US to impose tariffs on foreign oil suppliers to Cuba in major policy move

US President Donald Trump has signed a sweeping executive order authorising the imposition of tariffs on imported goods from any country that sells or provides oil to Cuba, marking a significant escalation in Washington’s efforts to intensify economic pressure on Havana.

The order, signed on Thursday and framed as a national security measure, empowers the US government to levy additional duties on goods from nations directly or indirectly supplying crude or petroleum products to Cuba.

Al Jazeera reported that the White House says the move is aimed at countering what it describes as the Cuban government’s alignment with “hostile countries, transnational terrorist groups and malign actors” that threaten US interests.

Officials also cited Cuba’s deepening economic and energy crisis as context for the policy shift, noting that Cuba has become increasingly dependent on foreign oil imports following the cessation of Venezuelan shipments earlier this year after Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro was removed from power in a US-backed operation.

Mexico caught in the diplomatic crossfire

Mexico, which had emerged as a key source of oil for Cuba after Venezuela’s supply faltered, now faces particular pressure under Washington’s new policy. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has insisted any decision to halt or alter oil shipments to Cuba is a sovereign choice made independently, and has emphasised Mexico’s continued solidarity with the island nation.

While Mexican oil deliveries have dropped amid mounting geopolitical tension, Sheinbaum reiterated that bilateral energy decisions are based on contractual and humanitarian considerations, not direct US coercion — even as the country seeks to balance its relations with both Havana and Washington.

Cuba has condemned the US action as a “brutal act of aggression” and a continuation of decades-long economic hostility, warning that added tariffs on its oil suppliers could exacerbate shortages and further destabilise basic services.

Wider regional implications

The executive order comes as broader US pressure on Latin America intensifies, with senior policymakers linking Cuba’s government to broader regional security challenges. Trump has publicly asserted that Cuba could soon “fail” economically without its traditional oil partners.

Analysts say the new tariffs could strain relations not only with Mexico but among other nations whose energy exports play a role in supporting Cuba, complicating diplomatic and economic ties across the Western Hemisphere.