US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order declaring a national emergency and establishing a process to impose tariffs on goods from countries that sell or otherwise provide oil to Cuba, the White House has said.
The move is intended to protect US national security and foreign policy interests by pressuring Cuba over what the administration has described as its "malign actions and policies", according to a White House fact sheet.
The order authorises Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to take "all necessary actions", including issuing rules and guidance, to implement the tariff system and related measures.
According to the executive order, Trump may modify the measures if Cuba or affected countries take what it describes as "significant steps" to address the perceived threat or align with US national security and foreign policy objectives.
Cuba under scrutiny
This development comes as Washington assesses Cuba’s economic and political vulnerability following the loss of support from Venezuela, whose president, Nicolas Maduro, was recently abducted by the US.
US officials believe Havana’s economy is approaching collapse, leaving the government more exposed than in previous years.
According to Wall Street Journal, the Trump administration views Maduro’s abduction and the subsequent concessions as both a precedent and a cautionary example.
US officials have reportedly consulted Cuban exile groups to identify potential interlocutors inside the government who may be willing to negotiate political change.
