The Daily Journal — José Gregorio Rodríguez, president of Consecomercio, said the business association raised the possibility of exploring a free trade agreement between Venezuela and the United States during a meeting with U.S. Chargé d’Affaires in Venezuela John Barrett, describing the initiative as an issue “that interests all of us.”
Rodríguez explained that the proposal would include tariff reductions on a range of non-oil products, including shrimp, seaweed, coffee, and cocoa.
He noted that “the United States currently exports a significant volume of goods to Venezuela, while Venezuela maintains a still modest but growing flow of non-oil exports to the United States.”
“Oil will undoubtedly serve as a key driver of development, but we want to look beyond oil. We want to promote and energize the non-oil economy that can provide long-term stability and sustainability, especially during critical cycles that may arise from fluctuations in oil prices and changes in oil production,” he said.
