Published: March 30, 2026 |

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The United States has issued new Venezuela-related general licenses aimed at facilitating investment and operations linked to critical minerals, signaling a regulatory opening toward the South American country’s mining sector. The measures were announced on March 27, 2026, by the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

According to OFAC, the new measures include General License 54, which authorizes the supply of certain items and services for minerals operations in Venezuela, and General License 55, which authorizes the negotiation of and entry into contingent contracts for certain investments in Venezuela’s minerals sector. In the same update, OFAC also published General License 51A, covering certain transactions involving Venezuelan-origin minerals, including gold.

Under the text of General License 55, the authorization covers contingent contracts tied to new investment in exploration, development, mining, extraction, processing, refining, and production activities in Venezuela’s minerals sector, including gold. However, the execution of those contracts remains subject to specific conditions, meaning the license does not amount to blanket authorization for all related operational activities.

In a statement posted on X, the Treasury Department said the licenses are part of broader efforts “to bring the Venezuelan economy back online and reorient investment to benefit Americans and Venezuelans.” Reuters also described the move as a new step focused specifically on critical minerals and related operations.

The decision comes amid a series of recent licensing updates related to Venezuela. Earlier in March, OFAC had already issued additional authorizations tied to oil, petrochemicals, and certain investments in the country, suggesting a gradual expansion of sector-specific permissions by Washington.

In this context, the focus on critical minerals underscores the strategic importance the United States places on supply chains considered essential for industry, economic security, and technological transition. While the official notice does not provide a detailed list of minerals in this particular announcement, the measures are clearly directed at Venezuela’s mining sector and at enabling investment-related steps and selected operational support.

Source: Mining Reporters

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