United States Warns India of Higher Tariffs Over Continued Russian Oil Imports

Key facts

• United States (U.S.) president Donald Trump warned on January 4 that Washington could raise tariffs on Indian goods if New Delhi does not stop buying Russian oil.
• At present, Indian shipments face a cumulative 50% import tariff, with half of that directly linked to India’s continued purchases of Russian crude.
• U.S. senator Lindsey Graham is pushing legislation that would impose sweeping secondary tariffs on countries buying Russian oil and gas if Moscow refuses to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine within 50 days.
• Indian exports to the U.S. fell 20.7% between May and November 2025, and a further escalation in tariffs could deepen the decline.
• As tariff threats harden into policy, the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) says India can no longer afford strategic ambiguity.