US President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an Executive Order declaring a national emergency over Cuba, announcing a new tariff system aimed at countries that supply oil to the island nation. The White House said the move is meant to protect US national security and foreign policy interests from the Cuban regime’s “malign actions and policies.”
While the order is primarily targeted at countries supplying oil to Havana, it has also raised questions about whether India could be affected, especially at a time when New Delhi is already grappling with steep trade barriers imposed by Washington. India is currently dealing with tariffs of up to 50% on several of its exports to the United States, with 25% of those tariffs linked to its purchase of Russian oil
White House says Cuba poses ‘extraordinary threat’
Explaining the decision, the White House said the Trump administration is acting to counter the “depredations of the communist Cuban regime.” According to the statement, the Cuban government supports hostile actors, terrorism, and regional instability, all of which, it said, pose a direct risk to American security.
The administration pointed out that Cuba has aligned itself with several adversarial nations and allows foreign military and intelligence operations on its soil. As an example, the White House claimed that Cuba hosts Russia’s largest overseas signals intelligence facility, which is focused on collecting sensitive national security information from the United States.
The statement also accused Havana of providing safe haven to transnational terrorist groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas. Beyond foreign policy concerns, the White House accused the Cuban regime of persecuting and torturing political opponents, denying free speech and press freedom, and profiting corruptly from the suffering of its own people. “These actions constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to U.S. national security and foreign policy,” the statement said, adding that immediate action was necessary to protect American citizens and interests.
Is India also in the line of fire?
As of late January 2026, the answer is no — India is not a primary target of this Executive Order. The main focus right now is Mexico, which has recently overtaken Venezuela as Cuba’s largest oil supplier. Mexico has reportedly paused some oil shipments to avoid retaliation from the US.
India, however, does not fall into this category. While New Delhi and Havana share friendly diplomatic relations and have signed agreements on renewable energy, India is not a major supplier of crude oil to Cuba. Indian exports to the island are largely limited to pharmaceuticals, organic chemicals and small amounts of refined mineral oil products, not large crude shipments that the order is designed to stop.
According to data from the United Nations COMTRADE database, India’s total exports to Cuba stood at $12.32 million in 2024. The biggest share came from pharmaceutical products worth $4.05 million, followed by organic chemicals at $1.18 million.
Other exports included plastics, textiles, vehicles, food products, machinery, medical equipment, glassware and small quantities of mineral fuels and oils, which were valued at just $26.56 million. The trade figures were last updated in January 2026.
Trump says policy puts ‘America First’
The White House framed the order as part of President Trump’s long-standing “America First” approach. In June 2025, Trump imposed partial travel restrictions on Cuban nationals, citing Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, its failure to cooperate with US law enforcement, its refusal to accept deported nationals, and high visa overstay rates.
That same month, Trump signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum to further strengthen US policy toward Cuba.
According to the White House, the new Executive Order gives the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Commerce the authority to take all necessary actions to enforce the new tariff system. The President also retains the power to modify or roll back the order if Cuba or affected countries take meaningful steps to address US security concerns or align with American foreign policy objectives.