Trump Orders Tariffs on Countries Importing Venezuelan Oil to Counter Maduro Regime and Tren de Aragua Threat
Washington, D.C. - March 25, 2025: President Donald J. Trump has issued an executive order imposing a potential 25% tariff on goods from countries importing Venezuelan oil, effective April 2, 2025. The measure, authorized under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the National Emergencies Act, targets nations supporting Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro regime, which the U.S. deems a persistent threat to national security and foreign policy.
The order cites the Maduro regime's destabilizing actions, including its failure to curb the Tren de Aragua gang—a Venezuelan-origin transnational criminal group designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization—and its role in exacerbating illegal immigration into the U.S. The administration links these issues to the gang's infiltration of American cities, facilitated by prior open-border policies, and Venezuela's broader humanitarian and democratic crises.
Starting April 2, 2025, the Secretary of State, in consultation with other key officials, may impose the tariff on any country importing Venezuelan oil directly or indirectly. The tariff, supplemental to existing sanctions, will lapse one year after a country ceases such imports, or earlier at the discretion of the Secretary of Commerce. The order also includes provisions to apply tariffs to Hong Kong and Macau if imposed on China, aiming to prevent evasion.
This action builds on previous sanctions, including Executive Order 13692 (2015) and subsequent measures, reinforcing U.S. efforts to pressure Maduro's regime over election suppression, economic mismanagement, and regional instability. The Departments of State and Commerce will oversee enforcement and provide periodic reports to assess the tariffs' impact.
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