Venezuela is preparing to ship aluminum to the US under a deal with Mercuria Energy Group Ltd. and Heeney Capital, which are also planning a major investment for a Venezuelan gold mine, accelerating a revival of commercial ties beyond oil.

The aluminum cargo, the first bound for the US in years, is for about 15,000 metric tons produced by state-owned Venalum and is scheduled to leave Venezuela as soon as Friday, according to people with knowledge of the matter who asked not to be identified discussing non-public information.

By James Attwood, Jacob Lorinc, Eric Martin, and Archie Hunter.

September 16, 2026 at 2:09 PM UTC. Updated on September 16, 2026 at 7:07 PM UTC.