India Hits Back At US Tariff Threat Over Russian Oil Trade
New Delhi:
India has issued a strong response to US President Donald Trump’s threat to significantly increase tariffs on Indian goods over the country’s ongoing purchase of Russian oil.
In a firm statement, the Ministry of External Affairs defended India’s energy trade with Russia, calling it a “necessity compelled by global market conditions”, while pointing out that countries criticizing India are themselves actively trading with Russia, even in non-essential sectors.
India reminded the US that Washington had encouraged such imports in the early days of the Ukraine conflict to help stabilize global energy markets. “When India began buying Russian crude, it was a consequence of Europe diverting supplies after the conflict began,” the statement said.
The government highlighted that the European Union’s trade with Russia was far more extensive than India’s, citing a €67.5 billion trade in goods and €17.2 billion in services in recent years. It also noted Europe’s record LNG imports from Russia in 2024.
India further noted that the United States continues to import uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear sector, palladium for electric vehicles, as well as fertilizers and chemicals from Russia.
Calling the criticism by the US and EU “unjustified and unreasonable,” India emphasized it would continue to safeguard its national interests and economic security like any major global economy.
Trump had earlier stated on Truth Social that he would “substantially raise tariffs” on Indian goods unless India ceased its trade with Russia, threatening duties up to 100% unless Moscow agrees to a peace deal by August 7–9. A 25% tariff on Indian imports to the US is set to take effect from August 7.
India’s shift toward Russian crude began after 2022, when Moscow offered deep discounts following Western sanctions over its Ukraine invasion.
News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
