Mimi Whitefield, Miami Herald

Flat screen TVs, Froot Loops cereal, washing machines, laptops, bedroom sets. No problem.

But air conditioners, a power lawn mower, clothes dryers, even an above-ground swimming pool are rejects. The Cuban government has nixed these items since International Port Corp. began a humanitarian shipping service to the island from its Miami River terminal in July.

Pretty much anything is allowed by the U.S. government under the umbrella of family aid — an exception to the five-decade-old embargo — as long as it’s shipped to an individual or by a visiting Cuban who is returning home, said Leonardo Sanchez-Adega, IPC marketing director. “The U.S. definition of what is allowed is very broad as long as it doesn’t conflict with a prohibition on technology transfers.”