India has strongly responded against US President Donald Trump's warning to "substantially" raise tariffs on India in response to New Delhi's ongoing oil trade with Russia. In a firm and unequivocal statement issued on Monday, the Ministry of External Affairs described the warnings both "unjustified" and "unreasonable," asserting that India's energy decisions are guided by national interest and global realities, not political alignments. The sharp response from New Delhi came just hours after President Trump accused India of "buying massive amounts of Russian oil and selling it on the open market for big profits." He also vowed to raise tariffs as a form of punishment. The MEA's remarks followed Trump's signing of an executive order on August 1 titled "Further Modifying the Reciprocal Tariff Rates," which imposed a 25% duty on a range of Indian goods.
India defends Russian oil imports
Defending its position, the MEA emphasised that India’s crude oil imports from Russia are a practical response to volatile global market conditions. The statement made it clear that the purchases are driven by economic necessity rather than any political support for Moscow. "India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security," the MEA asserted. It also highlighted the apparent double standards, noting that both the United States and the European Union continue to engage in trade with Russia, including in energy and critical commodities, despite their vocal opposition to the Ukraine conflict.
"India has been targeted by the United States and the European Union for importing oil from Russia after the commencement of the Ukraine conflict. In fact, India began importing from Russia because traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the outbreak of the conflict. The United States at that time actively encouraged such imports by India for strengthening global energy markets stability," the MEA said in the statement.
MEA flags West's double standards
The Ministry of External Affairs also highlighted what it described as "double standards" by the West, pointing out that the European Union's trade with Russia in 2024 has been far more than India's. Citing data, the MEA noted that EU imports of Russian Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) reached a record 16.5 million tonnes this year. The United States, too, continues to import critical commodities from Russia, including uranium, palladium, and fertilisers, it added.
India's own oil imports from Russia have surged significantly, from just 0.2% of total imports before the Ukraine conflict to over 35% in recent months, making Russia India’s largest oil supplier. The MEA explained that this shift was driven by market dynamics, particularly after Middle Eastern suppliers diverted large portions of their exports to Europe in response to the war.
US imposes 25% tariff on Indian exports
Earlier, the White House confirmed that Trump had signed an executive order imposing a 25% tariff on Indian goods, as part of a broader set of duties on exports from various countries. The move comes amid Trump’s criticism of what he calls India’s “massive” trade surplus with the US and “obnoxious” non-tariff trade barriers. "India is our friend, but we’ve done relatively little business with them because their tariffs are far too high, among the highest in the world," Trump said last week. “They also have the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary trade barriers of any country," he added.
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