The United States has been Venezuela's most important trading partner despite the strained relations between the two countries. On 14 November 2017, credit rating agencies declared that Venezuela was in default with its debt payments, with Standard & Poor's categorizing Venezuela as being in "selective default". According to independent sources, the rate increased to 80,000% at the end of 2018 with Venezuela spiraling into hyperinflation while the poverty rate was nearly 90 percent of the population. In 2015, Venezuela had over 100% inflation-the highest in the world and the highest in the country's history at that time. Venezuela's economy has been in a state of total economic collapse since 2013. įurther yet, price controls, expropriation of numerous farmlands and various industries, among other disputable government policies including a near-total freeze on any access to foreign currency at reasonable "official" exchange rates, have resulted in severe shortages in Venezuela and steep price rises of all common goods, including food, water, household products, spare parts, tools and medical supplies forcing many manufacturers to either cut production or close down, with many ultimately abandoning the country as has been the case with several technological firms and most automobile makers. Since the Bolivarian Revolution half-dismantled its PDVSA oil giant corporation in 2002 by firing most of its 20,000-strong dissident professional human capital and imposed stringent currency controls in 2003 in an attempt to prevent capital flight, there has been a decline in oil production and exports and a series of stern currency devaluations. However, this situation was reversed when oil prices collapsed during the 1980s. From the 1950s to the early 1980s, the Venezuelan economy experienced a steady growth that attracted many immigrants, with the nation enjoying the highest standard of living in Latin America. Since the 1920s, Venezuela has been a rentier state, offering oil as its main export. Exports accounted for 16.7% of GDP and petroleum products accounted for about 95% of those exports. Venezuela has an estimated USD$14.3 trillion worth of natural resources and is not self-sufficient in most areas of agriculture. Venezuela exports rice, corn, fish, tropical fruit, coffee, pork and beef. Agriculture in Venezuela accounts for approximately 4.7% of GDP, 7.3% of the labor force and at least one-fourth of Venezuela's land area. Other notable manufacturing includes electronics and automobiles as well as beverages and foodstuffs. Venezuela also manufactures and exports heavy industry products such as steel, aluminum, and cement. The economy of Venezuela is based primarily on petroleum, making the country the 25th largest producer of oil in the world and the 8th largest member of OPEC. All values, unless otherwise stated, are in US dollars.
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