The news: Donald Trump announced that any country buying oil or gas from Venezuela will face a 25% tariff on all trade with the United States from 2 April, citing multiple reasons, including his claim that Venezuela has “purposefully and deceitfully” sent “undercover” criminals to the US.
Citing the arrival of “tens of thousands” of Venezuelan migrants with a “very violent nature,” Trump said on his social media site Truth Social that he was using the post to notify the Department of Homeland Security, Border Patrol and law enforcement agencies of the move.
The context: China, Venezuela’s largest oil customer, received 55% of its exports in February, Reuters noted. Spain, Italy, Cuba and India are other consumers of Venezuelan oil.
The announcement follows Trump’s move last month to wind down Chevron’s licence to operate in Venezuela and his use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan migrants, who the administration alleges are members of the Venezuela-based Tren de Aragua gang.
On the same date, 2 April, Trump is also expected to announce reciprocal tariffs targeting countries with large trade surpluses and trade barriers. A series of media reports have emerged signalling Trump is now likely to delay previously proposed sector-specific tariffs from that date, which the president has called “Liberation Day”.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent referred to the focus group with the trade surpluses and high trade barriers as the “Dirty 15.” The US Trade Representative Office, calling for public submissions last month, said it was particularly interested in comments identifying unfair trade practices from a set of countries it said covered 88% of total goods trade with the US: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom and Vietnam.
What they said: “The United States of America will be putting what is known as a Secondary Tariff on the Country of Venezuela, for numerous reasons, including the fact that Venezuela has purposefully and deceitfully sent to the United States, undercover, tens of thousands of high level, and other, criminals, many of whom are murderers and people of a very violent nature,” Trump said in the post.
“Any Country that purchases Oil and/or Gas from Venezuela will be forced to pay a Tariff of 25% to the United States on any Trade they do with our Country. All documentation will be signed and registered, and the Tariff will take place on April 2nd, 2025, LIBERATION DAY IN AMERICA. Please let this notification serve to represent that the Department of Homeland Security, Border Patrol, and all other Law Enforcement Agencies within our Country have been so notified.”