Fact Sheets

# Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Imposes Tariffs on Countries Importing Venezuelan Oil

The White House
March 25, 2025

PROTECTING UNITED STATES NATIONAL SECURITY: Yesterday, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order imposing tariffs on countries that import Venezuelan oil.

- President Trump is levying a 25% tariff on all goods from any country that imports Venezuelan oil, whether directly from Venezuela or indirectly through third parties.
- The tariffs will lapse one year after a country ceases importing Venezuelan oil—or sooner if officials deem it appropriate.
- If tariffs are imposed on China, they will also apply to Hong Kong and Macau to prevent transshipment and evasion.
- These tariffs aim to sever the financial lifelines of Nicolás Maduro’s corrupt regime and curb its destabilizing influence across the Western Hemisphere.
- This action targets transnational criminal threats, such as the Tren de Aragua gang, and addresses the humanitarian crises fueled by Venezuela’s actions.

ADDRESSING AN EMERGENCY SITUATION: The Maduro regime poses an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.

- The Maduro regime systemically undermines democratic institutions by suppressing free and fair elections and consolidating power illegitimately.
- Venezuela’s endemic corruption and mismanagement under Maduro have crushed its people and triggered a regional humanitarian and public health crisis.
- Millions of Venezuelans have fled Maduro’s oppressive rule, imposing significant burdens on neighboring countries and destabilizing the Western Hemisphere.
- The Maduro regime has aided and facilitated the infiltration of the Tren de Aragua gang—a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization—into the United States by failing to secure its borders, allowing the gang to flourish within Venezuela, and refusing to take action against its members.
  - These dangerous criminals exploited the previous administration’s open-border policies, establishing a foothold in U.S. communities and preying on American citizens through violent acts, including kidnapping, assault, and murder.

USING OUR LEVERAGE TO SAFEGUARD OUR INTERESTS: President Trump is using America’s economic might to safeguard our interests and punish those who support Maduro’s regime.

- Tariffs are a powerful, proven source of leverage for protecting the national interest.
- President Trump is sending a clear message that access to our economy is a privilege, not a right, and countries importing Venezuelan oil will face consequences.
- As President Trump said in the Presidential Memorandum on American First Trade Policy, trade policy is a critical component in national security.
- President Trump has successfully used tariffs in the past to advance America’s interests and address urgent national security threats and is doing so again today.

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