India Pushes for US Tariff Rollback After Reducing Russian Oil Imports
India has sharply reduced its imports of Russian oil and increased purchases from the US, prompting the Global Trade Research Initiative to urge Washington to immediately remove the 25% tariff imposed on Indian goods. The think tank argues the penalty is no longer justified and its removal would reward India's shift, boost US energy exports, and strengthen bilateral ties.
The Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) has called on the United States to immediately withdraw the 25% tariff imposed on Indian goods under the 'Russian oil' category, stating that the measure is no longer justified given India's significant reduction in crude purchases from Russia. GTRI emphasizes that India has acted on US concerns by sharply cutting Russian oil imports and substantially increasing imports of US petroleum crude and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Trade data shows that between April and September 2025, India's imports of US petroleum crude rose 66.9% to USD 5.7 billion, with total US petroleum and product exports to India up 36.3% to USD 7.5 billion. At the same time, India's exports of petroleum products to the US declined by 15%, easing concerns about re-exports of Russian crude. India has also contracted for major deliveries of US Midland crude and finalized its first structured deal for US LPG imports. GTRI argues that retaining the tariff penalizes Indian exporters and unfairly targets a partner that has rapidly pivoted to American energy suppliers. The think tank warns that prolonging the measure could weaken goodwill and slow trade negotiations, while a swift rollback would honor President Trump's commitment, reward India's actions, boost US energy shipments, and remove a bilateral irritant. GTRI also notes that other major economies, such as China, continue to buy larger volumes of Russian oil without facing similar penalties.
