President Donald Trump signed an executive order on January 29, 2026, declaring a national emergency due to threats from the Cuban regime and authorizing tariffs on countries supplying oil to Havana. The measures target Cuba's alleged malign activities, including support for terrorists and hosting a Russian intelligence base, amid Havana's severe energy crisis and pushback from suppliers like Mexico.
On January 29, 2026, President Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring a national emergency over the Cuban regime, citing its status as an "unusual and extraordinary threat" to US national security and foreign policy. The order authorizes the imposition of additional tariffs on imports from countries that directly or indirectly provide oil to the communist government in Havana.
The actions address Cuba's "malign policies," including support for transnational terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah and Hamas, hosting Russia's largest overseas signals intelligence facility for spying on the US, persecuting political opponents, suppressing free speech, profiting from corruption, and exporting communist ideology while undermining sanctions in the Western Hemisphere.
Implementation is assigned to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who will assess oil supplies, issue rules, and determine tariffs. The order can be modified if Cuba or affected countries address US concerns.
The policy reverses Obama-era measures and builds on prior Trump actions, including June 2025 travel restrictions and the January 3, 2026, capture of Nicolás Maduro after intervention in Venezuela, extending pressure on adversarial regimes like those in Iran.
Mexico, Cuba's primary oil supplier since Venezuela's cutoff, faces uncertainty. President Claudia Sheinbaum called shipments a "sovereign decision" and act of "solidarity" on January 27, but a tanker carrying 700,000 barrels, the Swift Galaxy, diverted from Cuba to Denmark. The Ocean Mariner delivered 86,000 barrels to Havana earlier in January.
Cuba grapples with a deepening energy crisis: On January 29, Unión Eléctrica generated 1,385 MW against 3,150 MW demand, leaving 57% of the island without power for over 20 hours during peaks. Nine of 16 thermoelectric units are offline, with repairs estimated at $8-10 billion—blamed by Havana on US sanctions amid a 15%+ economic contraction since 2020 and rising protests.
Secretary Rubio expressed hope for change, stating, "We would love to see the regime change... it would be of great benefit to the United States if Cuba was no longer governed by an autocratic regime." Trump added, "Cuba will be failing pretty soon."
The White House signaled solidarity with the Cuban people while intensifying pressure on Havana amid regional tensions.
