VENEZUELA · TRADE
Key Facts
- —The country Venezuela, governed by acting president Delcy Rodríguez since US forces seized Maduro.
- —What happened A senior US Commerce official was in Caracas on Wednesday promoting trade.
- —Who David L. Fogel leads the US Commercial Service, which promotes American exports.
- —The numbers US goods exports to Venezuela hit US$4.11 billion in January–August, up 79%.
- —What it means for you Washington is actively steering US exporters toward Venezuela’s reopening market.
- —Still open No deals, contract values or payer for the hospital equipment were disclosed.
The head of the US Commercial Service met Venezuela’s trade minister and toured a Caracas hospital with new Philips scanners.
A senior US Commerce official spent Wednesday, 7 October, in Caracas promoting trade with Venezuela, the US Embassy said. David L. Fogel toured a public hospital with new Philips equipment and, the embassy said, met Foreign and Trade Minister Félix Plasencia.
The trip matters to American companies because Washington is now openly marketing Venezuela to US exporters. US goods exports to Venezuela hit US$4.11 billion from January to August, up 79%, Census Bureau figures show.
What the US Embassy Said
Fogel “is in Caracas advancing commercial exchange between the United States and Venezuela,” the embassy wrote on X on Wednesday morning. It said he had met Plasencia “today” to “boost market opportunities for both countries” (quotes translated from Spanish).
The embassy tied the visit to the “three-phase plan” of President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. TalCual, a Caracas news site, describes the phases as stabilisation, recovery and democratic transition.
Plasencia is more than Venezuela’s top diplomat. His ministry covers foreign relations and international trade, according to its own website, so trade talks fall within his remit.
Fogel is the Assistant Secretary of Commerce who runs the department’s Global Markets unit and the US and Foreign Commercial Service. Its more than 1,000 trade professionals promote US exports and foreign investment, according to the International Trade Administration.
A Hospital Tour Built Around Imported Technology
Later on Wednesday, Fogel visited the Hospital Vargas, a public hospital in Caracas, to see new Philips medical equipment. The embassy said the project includes computed tomography (CT) scanners, ultrasound systems and advanced diagnostic and treatment technology.
It stressed that Philips, the Dutch health-technology group, has a large presence in the United States. The company spends more than 40% of its global research and development budget there, the embassy said.
The embassy called the devices “acquired” equipment but did not say who paid for them or what they cost. It presented the tour as support for the recovery of Venezuela’s health sector.
The same hospital received donated surgical and trauma equipment from Project C.U.R.E., a US medical charity, in September. The embassy said that gift was part of a nine-tonne shipment of supplies valued at almost US$750,000.
US Trade With Venezuela Has Surged This Year
Census Bureau figures show how fast commerce has grown since US forces seized Nicolás Maduro on 3 January. US goods exports to Venezuela reached US$4.11 billion in January to August, against US$2.29 billion a year earlier.
That eight-month total already exceeds the US$2.98 billion exported in all of 2025. August alone brought US$646 million in exports, almost triple the US$217 million of August 2025.
Imports from Venezuela grew faster still, to US$9.94 billion, almost four times the US$2.66 billion of January to August 2025. The US goods deficit with Venezuela reached US$5.83 billion over the eight months.
Who Runs Venezuela Now
Delcy Rodríguez, previously Maduro’s vice-president, has led the government as acting president since his capture. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are held in New York awaiting trial on US drug-trafficking and weapons charges.
Washington and Caracas broke off diplomatic relations in 2019 and restored them in March, TalCual reported. It added that Energy Secretary Chris Wright visited in February and in September, when Chevron signed a new Orinoco oil belt contract.
What It Means for You
For US exporters, the visit signals that Washington wants American suppliers in Venezuela’s rebuilding, from energy to health care. The Commercial Service that Fogel leads is the federal office that helps US firms find buyers abroad.
Investors should note what was not announced: no contracts, no values and no new trade rules. Companies weighing Venezuelan deals should still confirm current US Treasury sanctions rules before signing.
For Venezuelan Americans, the hospital tour shows US-linked equipment reaching public health care in Caracas. The embassy has not said how many hospitals the effort will reach.
What Is Not Known
The embassy did not name any deals, buyers or prices linked to the visit. It also did not say who paid for the Philips equipment at the Hospital Vargas.
The embassy tagged a Philips partner as “Meditron,” while TalCual named the US device maker Medtronic. The partner’s identity could not be confirmed.
The date of the Plasencia meeting is also unclear. The embassy said “today” in a post at 8:32 a.m. Caracas time on Wednesday.
Venezuela’s foreign ministry, however, says Plasencia arrived in the Dominican Republic on Tuesday for a UN economic conference. The ministry had published no statement on the Fogel meeting by early Thursday.
What Comes Next
Plasencia is attending the session of the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean until Friday, 9 October. The embassy presented the Caracas visit as one step in a wider plan, without naming the next one.
The visit itself announced no change to sanctions and no trade agreement. The Census Bureau’s next monthly release, covering September, will show whether the export surge is holding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is David L. Fogel?
He is the US Assistant Secretary of Commerce who leads the Global Markets unit and the US and Foreign Commercial Service. That service promotes US exports and foreign investment through trade staff around the world.
What did he do in Caracas?
The US Embassy says he met Venezuela’s foreign and trade minister and toured the Hospital Vargas to see new Philips equipment. No deals were announced.
How much does the US export to Venezuela?
US goods exports to Venezuela totalled US$4.11 billion from January to August 2026, up 79%, Census Bureau data show. That already exceeds the full-year 2025 total of US$2.98 billion.
What is the three-phase plan?
It is the Trump administration framework for Venezuela after the capture of Nicolas Maduro, which the US Embassy cites in its posts. TalCual describes the phases as stabilisation, recovery and democratic transition.
Did the visit change US sanctions on Venezuela?
No change to sanctions was announced during the visit. Companies should check current US Treasury rules before doing business in Venezuela.
Sources: US Embassy Caracas on X, Fogel meets Plasencia (7 October); US Embassy Caracas on X, Hospital Vargas visit (7 October); US Embassy Caracas on X, Project C.U.R.E. donation (15 September); International Trade Administration, biography of David L. Fogel; US Census Bureau, trade in goods with Venezuela; Venezuelan Foreign Ministry, Plasencia arrives in the Dominican Republic; TalCual, hospital visit; TalCual, Fogel arrives in Caracas; Efecto Cocuyo (all accessed 8 October 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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