President Donald Trump has signed an executive order authorizing the United States to impose tariffs on goods from countries that supply oil to Cuba.

The document formally declares a national emergency in the US due to an alleged threat posed by the island. Key details of the decision.

Decree details

According to the document published on Thursday on the White House website, "an additional ad valorem rate of duty (proportional to the value of the goods) may be imposed on goods imported into the United States that are products of any other country that directly or indirectly sells or otherwise provides any oil to Cuba."

• The size of the duties has not yet been specified.
• The decree formally places the US under a state of emergency due to the alleged threat from Cuba.
• Under US law, this grants the president authority to impose duties on goods from countries supplying oil to Cuba.
• The introduction of such a regime is a standard practice in the United States.
• Trump has used this mechanism at least 10 times during his second presidential term to introduce various economic measures, including tariffs.
• Several dozen similar emergency regimes are currently in effect in the US and are regularly extended.
• One of the grounds cited for the measures is that the Cuban government is taking actions "that harm and threaten the United States."
• According to the decree, Havana is acting in solidarity with entities hostile to the United States.
• The document lists Russia, China, and Iran among such parties.

Trump Statement

• Trump rejected claims that he was seeking to economically strangle Cuba, while sharply criticizing the country’s political system.

Cuba’s response

• Havana strongly condemns the new US measures against the island, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla said.

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