Mexico says fuel shipments to Cuba are on hold under US pressure
Event date: 2026-02-10
Mexico says it has temporarily halted fuel shipments to Cuba after Washington warned that countries supplying oil to the island could face punitive tariffs.
Anadolu Agency reported that President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed the standstill at a news conference and criticised the policy as unjust. She said her government would continue to support Cuba and would pursue diplomatic steps to restore the deliveries, even as it sought a deal with the United States that would avoid tariffs on Mexico.
The humanitarian side of the story is just as important. Mexico delivered 814 tonnes of food and supplies to Cuba on Sunday and is preparing a second shipment, this time with more than 1,500 tonnes of powdered milk and beans, according to the report. Those shipments are meant to cushion the impact of the fuel disruption while negotiations continue.
Cuba is already under severe energy stress. The same report says the island has suspended fuel supplies to international airlines because it is facing an aviation-fuel shortage, and that authorities warned the measure would remain in effect for a month. Officials said they were trying to conserve fuel for food and electricity production as well as other economic activities that earn foreign exchange.
The broader picture is one of tightening pressure on Cuba’s energy system. The packet says the country meets about one-third of its energy demand through domestic production and relies on imports for the rest, with Mexico traditionally the biggest supplier and Russia a smaller one. The report also says Venezuela accounted for about 30% of total supplies in 2025.
Because the evidence packet is a single wire report, it does not establish the full legal or diplomatic consequences of Mexico’s pause. It does show a government trying to navigate between humanitarian support for Cuba and the practical risk of retaliation from the United States.
Sheinbaum’s comments also suggest that the dispute is not settled. Mexico is seeking to resume oil deliveries, not abandon Cuba altogether, and the aid shipments show that bilateral relations continue even as the energy component is interrupted. For now, however, the practical outcome is a standstill in a supply chain that is vital to Cuba’s transport, power and wider economy.
That makes the move significant beyond the diplomacy. Cuba’s energy shortages have already forced emergency measures, and any interruption in imported crude or refined products only adds to the strain. The packet does not show when shipments may resume, only that the issue has become a live negotiation with US sanctions policy at its centre.
Claim-to-source map - Mexico says fuel shipments to Cuba are currently at a standstill: source 9855 - Sheinbaum criticised US sanctions and said Mexico would keep supporting Cuba: source 9855 - Mexico delivered 814 tonnes of aid and is preparing another 1,500-tonne shipment: source 9855 - Cuba has suspended fuel supplies to international airlines because of an aviation fuel shortage: source 9855
