Trump Threatens Tariffs on Buyers of Venezuelan Oil

President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a 25% tariff on US imports. This would target countries that buy oil from Venezuela.

Trump called this a "secondary tariff." He aims to punish Venezuela for various reasons. One reason includes allegations of sending gang members to the US.

In a separate statement, Trump hinted at easing tariffs on other countries. He mentioned he might "give a lot of countries breaks."

Markets reacted positively to his comments. They ended the day higher, confirming reports about narrowing tax plans for April 2.

Previously, Trump discussed imposing "reciprocal" tariffs globally. He proposed a system where if they charge us, we charge them back.

However, on Monday, he suggested the White House might be more lenient.

"We may take less than what they're charging," he said. He acknowledged that some countries might be exempt from these measures.

US share indexes rose after weeks of declines due to Trump's tariff threats. The S&P 500 closed up 1.7%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 1.2%, and the Nasdaq finished 2.2% higher.