United States President Donald Trump has announced a 25 percent tariff on imports from countries that purchase Venezuelan oil and gas.
The measure, which could affect China, India, Spain, and the US, is set to take effect on April 2.
The move is part of Trump’s wider trade policy, where he has imposed tariffs on both US allies and rivals since returning to the White House in January.
Trump defended the new tariff, calling it a “secondary tariff” aimed at punishing Venezuela.
“Venezuela has been very hostile to the United States and the Freedoms which we espouse,” he said on Truth Social. He also accused the Venezuelan government of secretly sending criminals into the US.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro condemned the move, calling it another act of “aggression” by the US.
“They can sanction and impose tariffs on whatever they want, but they cannot sanction the love and patriotism of the Venezuelan people,” Maduro said in a speech broadcast on radio and television.
Venezuela is a major oil exporter, with reports stating that in February, it sent 500,000 barrels of oil per day to China and 240,000 barrels to the US.
The White House has hinted that some countries might receive exemptions from the tariffs.
Trump told reporters, “I might give a lot of countries breaks,” but did not provide details.
Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the administration was negotiating with trading partners and suggested that countries could avoid tariffs if they changed their trade practices.
The announcement comes at a time when US-Venezuela relations remain tense. The US recently stopped deporting Venezuelan migrants, claiming Caracas was not cooperating.
However, Venezuela later agreed to resume repatriation flights, leading to the deportation of nearly 200 Venezuelans from the US through Honduras.
