Venezuela is in negotiations for a second shipment of aluminum to the US as part of a symbolic resumption of trade after years of economic and diplomatic disruptions.

Trading house Mercuria Energy Group and private mining investors Heeney Capital are in talks with Venezuelan officials, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Terms will likely be similar to a 15,000 metric-ton cargo that arrived in New Orleans in late September, with the new shipment anticipated to depart by year-end, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing ongoing private talks. Heeney, Mercuria and Venezuela’s Information Ministry didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

The two nations have been reestablishing commercial ties since the US captured Venezuela’s former President Nicolás Maduro in January. On Monday, Venezuela’s recently appointed Foreign Minister Oliver Blanco met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Washington.

Aluminum, used in everything from cars to beer cans, is on the US government’s list of critical minerals as the Trump administration seeks to strengthen Western supply chains for strategic materials.

While the shipments produced by state-owned Venalum are fairly small, they deepen a push by US and other companies into Venezuela’s mining and metals sector. They also throw a spotlight on a tension in President Donald Trump’s metals agenda: his administration is facilitating Venezuelan aluminum imports even as it uses steep tariffs to shield US producers from supplies originating elsewhere.

Mercuria and New York-based Heeney are engaged in separate negotiations with Venezuelan authorities to operate the Venalum smelter, Bloomberg previously reported.