Trump Announces 25% “Secondary Tariff” on Venezuela Oil Trade, Effective April 2.
President Donald Trump declared a sweeping new economic measure targeting Venezuela’s oil exports, vowing to impose a 25% tariff on any nation trading Venezuelan petroleum products with the United States. The policy, announced via Truth Social on Monday, takes effect April 2 and comes with explosive allegations against Caracas.
Trump cited migration and criminal gang members in the US, insisting that Venezuela had purposefully and deceitfully sent to the US undercover and tens of thousands of high level criminals.
The US President announced this on Monday in a post on his Truth Social handle. According to Trump, any country that purchases oil or gas from Venezuela will be forced to pay a tariff of 25% to the US.
He stated that all documentation will be signed and registered, and that the tariff will take place on April 2nd.
“President Donald J. Trump announced today that 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.
“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,” part of his post read.
For context, this marks Trump’s most aggressive economic proposal since becoming the presumptive GOP nominee, blending his signature “America First” trade policies with hardline immigration rhetoric.
