuban companies and bosses, prosecution of foreign companies doing business on the island, and making it difficult for Cubans working abroad to send money home.</p>.<p>"There is objective and palpable damage to the standard of living of the Cuban people because of measures that were exactly taken to cause such damage," the official said.</p>.<p>Tabalada said the island nation was hoping for better relations with the United States under the new Democrat president.</p>.<p>"Biden has said that he wants to reverse the damage caused by Trump and we have no reason to doubt his commitment," she said.</p>.<p>Biden has promised to pay attention to human rights in Cuba but also to bring back some of Obama's policies to normalize ties, including allowing Cuban-Americans to visit and send money.</p>
<p>he Trump administration's stepped-up sanctions against Cuba cost the communist-run island some $20 billion, a foreign ministry official said Wednesday.</p>.<p>"The damage to the bilateral relationship during this time has been considerable, and the economic harm to Cuba immense," Johana Tabalada, a senior ministry official, told AFP.</p>.<p>"We estimate it at about $20 billion," she said by email.</p>.<p>Trump, whose term ended Wednesday with the swearing-in of Joe Biden as America's 46th president, used his time in power to tighten the screws on Cuba.</p>.<p>Earlier this month, the Trump administration returned the island to a list of state sponsors of terrorism, undoing then-President Barack Obama's 2015 move to remove it. Biden was vice president at the time.</p>.<p>Trump reversed many of Obama's moves to normalize relations with Cuba.</p>.<p>Tabalada said 240 measures were taken against Cuba under the 45th US president.</p>.<p>They include a ban on American cruise ships stopping over on the island, a blacklist for a range of Cuban companies and bosses, prosecution of foreign companies doing business on the island, and making it difficult for Cubans working abroad to send money home.</p>.<p>"There is objective and palpable damage to the standard of living of the Cuban people because of measures that were exactly taken to cause such damage," the official said.</p>.<p>Tabalada said the island nation was hoping for better relations with the United States under the new Democrat president.</p>.<p>"Biden has said that he wants to reverse the damage caused by Trump and we have no reason to doubt his commitment," she said.</p>.<p>Biden has promised to pay attention to human rights in Cuba but also to bring back some of Obama's policies to normalize ties, including allowing Cuban-Americans to visit and send money.</p>