Pemex Pledges to Maintain Cuban Oil Exports Despite US Pressure

Mexico’s state-owned oil company Pemex has confirmed its intention to honour existing supply contracts with Cuba, defying mounting pressure from the Trump administration to sever energy ties with the island nation.

Pemex chief executive Victor Rodriguez Padilla stated that the company holds an ongoing contract dating from 2023 to deliver refined fuel to Cuba. He emphasised that shipments would continue as long as crude oil remains available for export.

The announcement comes after Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum revealed that her country had temporarily suspended oil exports to Cuba. President Sheinbaum insisted the move resulted from routine fluctuations in oil supplies rather than external political pressure, stating that suspension decisions are sovereign choices made when necessary.

Last week, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order threatening punitive tariffs against any nation supplying oil to Cuba, specifically naming Mexico. Trump subsequently told reporters that Mexico would cease sending oil to Cuba, describing the Caribbean nation as a failed state.

Mexico has emerged as a crucial energy supplier to Cuba following the collapse of Nicolas Maduro’s regime in Venezuela. Cuba is currently experiencing a severe energy crisis, making these shipments vital to the island’s economic stability.

Throughout 2024 and early 2025, Pemex exported approximately 17,000 to 20,000 barrels per day of crude oil and refined products to Cuba. The Mexican government has frequently characterised these shipments as humanitarian aid, with total exports valued at over one billion dollars by late 2025. A significant portion of these deliveries has been handled through the subsidiary Gasolinas Bienestar.

The arrangement has attracted scrutiny due to its subsidised nature and the financial burden it places on Pemex. The state oil company has been supplying Cuba with uncertain payment terms that appear to involve credit arrangements or exchanges for services. These transactions are officially recorded as accounts receivable, though they are often described as aid, with concerns that portions may become unrecoverable debts.

The situation places Pemex in a precarious position, as the company continues to supply oil to Cuba whilst managing high levels of debt to its own suppliers and facing considerable financial constraints. President Sheinbaum had initially pledged to continue humanitarian aid to Cuba despite US opposition, though reports suggest she is now reviewing this policy amid fears of American tariffs affecting broader trade relations.