MEXICO CITY, Feb. 5 (GeokHub) — Mexican officials are exploring options to deliver fuel to Cuba to help meet the island’s energy needs without triggering punitive tariffs threatened by the United States, according to people familiar with the discussions.
Washington has warned that countries supplying oil to Cuba could face tariffs after a recent executive order targeting fuel shipments to the Caribbean nation. Mexico, historically a major supplier of fuel to Cuba, is seeking clarity from U.S. authorities on how to proceed without running afoul of those threats.
High-level Mexican officials have engaged with U.S. counterparts to better understand the scope of the tariff threat and to identify potential legal or diplomatic avenues for delivering needed fuel, though it is still uncertain whether a workable solution will be found.
Cuba imports about two-thirds of the fuel it needs for electricity generation and transportation, and the island has been grappling with worsening power outages and long lines at gas stations amid a broader energy shortage. Shipments of Venezuelan oil to Cuba ceased late last year after a U.S. blockade on Venezuelan tankers and the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, leaving Mexico temporarily as Cuba’s largest external supplier.
Mexico’s government temporarily halted shipments of crude and refined products earlier in January following pressure from the Trump administration, which has labelled Cuba an “extraordinary threat” to U.S. national security — a characterization rejected by Havana.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has faced internal political pressure to continue support for Cuba, and sources say talks with U.S. officials are ongoing, with some optimism that Mexico could soon dispatch a tanker carrying fuel, food and other aid classified as humanitarian if an agreement is reached.
Sheinbaum has warned that imposing tariffs on countries that supply fuel to Cuba could spark a wide-ranging humanitarian crisis, affecting basic services including hospitals, food supplies and electricity, and has called for a diplomatic solution that respects international law.
Meanwhile, the Cuban government says it is preparing plans to address acute fuel shortages and has signalled it could release more details in the coming days.
