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According to IPD Latin America estimates, Venezuela's refinery throughput has been less than 300,000 b/d, or roughly one-fifth of its nameplate capacity.17 Venezuela has worked with Iran to supply fuel as well as refining materials, spare parts, and technicians to restart the refineries.
Despite the sizeable reserves, Venezuela produced 0.8% of total global crude oil in 2023. Most of Venezuela's proven oil reserves are extra-heavy crude oil from the Orinoco Belt.
Much of Venezuela's crude oil production capacity and infrastructure have suffered from a decade-long lack of capital and regular maintenance. Chevron's earlier exemption increased its production to 135,000 barrels per day (b/d) in 2023, and we expect Chevron's output in Venezuela to reach 200,000 b/d by the end of 2024.
Of Venezuela's six refineries, only five remain operational, all running at no more than 20% of total capacity. The country's aging refining system, plagued by frequent shutdowns and low output, has deteriorated after years of underinvestment, poor management and international sanctions that have limited access to spare parts.
With a zero-tariff system fundamentally in place after the independent customs operation, high-quality global resources can flow into Hainan with greater freedom and efficiency, Wu said. Trade liberalization and facilitation are defining features of a free trade port.
On June 10, 2021, the 29th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress passed the Hainan Free Trade Port Law of the People's Republic of China, which determined to establish and improve the Hainan Free Trade Port customs supervision special zone system with closed-off customs operations on the entire island.
In April 2018, China announced a decision to develop Hainan into a pilot free-trade zone while gradually exploring and steadily promoting the establishment of an FTP with Chinese characteristics. In June 2020, a master plan was unveiled to build the island into a globally influential and high-level FTP by the middle of the century.
BEIJING, Aug. 8 -- China's Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) is set to launch an island-wide independent customs operation on Dec. 18, 2025, underscoring the country's wider push for high-standard opening up.
