Trump Slaps 25% Tariff on Countries Buying Venezuelan Oil

President Donald Trump announced on Monday that the United States will impose a 25 percent tariff on any country purchasing oil or gas from Venezuela, intensifying his administration’s aggressive trade and immigration policies.

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has launched a wave of tariffs against both allies and adversaries, using trade as a tool to exert pressure in economic and diplomatic affairs.

“Venezuela has been very hostile to the United States and the Freedoms which we espouse,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. “Therefore, 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.”

The move coincides with Trump’s ongoing deportation campaign targeting Venezuelan migrants, which was briefly suspended last month after he accused Caracas of failing to uphold an agreement to accept deportees promptly. In response, Venezuela halted repatriation flights from the U.S.

However, over the weekend, Caracas announced it had reached a new deal with Washington to resume deportations. Following the agreement, nearly 200 Venezuelans were expelled from the U.S. via Honduras.

This development came after a controversial mass deportation on March 16, when over 200 Venezuelans—alleged by U.S. officials to be members of the Tren de Aragua criminal gang—were flown to a maximum-security prison and forced labour camp in El Salvador. Trump invoked wartime powers to authorize the deportation, citing national security concerns.

Explaining the rationale behind the upcoming tariffs, Trump accused Venezuela of “purposefully and deceitfully” sending tens of thousands of criminals to the United States. He stated that all documentation for the tariff would be finalized and that it would take effect on April 2, 2025—a date he has dubbed “Liberation Day in America.”

Trump uses the term to mark the day he plans to implement reciprocal tariffs on various U.S. trading partners in a broader strategy to address trade practices deemed unfair by Washington.

The Venezuelan tariff follows similar measures Trump has taken against countries like China, Canada, and Mexico, citing issues such as trade imbalances and their alleged failure to curb the flow of illicit fentanyl into the U.S.

Earlier this month, the Trump administration ordered energy giant Chevron to cease operations in Venezuela within 30 days, further pressuring the cash-strapped Venezuelan government by cutting off a key source of revenue.