Trump’s 25% tariff threat on Venezuela oil imports may impact India
New York: US President Donald Trump has announced a 25% tariff on exports from countries purchasing oil and gas from Venezuela, a move that could significantly impact India.
Trump made the announcement on Truth Social on Monday, stating, “Any country that purchases Oil and/or Gas from Venezuela will be forced to pay a Tariff of 25 per cent to the United States on any Trade they do with our Country.” The tariff is set to take effect on April 2, coinciding with his plans to impose reciprocal tariffs on all countries, though reports suggest these may be sector-specific.
India, which imported 63,115 barrels per day (bpd) of Venezuelan oil in 2024, had been looking to expand trade with the South American nation. In February, Venezuela’s Vice President and Petroleum Minister Delcy Rodríguez met with India’s Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri during the Energy India Week event. Puri had expressed optimism about increasing imports from Venezuela, citing easing international constraints. However, Trump’s tariff move now threatens these plans.
Trump linked the tariff to his campaign against the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA), which he designated as a “foreign terrorist organisation.” He accused Venezuela’s government of deliberately sending gang members to the US, attributing them to crimes across the country.
The tariff would affect multiple nations, including China, Venezuela’s largest oil importer. Ironically, the US itself remains a top buyer, importing 228,000 bpd from Venezuela in 2024. Trump’s administration has also given US oil company Chevron two months to wind down its Venezuelan operations.
Venezuela has been under US sanctions for years over allegations against President Nicolás Maduro. While former President Joe Biden had eased restrictions through a general waiver, it was rescinded last year following claims of unfair elections. Biden’s administration had introduced specific waivers, which Trump has now revoked.
With the new tariff set to take effect in April, India’s plans for deeper energy ties with Venezuela face uncertainty.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Climate Change crisis: IMD to change parameters to declare heatwaves
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): The IMD, along with its technical partners, will soon revise the criteria for declaring heatwave conditions in the country, as the present parameters do not suit India’s geographical conditions, according to official sources here.
Kerala, in particular, has faced difficulties in issuing heatwave warnings because of the limitations of the existing parameters.
Sources in the India Meteorological Department said the state experienced severe heat and humidity this summer and, for the first time, weather forecasts were made based on the anti-cyclone system that formed near the Karnataka–Maharashtra coast.
"We have never had an anti-cyclone system form closer to the South before, and this time we had to predict the weather based on it," a senior IMD official told PTI.
Anti-cyclonic systems are common over north-western parts of India, but this year one formed near the southern region, leading to unusually hot nights.
The anti-cyclone caused downward air movement, which pushed warm air towards the surface and prevented it from dispersing at night, the official added. As a result, Kerala recorded night temperatures 3 to 4 degrees Celsius above normal.
Because Kerala has experienced a steady temperature increase during the summer months for the last few years, changing the parameters for declaring heat waves would benefit the state, enabling the authorities to issue warnings more efficiently, the official added.
The IMD currently issues hot and humid weather warnings, although the situation warrants a heatwave warning, as the existing parameters do not allow the department to issue one.
At present, the IMD issues a heat wave warning in coastal areas when the maximum temperature reaches 37 degree Celsius or more with a temperature departure of 4.5 degree Celsius over the recorded maximum temperature.
For plains, the threshold is 40 degrees Celsius with a departure of 4.5 degrees Celsius or more from normal, while for hilly regions it is 30 degrees Celsius with a departure of 4.5 degrees Celsius or more.
Officials said the current heatwave declaration parameters also require these conditions to be recorded at two stations in the state to issue the warnings.
"In Kerala, we hardly get to record these conditions in two areas; moreover, we have severe heat stress that can easily cause a heat stroke. So we have decided to rework the heatwave declaration parameters and the changes will be implemented shortly. There will be a consultation with the Disaster Management Authority also before finalising the parameters," the official said.
Throughout Kerala, temperatures recorded this summer were three to four degrees Celsius higher than usual. The state also reported multiple cases of heatstroke despite regular warnings issued by the IMD and the state disaster management authority.
According to experts, Kerala has become a climate change hotspot, with a steady increase in atmospheric temperatures and erratic monsoons.
The IMD has also predicted a below-normal monsoon this year, as this is the first time two consecutive El Nino years are being witnessed.
