Mexico has temporarily halted crude and petroleum product shipments to Cuba, President Claudia Sheinbaum said, as her government assesses how to maintain support for the island nation without triggering tariff penalties from the United States. The suspension comes amid heightened U.S. pressure on oil suppliers to Havana as part of broader efforts to isolate the Cuban government.

Sheinbaum said the decision to pause shipments was made at the sovereign level and that state-owned Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) determines when and how products are sent under existing contracts or for humanitarian reasons. She emphasized that Mexico’s longstanding energy cooperation with Cuba predates her administration and reflects broader solidarity with the Cuban people, not external political influence. She did not explicitly confirm whether oil exports will resume in the near future.

Mexico became Cuba’s primary crude supplier after Venezuelan exports largely ceased under U.S. pressure late last year. In 2025, Pemex supplied Cuba with crude oil and petroleum products valued at nearly $496 million under a contract that began in 2023, according to Pemex executives, but future volumes are expected to decline as Mexico expands domestic refining capacity.

U.S. officials have warned that countries continuing to send fuel to Cuba could face tariff actions as part of an executive order aimed at cutting off the island’s access to oil amid its ongoing energy shortages. Cuba is dealing with a deep fuel crisis, with airlines cancelling flights and domestic fuel shortages affecting power and transportation, adding urgency to the geopolitical standoff.

Sheinbaum’s government says it is pursuing diplomatic avenues to continue humanitarian aid without running afoul of U.S. trade restrictions, while critics in the United States have called for tighter alignment with American policy toward Havana. The pause underscores the complex balance Mexico faces between historic energy cooperation with Cuba and managing its relationship with Washington.