Jamaica turns back on Cuban oil tanker even before Trump's decree

Jamaica who is a regular supplier to Cuba, recently complied with US President Donald Trump’s executive order threatening tariffs on countries that deliver fuel to the island.

Following weeks of apparent inactivity, the tanker ‘Emilia’, dedicated to transporting liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) under the Cuban flag, moved again and headed for Kingston Jamaica.

However, far from bringing relief, its arrival back at the port of Cuba's main industrial city Cienfuegos, confirmed the worst possible scenario: the vessel arrived empty. As confirmed to 14ymedio by expert Jorge Piñón — a researcher at the University of Texas at Austin — the Emilia had departed Santiago de Cuba with the intention of loading LPG in Jamaica, one of its regular suppliers.

The destination was the port of Kingston. But the plan was derailed by a lethal combination of timing and politics. The vessel reached Jamaican waters just hours before the new executive order by President Donald Trump took effect.

The decree, effective at 12:01 a.m. (Eastern Time) on January 30, 2026, sanctions all countries that send fuel to Cuba. Maritime tracking data confirm the failure of the operation. Vessel Finder records show that the Emilia never docked in Kingston. It approached with a draft of 8.4 meters and departed with exactly the same draft, unmistakable evidence that it did not load fuel.

It entered Jamaican territorial waters at 08:35 UTC on January 29 and left at 10:48 UTC on the 30th — an insufficient window to carry out a loading operation, even before the US decree formally took effect at midnight. The tanker then headed for Cienfuegos and entered the port with the same draft with which it had departed. It carried no LPG.

The voyage, watched for days with anticipation by specialists and citizens alike, ended up being yet another demonstration that Cuba’s energy system operates day to day, without any safety net. The Cienfuegos terminal concentrates key infrastructure for the storage and redistribution of LPG to the western part of the country. From there, provinces that have gone months without regular service are supplied.

For thousands of households, obtaining a 10-kilogram cylinder has become an obstacle course with no guarantee of success. That is why every movement of the Emilia is tracked meticulously.

Cuba purchases LPG in spot operations, without stable contracts, and depends on regional intermediaries willing to assume risks. The shortage of hard currency, a history of nonpayment, and now the tightening of the US sanctions are making it increasingly difficult to close deals, even in the short term.