President Donald Trump introduced Thursday a plan to impose extra tariffs on nations that present oil to Cuba, declaring a nationwide safety emergency relating to the island nation.
In an govt order, Trump stated the “insurance policies, practices, and actions of the Authorities of Cuba represent an uncommon and extraordinary menace,” with regard to U.S. nationwide safety and overseas coverage.
The order contains retaliatory tariffs on merchandise bought within the U.S. from “every other nation that immediately or not directly sells or in any other case offers any oil to Cuba.”
President Donald Trump speaks throughout an occasion in Iowa, Jan. 27, 2026.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
The order doesn’t explicitly say what new tariffs will be imposed. Somewhat, if a rustic is discovered to be promoting oil to Cuba, the secretaries of Commerce, State, Treasury and Homeland Safety and the U.S. commerce consultant will decide whether or not extra tariffs ought to be imposed on items coming into the U.S. from these nations. The President will then finally decide these tariffs.
Trump’s order acknowledged “the federal government of Cuba has taken extraordinary actions that hurt and threaten the US,” noting what it referred to as alliances with Russia, China, Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah.
On the pink carpet of the Kennedy Middle forward of the premiere of “MELANIA” documentary, Trump instructed ABC Information’ Selina Wang he isn’t attempting to choke off the nation’s financial system.
“Cuba is a failing nation, and you must really feel badly for Cuba,” he stated. “They’ve handled individuals very badly. We have now quite a lot of Cuban Individuals who actually had been handled very badly, they usually’d most likely like to return. … I feel Cuba will be unable to outlive.”
Drivers wait in line to refuel at a fuel station in Havana on January 28, 2026.
Yamil Lage/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
Earlier on the similar occasion, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated the brand new order is about making certain U.S. overseas coverage.
“The President desires to verify his overseas coverage is being defended by all of our allies and all of our mates, and so he desires to make it clear what our allies and mates ought to do,” Lutnick stated. “So I feel he lays it out very clearly and really rigorously, after which our allies can perceive what he desires to do. And as you have seen with all of his tariffs, the outcomes find yourself being cheap and smart. So I’d anticipate the identical right here — cheap and smart.
The announcement comes because the Supreme Courtroom may hand down its resolution at any time on the legality of the administration’s use of emergency powers to impose tariffs.
Trump’s transfer additionally comes after Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum clarified that her nation continues to be sending oil to Cuba. Trump and Sheinbaum spoke by cellphone Thursday, which Trump characterised as a “very productive phone dialog” that was targeted on “the Border, stopping Drug Trafficking, and Commerce.”
Trump has additionally issued many warnings over the previous few weeks to the Cuban authorities within the aftermath of the U.S. seize of ousted Venezuelan chief Nicolas Maduro.
“Now, they will not have that cash coming in. They will not have the earnings coming in,” Trump stated Jan. 7, referring to financial ties between the Venezuelan regime and Cuba.
Earlier, Trump stated that Cuba is “able to fall.”
“Cuba seems to be prefer it’s able to fall. I do not know the way they — if they will maintain out, however Cuba now has no earnings,” Trump stated Jan. 4. “They bought all of their earnings from Venezuela, from the Venezuelan oil. They are not getting any of it. And Cuba actually is able to fall. And you’ve got quite a lot of nice Cuban Individuals which can be going to be very glad about this.”
