MEXICO CITY - Mexico's president announced on Friday that her administration will pursue diplomatic solutions and explore alternatives to support Cuba following U.S. threats to impose tariffs on nations that provide oil to the Caribbean government.
At a morning press conference, President Claudia Sheinbaum said the government needs clarity on the scope of the U.S. measures because "we don’t want to put our country at risk in terms of tariffs." She added that she had instructed her foreign minister to reach out to the U.S. State Department to seek more information.
Mexico remains one of the few countries still supplying oil to Cuba, and those deliveries are described by the Mexican president as a lifeline for the island. Sheinbaum warned that halting shipments could precipitate a severe humanitarian situation, with direct effects on transportation and critical infrastructure, including hospitals and electricity generation.
"Applying tariffs on countries that supply oil to Cuba could trigger a far-reaching humanitarian crisis, directly affecting hospitals, food and other basic services for the Cuban people, a situation that must be avoided," she said.
Sheinbaum did not state whether Mexico itself would stop sending oil or refined products to Cuba. She noted that shipments to the island represent 1% of Mexico’s production and reiterated that her administration is examining alternatives to continue assisting Cuba.
The Mexican president also said she had spoken with U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday morning. That call took place hours before the U.S. administration announced the threatened tariffs, and Sheinbaum said Trump did not raise the measures during their conversation.
Implications and next steps
Mexico has signaled it will seek diplomatic engagement with the United States to understand the potential reach of the tariff threat and to protect its own trade exposure. At the same time, the Mexican government is considering other means to help sustain Cuba's access to oil and refined fuels without exposing Mexico to punitive trade measures.
Details about specific alternative measures under consideration were not disclosed at the briefing.