The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday edition that on Jan. 29, President Donald Trump, claiming poor, tiny Cuba posed an "unusual and extraordinary threat" to the most powerful country in the world, signed an executive order imposing tariffs on goods from any country providing oil to Cuba. Guest columnists John Kirk and Stephen Kimber write that Canada, which has had respectful relations with Cuba for 67 years, looked away, leaving it to United Nations experts to state the obvious: "There is no right under international law to impose economic penalties on third states for engaging in lawful trade with another sovereign country." Worse, Canada made no effort to provide Cuba with desperately needed oil. Sherritt, with more than 30 years of experience in a successful international mining joint venture in Cuba, found itself directly in Mr. Trump's crosshairs. Under ever-increasing pressure from the Trump administration and with no indication of support from the Carney government, Sherritt had little choice but to suspend Cuban operations. Canada used to boast of its "principled pragmatism" and respect for the rules-based international order. Its silence in the face of American aggression against Cuba speaks volumes.