On January 29, 2026, President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order declaring a national emergency related to Cuba, effective just after midnight the following day. The order characterizes the Cuban government as an unusual and extraordinary threat to U.S. national security and foreign policy and authorizes the United States to pursue new economic measures aimed at constricting Havana’s access to energy. Central to the action is the creation of a framework that would allow Washington to impose additional tariffs on imports from third countries that sell or transport oil to Cuba, marking one of the most aggressive early foreign policy steps of Trump’s second term.
The move builds on decades of hostility between the two countries, rooted in the 1959 Cuban Revolution and the subsequent U.S. embargo. While brief openings occurred during the Obama administration, relations hardened again during Trump’s first term and have tightened further since his return to office in January 2025. Senior officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have argued that economic pressure remains the most effective tool to force political change in Havana, especially after upheaval in Venezuela disrupted Cuba’s traditional oil-for-services arrangement.
Cuba’s dependence on imported fuel has become a critical vulnerability. Years of sanctions, pandemic-related tourism collapse, and domestic mismanagement have left the island facing chronic shortages of electricity, food, and medicine. As Venezuelan supplies dwindled, Cuba increasingly relied on shipments from Mexico and sporadic deliveries from Russia, making energy access a matter of survival for basic services and industry.
The executive order relies on existing emergency powers laws to authorize potential “secondary” sanctions. Rather than targeting Cuba directly, it empowers U.S. agencies to identify foreign oil suppliers and recommend tariff penalties on their exports to the United States. No tariffs take effect automatically; further determinations and presidential approval are required, leaving room for negotiation or adjustment.
International reaction has been swift and divided. Cuban officials condemned the measure as an attempt at total economic strangulation, while Mexican leaders warned of humanitarian consequences and defended their right to provide aid. Supporters within the United States praised the order as overdue and strategically focused on the regime’s weakest point.
More broadly, the action reflects Trump’s willingness to blend trade policy and national security, even at the risk of diplomatic friction. Whether the pressure will force meaningful change in Cuba or deepen hardship and migration remains uncertain, but the order underscores a renewed U.S. commitment to confront adversaries in the hemisphere through economic coercion.