Trump to impose tariffs on countries sending oil to Cuba

Trump to impose tariffs on countries sending oil to Cuba
The Liberian-flagged tanker Ocean Mariner sails through Havana Bay in Havana, Cuba, 11 January, 2026.
REUTERS/Norlys Perez

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened new tariffs on countries supplying oil to Cuba, escalating a pressure campaign against the Communist-run island.

The move, authorised by an executive order under a national emergency declaration, did not specify any tariff rates or identify countries whose products could face U.S. tariffs.

Emboldened by the U.S. military's seizure of ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a deadly raid earlier this month, Trump has repeatedly spoken of acting against Cuba and pressuring its leadership.

Trump said this week that "Cuba will be failing pretty soon," adding that Venezuela, once the island's top oil supplier, has not recently sent oil or money to Cuba.

Trump has used tariff threats as a foreign policy tool throughout his second term in office.

Cuba's President Miguel Díaz-Canel said this month that Washington had no moral authority to force a deal on Cuba after Trump suggested the island should strike an agreement with the U.S.

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