Trump to Impose Tariffs on Countries Selling Oil to Cuba

New Executive Order Targets Cuba's Oil Suppliers with Tariffs
US President Donald Trump today signed an Executive Order declaring a national emergency and establishing a process to impose tariffs on goods from countries that sell or supply oil to Cuba.

The measure—a further tightening of the more than six-decade-long blockade aimed at suffocating the Cuban people—is part of the Trump administration's current policy of maximum pressure against Cuba. It attempts to justify itself with US national security and foreign policy interests.

Mechanism of the New Tariff System
The Order establishes a new tariff system that would allow the White House to apply additional tariffs on imports from any country that, directly or indirectly, supplies petroleum to the island.

Furthermore, it authorizes the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and the Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, to take all necessary measures, including issuing rules and guidelines, to implement these tariffs and related provisions.

Conditionality and Context of Escalating Measures
President Trump conditions the modification of this directive on "whether Cuba or the affected countries take meaningful steps to address the threat or to align with US national security and foreign policy objectives."

Upon his return to the White House on January 20, 2025, Trump took as one of his first acts in office the reversal of a decision by his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, merely seven days old, and reinstated Cuba on the arbitrary and unilateral list of state sponsors of terrorism.

Since then, hostile measures have fallen in rapid succession upon the Caribbean nation as part of the US government's attempt to collapse the island country and provoke a regime change.