Trump signs executive orders threatening tariffs on countries trading with Iran and Cuba

Jan 30, 2026

President Donald Trump signed executive orders threatening tariffs on countries trading with Iran and supplying oil to Cuba. The Cuba order aims to cripple the island's economy, which is already facing a severe energy crisis after losing its main oil supplier, Venezuela. The move pressures Mexico, a key remaining supplier. The separate Iran order, which uses 25% as an example tariff, cites Tehran's nuclear program and support for terrorism.

Trump tariff executive orders

▪The Cuba order declares a national emergency and describes the Cuban government as an "unusual and extraordinary threat" to U.S. national security.
▪The U.S. State Department also announced sanctions on 15 entities that have traded in Iranian-origin crude oil or petroleum products.
▪President Donald Trump signed an executive order threatening tariffs on countries that provide oil to Cuba.
▪The White House justified the Cuba order by citing the government's alleged ties to Russia, Hamas, and Hezbollah.
▪President Donald Trump also signed a separate executive order on February 6, 2026, threatening tariffs on countries that trade with Iran.
▪The Iran order does not specify a tariff rate but uses 25% as an example for any nation that trades with Iran.
▪The White House stated the Iran order was to hold the country accountable for its nuclear program, support for terrorism, and missile development.

Mexico oil shipments to Cuba

▪Mexico's state-owned oil company, Pemex, shipped nearly 20,000 barrels of oil per day to Cuba through September 30, 2025.
▪After a visit from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Mexican oil shipments to Cuba fell to about 7,000 barrels per day.
▪Mexico has been a major oil supplier for Cuba, providing about 44% of its oil imports according to The Financial Times.

Cuba energy crisis

▪According to a Financial Times report, Cuba has only 15 to 20 days' worth of oil in its inventory.
▪Venezuela had provided about 33% of Cuba's oil, or 70,000 barrels daily, until January 2026.
▪Cuba's energy crisis was worsened after it lost access to oil from Venezuela, its principal supplier, following the U.S. arrest of Nicolás Maduro.
▪Cuba is facing a deepening energy crisis, forcing it to ration gasoline and impose electricity blackouts.

Sheinbaum ambiguous statements

▪Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum acknowledged that oil shipments to Cuba had temporarily paused.
▪Sheinbaum insisted the pause was a "sovereign decision" not made under pressure from the U.S.
▪Sheinbaum stated that Mexico would continue humanitarian aid to Cuba and that Pemex would fill its contractual obligations.

Cuban government condemnation

▪Cuban Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Carlos F. de Cossio said the U.S. is trying to force sovereign states to forgo their right to export fuel to Cuba.
▪Rodríguez accused the U.S. of using "blackmail and coercion to try to force other countries to join its universally condemned blockade policy against Cuba."
▪Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez called President Trump's executive order a "brutal act of aggression."