Mexico’s Plan to Restart Oil Shipments to Cuba: Private Companies, US Tariffs, and the Worst Energy Crisis in Decades

The immediate trigger was President Trump's January 29 declaration of a "national emergency" accusing Cuba of harboring Russian spies and hosting US enemies, coupled with a threat to impose high tariffs on any country supplying oil to Cuba .

Mexico's Current Strategy to Restart Shipments

Sheinbaum's administration is pursuing a multi-pronged approach:

• Private-company channel. Mexico will send oil via commercial and privately owned firms authorized to transport fuel to Cuba, rather than through state-owned Pemex, framing the operations strictly as humanitarian aid to avoid triggering US tariff retaliation .
• Legal/policy workaround. Since February 2026, Mexican authorities have been assessing whether private-sector shipments fall outside Trump's executive order, which targets state-level suppliers .
• Humanitarian aid framing. Sheinbaum has consistently characterized past and future shipments as humanitarian assistance, a position she reiterated while confirming the standstill in February .

The shipments have not yet restarted as of late June 2026, and it remains unclear whether the US will treat private-company deliveries differently than state-owned ones .

The Severity of Cuba's Energy Crisis

The crisis is the worst in Cuba's history, characterized by chronic, system-wide failure that the Cuba Study Group described as "no longer episodic. It is chronic, system-wide, and increasingly destabilizing" .

• Power supply collapse. Since late 2024, the national grid has suffered multiple total collapses. By early 2026, rolling blackouts of 18–20 hours per day were common in many areas . In September 2025, the grid saw its fourth total collapse within a year . A partial collapse in December 2025 plunged Havana and western Cuba into darkness . As of April 2026, the grid was generating roughly 1,278 MW at evening peak against a maximum demand of approximately 3,000 MW — a deficit of over 1,700 MW .
• Hospitals. Fuel shortages have forced hospitals to slash scheduled surgeries, conduct procedures during blackouts, and cope with rising infant mortality tied to the energy crisis . The Cuba Study Group report concluded that fuel is the binding constraint that "holds the island's health system together" .
• Schools. In October 2024, all non-essential public services — including schools — were ordered closed for a week as the grid failed . Widespread blackouts have repeatedly disrupted the school day across 2025–2026 .
• UN warning. In February 2026, a senior UN official warned of growing risks to healthcare, water services, and food distribution as the country's energy reserves continue to fall .

Other Potential Fuel Relief Sources

Beyond Mexico, two other potential fuel supply channels have emerged, each fraught with uncertainty:

Vanguard Energy's Planned US Fuel Shipment

Florida-based Vanguard Energy was in advanced talks in June 2026 to send Cuba the largest cargo of US fuel since the Cold War-era embargo — 250,000 barrels of diesel and gasoline designated exclusively for the private sector . However, the plan collapsed on June 12, 2026 when Bloomberg reported the shipment was "off" after the US blacklist expanded . A State Department spokesperson said Vanguard had not received a license and that US sanctions remain in place . Vanguard's president argued the shipment complied with Commerce Department policy under a license exception for sales to Cuba's private sector, but the license question remains unresolved .

Russian Tanker Diversion

In late March 2026, the US Coast Guard permitted a Russian oil tanker carrying approximately 700,000 barrels of crude to reach Cuba — enough to run the country's power plants for roughly one week . The US said such deliveries would be assessed on a case-by-case basis . This was an ad hoc exception, not a standing policy change, and no sustained channel has emerged .

Geopolitical and Sanctions Uncertainties

Several unresolved issues complicate any fuel relief effort:

• Trump's tariff threat. The January 2026 national emergency declaration and tariff threat remain the central deterrent for state-to-state fuel shipments. Mexico is trying to thread the needle by using private companies rather than Pemex, but it is unclear whether the US will treat those differently .
• Sanctions licensing confusion. The Vanguard Energy case reveals deep ambiguity: the Commerce Department and State Department appear to disagree on whether a general license or a specific license is required for US fuel exports to Cuba's private sector .
• Russian oil as a wild card. The one-off Coast Guard clearance for a Russian tanker demonstrates the US can selectively permit non-Western fuel deliveries, but each shipment would face renewed case-by-case review .
• Cuba-US diplomatic talks. On March 13, 2026, President Miguel Díaz-Canel confirmed for the first time that his government was in diplomatic talks with the United States . The outcome could reshape the entire sanctions framework, but no agreement has been announced.
• Venezuela loss. The January 2026 US intervention in Venezuela eliminated Cuba's largest traditional fuel supplier, creating the vacuum that Mexico briefly filled and then abandoned under pressure. No replacement source has emerged at scale .