Jan. 30 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump has declared a national emergency concerning Cuba, creating a new mechanism to impose tariffs on imports from any country that provides the island nation with oil.
The executive order Trump signed Thursday states that Cuba, its policies, practices and actions constitute "an unusual and extraordinary threat" to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.
The order imposes a new tariff system to punish those dealing in oil with Cuba, though it does not specify which imports would be affected nor at what percentage rate.
Trump has used tariffs as a tool to punish and negotiate, going back to his first administration. Since returning to the White House, Trump has leaned on executive orders to impose sweeping sanctions affecting most U.S. trade partners, attracting lawsuits that say they are illegal.
Related
