Trump Threatens Tariffs in National Emergency Declaration

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 29 that would impose levies on any goods from countries that sell or provide oil to Cuba, declaring a national emergency toward the island nation.

Within the executive order, President Trump said the "policies, practices, and actions of the Government of Cuba constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat," in reference to U.S. national security and foreign policy.

The proclamation primarily targets Mexico, which has provided energy assistance to Cuba, despite Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s attempts to create a stronger relationship with President Trump.

The order adds, "The government of Cuba has taken extraordinary actions that harm and threaten the United States," citing alliances with Russia, China, Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah.

When asked by a reporter whether he was trying to “choke off” Cuba, President Trump expressed that "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... I think Cuba will not be able to survive."

Additionally, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick affirmed that the new proclamation is about ensuring U.S Foreign Policy.

"The President wants to make sure his foreign policy is being defended by all of our allies and all of our friends, and so he wants to make it clear what our allies and friends should do," Lutnick stated. “And as you've seen with all of his tariffs, the results end up being reasonable and sensible. So I would expect the same here -- reasonable and sensible."

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez and several other Cuban officials condemned President Trump’s executive order, labeling it as a “brutal act of aggression against Cuba and its people… who are now threatened with being subjected to extreme living conditions.”

Foreign Minister Rodriguez accused the U.S. of resorting to “blackmail and coercion to try to force other countries to join its universally condemned blockade policy against Cuba.”