Donald Trump has achieved what he wanted. Following a strike in Venezuela and a military operation named “Operation Absolute Resolve” carried out on the night of January 2–3, the US military arrested Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. Soon after, a statement claiming Trump’s control over Venezuela’s oil sector triggered major turbulence in the global energy market.
The impact was immediately visible in crude oil prices, which reacted sharply to the developments. Now, US President Donald Trump has officially announced that Venezuela’s interim government will send millions of barrels of oil to the United States, which will then be sold to other countries. This has raised a crucial question: at what price will Trump sell this oil to China, which had been buying Venezuelan oil at discounted rates for years?
Trump Makes a Major Announcement
Donald Trump has begun his strategic move around Venezuelan oil. Posting on his social media platform Truth Social, the US President made a major announcement. He wrote that Venezuela’s interim government will supply 30–50 million barrels (3–5 crore barrels) of oil to the United States. Trump stated that he was pleased to confirm that such a large quantity of high-quality, sanctioned oil would be arriving in the US.
According to Trump, the oil will be transported by ships directly to US unloading docks.
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Trump Claims Full Control Over Oil Revenue
In his social media post, Trump clarified that the Venezuelan crude oil imported into the US would be sold strictly at market prices. He also made it clear that the revenue generated from these sales would remain entirely under his control.
Trump wrote, “The money earned from selling this oil at market price will be under my control as President of the United States, to ensure it is used for the benefit of the people of Venezuela and the United States.”
He further stated that he has instructed Energy Secretary Chris Wright to implement this plan with immediate effect.
Discussions on Oil Exports Intensify
According to a Reuters report, officials from Venezuela and the United States are in continuous discussions regarding the export of Venezuelan crude oil to the US. Five sources from government bodies, the oil industry, and shipping sectors have confirmed this development.
The report also mentions that CEOs of major US oil companies are expected to visit the White House by Thursday to discuss Venezuela-related matters. One source added that discussions regarding the meeting’s timing and agenda with Trump are still ongoing.
Trump Increases China’s Tensions
As the US President has clearly stated that Venezuelan oil will be sold to global buyers at market prices, a major concern now arises: At what price will China be forced to buy this oil?
Despite US sanctions, China had been purchasing Venezuelan oil at heavily discounted rates for years. Reports suggest that between 2020 and 2023, Venezuela exported oil to China at an average 20–25% discount compared to global market prices.
After US sanctions reduced Venezuela’s pool of buyers, the country was compelled to sell oil at steep discounts to nations like China. Although these discounts reduced in 2024–25 to around $10–18 per barrel, China continued to remain a major buyer of cheap Venezuelan crude.
However, with Trump now exercising control over Venezuela’s oil sector, these discounts may come to an end—delivering a significant blow to China’s energy advantage.