Washington DC - The State Department on Friday slammed Cuba's newly announced economic reforms as "superficial smoke signals" that are far too modest to be meaningful.

"These gradual 'economic reforms' are modest, long overdue and ultimately superficial smoke signals from the Cuban regime," a State Department spokesperson on Friday told the AFP.

Cuban lawmakers on Thursday adopted nearly 200 free-market reforms aimed at rescuing the communist island from a severe crisis aggravated by the US' damaging embargo and oil blockade of the island.

It represented the biggest shake-up of the island's economic model since it began embracing communism more than six decades ago.

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For Washington, however, the spokesperson described the reforms as "part of the dictatorship's handbook."

"Announce a cycle of supposed reforms to insinuate a desire for change, then quickly roll back any changes the moment the regime's total control is at all threatened," the spokesperson said.

"President Trump continues to apply pressure to drive much more substantial economic and political reforms that would make Cuba investable… and give the Cuban people the freedom, dignity, and opportunity they deserve."

President Donald Trump in January cut off oil supplies to Cuba from its main supplier by abducting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, installing the country's Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as its new leader, and implementing a strict embargo.

In addition to imposing severe economic pressure, Washington has made it difficult for aid to get into the country and has attacked journalists for visiting and reporting on the island nation. The US also indicted former president Raul Castro, the brother of historic leader Fidel Castro.

Trump claims that Cuba, which lies only 90 miles off Florida's coast, poses a major threat to US national security and has repeatedly hinted at Washington conducting a military "takeover" of the island.