Trump Declares National Emergency Over Cuba, Threatens Tariffs on Oil Suppliers

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday declaring a national emergency over what the White House described as an unusual and extraordinary threat posed by the Cuban government to U.S. national security and foreign policy.

The order, "ADDRESSING THREATS TO THE UNITED STATES BY THE GOVERNMENT OF CUBA" states:

The Government of Cuba has taken extraordinary actions that harm and threaten the United States. The regime aligns itself with — and provides support for — numerous hostile countries, transnational terrorist groups, and malign actors adverse to the United States, including the Government of the Russian Federation (Russia), the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the Government of Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah. For example, Cuba blatantly hosts dangerous adversaries of the United States, inviting them to base sophisticated military and intelligence capabilities in Cuba that directly threaten the national security of the United States. Further, contrary to the interests and foreign policy of the United States, the Cuban communist regime supports terrorism and destabilizes the region through migration and violence. The communist regime persecutes and tortures its political opponents; denies the Cuban people free speech and press; corruptly profits from their misery; and commits other human-rights violations.

To address the emergency, the order establishes a tariff system.

"Under this system, an additional ad valorem duty may be imposed on imports of goods that are products of a foreign country that directly or indirectly sells or otherwise provides any oil to Cuba," it states.

The secretaries of state and commerce are authorized to implement the measures, with no specific tariff rates detailed yet.

The action escalates pressure on Cuba amid its energy crisis, worsened by the loss of Venezuelan oil following the U.S. capture of Nicolás Maduro earlier this month.

Cuba has relied on shipments from allies including Mexico, though volumes have declined recently.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has described any pauses as sovereign decisions tied to contracts and maintained that humanitarian aid would continue.

Trump told reporters Thursday evening, "The word choke off is awfully tough. Cuba is a failing nation, and you have to feel badly for Cuba. They’ve treated people very badly. We have a lot of Cuban Americans who really were treated very badly, and they’d probably like to go back. And no, I’m not trying to, but it looks like it’s something that’s just not going to be able to survive. I think Cuba will not be able to survive."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has indicated Cuba faces significant trouble similar to Venezuela's recent developments.

This move intensifies the long-standing U.S. embargo and signals a determination to isolate the communist regime economically and diplomatically.The Cuban people deserve better than decades of brutal repression, economic ruin, and alignment with America's enemies.

Trump’s decisive action—cutting off the lifeblood of oil that props up this failing dictatorship—offers a clear path: collapse the regime or force real change.

History shows communist tyrannies crumble when their enablers are held accountable. The endgame is freedom for 11 million Cubans long denied it.