Venezuela’s crude oil exports rose by 14% month-on-month to around 1.23 million barrels per day (mmbbl/d) in April, marking the highest level recorded in more than seven years, according to shipping data and documents from state-owned PDVSA reported by Reuters.

The increase was supported by stronger crude and refined product shipments to key markets, including the US, India, and Europe. A total of 66 tankers departed Venezuelan ports during the month, compared with 61 vessels in March, which carried about 1.08 mmbbld/d of crude and refined products.

The April figure represents the highest monthly export volume since late 2018, before the imposition of U.S. sanctions on Venezuela’s oil sector.

The improvement in exports comes as the country has been drawing down crude inventories and gradually recovering production levels in recent months. This recovery has been supported by policy developments earlier this year, including a US .-facilitated arrangement with Venezuela’s interim administration and the issuance of licenses that eased certain sanctions on the energy sector.

These measures have enabled PDVSA’s joint-venture (JV) partners and international trading firms, including Vitol and Trafigura, to lift and market Venezuelan crude for delivery to refiners across the US, Europe, and Asia, contributing to the country’s gradual return to global oil markets.