India Rebukes U.S. Tariff Threat Over Russian Oil Imports: “Others Trade Freely With Moscow Too”
New Delhi, August 5 — India pushed back sharply Monday against U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump’s threat to impose steep tariffs on Indian goods over its continued imports of Russian oil, calling the criticism “unjustified and unreasonable” amid a global energy crisis, reported by NDTV.
In a strongly worded statement, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said the country’s energy imports are driven by necessity, not politics, and accused the United States and Europe of hypocrisy. “Nations that are criticizing India are themselves indulging in trade with Russia, and in cases where such trade is not even a vital compulsion,” the statement read.
The rebuke came hours after Trump warned he would “substantially raise” tariffs on Indian goods unless countries stop buying Russian oil. He has already announced a 25% duty on Indian imports starting August 7, with threats of up to 100% tariffs unless Russia agrees to a peace deal in Ukraine.
India defended its pivot toward Russian crude by noting that traditional suppliers in the Middle East were redirected to Europe after the outbreak of the Ukraine war. “At that time, the U.S. actively encouraged Indian imports from Russia to help stabilize the global energy market,” the ministry reminded.
The statement also highlighted the scale of Western trade with Russia. The European Union’s goods trade with Russia totaled €67.5 billion in 2024, along with €17.2 billion in services last year. European LNG imports from Russia reached a record 16.5 million tonnes in 2024.
The U.S., too, continues to import Russian uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear sector, palladium for electric vehicles, fertilizers, and chemicals, the ministry noted.
India, once heavily reliant on Middle Eastern oil, shifted toward Russian barrels offered at discounted prices after the West imposed sanctions on Moscow following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
“Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security,” the statement concluded.
