Jamaica narrowly averted U.S. sanctions, escaping by mere minutes. This is how emphatically Jorge Piñón, a researcher at the University of Texas's Institute of Energy, described the situation to CiberCuba. He recounted that the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker, Emilia, left Jamaican waters just before President Donald Trump's directive to impose tariffs on countries supplying oil to Cuba came into effect. The Trump administration views Cuba as a threat to U.S. national security.
Despite nearing Kingston's port at a critical time following Trump's tariff announcement, the GLP Emilia never docked, as per the navigational data examined by the energy analyst. Piñón reviewed the ship's logs to confirm these findings.
A crucial detail emphasized by Piñón was that President Trump's order stipulated the sanctions would commence at 12:01 a.m. on January 30. The Emilia entered Jamaica's territorial waters at 08:35 UTC on January 29 and departed by 10:48 a.m. the following day. According to Piñón, this timeframe was insufficient for loading operations.
Piñón noted that the Emilia approached Kingston with a draft of 8.4 meters and left with the same draft, indicating no loading took place. "Had the vessel loaded gas, its draft would have visibly increased," the expert pointed out.
Tracking data from VesselFinder shows that the Emilia previously departed from the port of Pastelillo, located in Nuevitas, Camagüey province, on Cuba's northern coast.
It’s important to recall that in an interview with CiberCuba on January 18, before Trump's sanctions were announced, Piñón explained that the Cuban regime was facing a potential standstill within 4 to 8 weeks. This was due to the cessation of oil shipments from any of its allies.
Understanding Jamaica's Avoidance of U.S. Tariffs
Why was Jamaica at risk of U.S. tariffs?
Jamaica risked U.S. tariffs because President Trump had announced sanctions on countries that supply oil to Cuba, which the U.S. sees as a national security threat.
How did the GLP Emilia avoid loading operations in Jamaica?
The GLP Emilia did not conduct loading operations in Jamaica as it entered and exited with the same draft, indicating no increase in cargo.
What was the significance of the timing of the Emilia's departure?
The timing was crucial because the Emilia left Jamaican waters just before the U.S. sanctions were set to begin, thus avoiding the tariffs.