White House Signals India May Be Allowed to Buy Venezuelan Oil Under New US Framework

Washington DC: A senior official from the Trump administration has said that the White House has indicated it may allow India to purchase Venezuelan oil from the United States under a new framework with conditions. The official made the remarks when asked whether the US was prepared to permit India to resume purchases of Venezuelan crude oil in view of India’s growing energy requirements. While the initial response was ambiguous, the administration official later told news agency IANS, “Yes.”

However, the official clarified that the authoritative details regarding the imports are still being worked out. He also referred to recent remarks by US Energy Secretary Christopher Wright, who had said that Washington would be willing to sell Venezuelan oil to “almost all countries.”

From 2010 onwards, for nearly a decade, Venezuela was India’s most heavily relied-upon source of crude oil. However, as US pressure intensified, the Narendra Modi government gradually began to scale back imports. It is in this context that the United States is now preparing to use Venezuelan oil—acquired through illegal occupation—for its own economic growth.

When the US allegedly carried out military intervention in Venezuela and took President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores into custody, the response of India’s central government was described as non-committal. Without naming the United States, India was said to have staged a diplomatic posture claiming to stand with the people of Venezuela and their interests. The US is now preparing to profit from the sale of Venezuelan oil and will supply oil to India under certain conditions.

According to the latest data from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India imported oil worth 255.3 million dollars from Venezuela during the current financial year up to November 2025. This accounted for just 0.3 per cent of India’s total oil imports during the period. Imports of Venezuelan crude oil fell by 81.3 per cent in 2025. Overall bilateral trade was merely maintained at a nominal level, said Ajay Srivastava, founder of the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI).

India has been complying with US sanctions since 2019. With the imposition of retaliatory tariffs and additional duties, India not only reduced oil imports but also significantly curtailed all trade engagements with Venezuela.