[U.S. Government Plans to Ease Venezuela Sanctions to Address Surging Oil Prices] According to a report by Golden Finance on March 18, citing foreign media, insiders revealed that the Trump administration plans to further ease sanctions on Venezuela's oil industry to boost crude oil production amid rising oil prices driven by the Iran conflict. These measures could be announced as early as this week, including issuing more individual licenses to allow foreign companies to operate in Venezuela without violating U.S. sanctions. The Trump administration will also establish a broader mechanism to make it easier for more businesses to enter the Venezuelan market. It is currently unclear whether the measures will be implemented in the form of general licenses. Some insiders stated that companies expected to receive authorization from the U.S. Treasury Department to operate in Venezuela include a subsidiary of India's state-owned enterprise ONGC Videsh, Stockholm-based Maha Capital AB, and J&F Investimentos, a subsidiary of Brazilian meat processing giant JBS Foods Group.