US President Donald Trump said on Jan. 31 that India will start buying oil from Venezuela instead of Iran, and he welcomed Chinese investment in the deal. Chinese experts said the claim was unilateral, with no confirmation from Indian or Venezuelan sides, while Indian media reported no immediate reaction from New Delhi. [1]
Trump’s comments came after a Jan. 30 call between Venezuelan acting president Delcy Rodríguez and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in which they discussed deeper cooperation in energy, trade and investment. Modi later said India and Venezuela had agreed to further deepen and expand their bilateral partnership. [1]
India stopped buying oil from Iran in 2019 after US sanctions, and it stopped buying Venezuelan oil last year after Washington imposed a 25% tariff on buyers of Venezuelan crude. Indian refiners made up the shortfall with discounted oil from the US and Russia. [1]
Trump also said he had doubled duties on imports from India to 50%, adding more strain to trade ties between Washington and New Delhi. The claim about Venezuelan oil has not been confirmed by either India or Venezuela. [1]
The next concrete point in the dispute is whether India or Venezuela will publicly address Trump’s claim after the Jan. 30 Modi-Rodríguez call and Trump’s Jan. 31 remarks. [1]
